WS
Lalomanu Beach
Powder-white sand and beach fales at Upolu's tip
Powder-white sand and beach fales at Upolu's tip
The main event is the beach itself, a dazzling arc of soft white sand and warm shallow water ideal for swimming, lazing and watching the sun rise over the sea.
💡 Mornings are calmest and best for photos before the trade winds pick up.
Simple open-sided thatched fales line the sand, offering an authentic, affordable way to sleep by the sea with a mattress, mosquito net and usually breakfast and dinner included.
💡 Bring earplugs and a torch; fales are basic and open to the breeze.
The fringing reef just offshore shelters colourful coral and fish, easily reached with a mask and fins straight from the beach at high tide.
💡 Wear reef shoes and check with your fale about currents.
The uninhabited green island offshore forms Lalomanu’s iconic backdrop and part of the Aleipata islands reserve, home to seabirds and turtles.
💡 Some fales arrange boat trips to the island in calm weather.
A short boat ride away, this tiny island has its own beach fales, a walking track and a turtle-filled lagoon, a lovely castaway day trip or overnight.
💡 Time the walk around the island with low tide.
Beach-fale rates usually include a hearty breakfast and dinner, typically fresh fish, chicken, taro, rice and tropical fruit served buffet-style as the sun goes down. It is simple, generous island cooking with plenty of coconut. Bring snacks and drinks from Apia, as shops are few and Sunday is quiet; the communal fale meals are as much about the company as the food.
Settle into a beach fale, swim and snorkel the reef, and share a communal sunset dinner with the offshore islands in view.
Take a boat to tiny Namua or the Aleipata islands for a castaway day of beaches, walks and turtle-spotting.
Beach fales are basic and open-air; pack light, bring a torch and enjoy the simplicity by the sea.
Fales and villages deal in cash; carry enough tala as there are no ATMs nearby.
Sunday is for rest and church; stock up on any extras beforehand.
May to October offers the best beach weather; cyclone season runs November to April.
Harbour-capital Apia, the To Sua Ocean Trench, the beaches of Lalomanu, wild Savai’i and car-free Manono — five sides of Samoa.