Samoa - Profile

• Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa, comprises the two islands of Upolu and Savai'i, as well as several smaller islands. Savai'i is the largest, but Upolu is the most developed and centre of government and commerce.
• Robert Louis Stevenson was the first in a long line of famous travellers to be seduced by the Samoan way of life, and today's sailors can still find a Samoa whose ways have changed very little during the century since Stevenson lived here.
• Cruising along the sheltered northern coast of the two main islands, one can anchor off villages such as Asau on Savai'i, from where one can explore the interior of these verdant islands with their gushing waterfalls and lush rain forests.
• Asau is a well-protected anchorage, but only limited supplies are available, so it is better to provision in Apia.

Cruisers report that security is not a problem in Samoa.

Samoa has a tropical climate with the more pleasant season being the south-east trade wind season from April to November. During the cyclone season, from December to March, the weather is hotter and wetter. As the Samoan islands are quite high, local weather conditions can be quite varied.

Samoa Weather Forecast

Apia (Upolu) *

* indicates port of entry