Information about getting to and from the airport, as well as MUST READ information before you book airport accomodation

Getting from the Airport

Firstly, it is worth paying for a window seat if you are flying into Samoa, as the views of the coral reefs from above are some of the most spectacular in the world.

If you are organising a taxi to or from the airport, it will cost you around 50 Tala if you pre-book, 80 Tala if you find one upon arrival. The taxi drivers at the airport will change more, and may decide not to negotiate if there are more planes arriving that same day.

A better option would be to take a local bus! The taxi drivers will tell you that there are no busses and that the busses are cancelled. There are definitely more taxis going around peak hours / school times (before 9am towards the city, and between 3pm and 5pm towards the airport), but other busses do go semi-regularly. All bus fares in Samoa will cost 3 Tala.

You can also hitchhike, although when trying this I ended up on a local bus instead. Hitchhiking was easy in the more remote parts of Upolu, less so between the airport and city. Just stick your thumb out, wave, and smile. It can also be nice to keep walking while hitchhiking, as it is a beautiful walk and a great way to set foot into a new country.

Airport Hotels

Just don’t do it. Seriously. Even if you have the 6am flight out of Samoa, it is better, cheaper, more comfortable, and healthier to stay in Apia than the airport hotel. I recommend the Samoan Outrigger Hotel as an exceptional budget hotel with great facilities and good location.

If you look on google maps, you will see that there is a Transit Motel located in the airport – this is not true. It is actually located a 7 minute drive or 50 minute walk west up the road, and the hotel will charge you 20 Tala for the airport shuttle. This was one of the worst places I’ve stayed and was not worth being closer. I booked a room with aircon online, but upon arrival the receptionists advised that third party websites had the information wrong, and that the rooms with aircon were another 30 tala. There was mould in the room, only one power socket, no side table, and hardly enough room to repack my bag.

The staff were incredibly rude and got aggressive at me, telling me that people always complain about the booking not being what they saw online, which tells me that this is a recurring thing that people have issues at this hotel.

There is also a “restaurant”, but they only offer a 3 meals – each dependent on whether ingredients are available – and none looked healthy or worth the money they would cost.

Because you have to pay for their shuttle bus in the morning to the airport, it is cheaper to get a budget accommodation in Apia and pre-book a taxi in the morning (or take a public bus from the bus station if you’re not on the early flight out).

Getting Between Upolu and Savai’i

There is no airport in Savai’i, so to get between the islands you will need to take the ferry. The ferry is only 10 tala per person, although it is 80 tala for a small car, including the driver, or 95 tala for a big car. The ferry takes up to 90 minutes, depending on how choppy the sea is.

To take the ferry from Upolu, go to Mulifanua Wharf. To get here, you can either take a public bus from the bus station behind the Flea Market for 3 tala, or get a private taxi from Upolu for 50-60 Tala. The ferry will drop you off at Salelologa Wharf on Savai’i.

Some travellers choose to bring their hire car on the ferry and just spend a day on Savai’i. If you have the time, I recommend spending a few days on Savai’i, and just hiring a car over there. It should be noted though that car hire is limited on Savai’i, so if you ‘re short on time, you’ll want to pre-organise a hire car. Hitchhiking is possible, but there are very few cars, and it would likely take you a couple of days to get all the way around the island if you wanted to stop at all the sites. You may end up walking a lot!

There is a regular timetable which is updated regularly on the Samoa Shipping Corporation (SSC) https://www.ssc.ws/timetable-and-fares. Do not rely on other websites for the times, as the timetable gets updated regularly and the SSC update them here.

You don’t need to make a booking in advance if you’re travelling on foot, but if you’re travelling with a car you will need to either email reservations@ssc.ws or info@ssc.ws to secure your spot, or book at the Samoa Shipping Corporation head office in Apia.

If there are strong winds, rough seas, or cyclones nearby, the ferry may be cancelled. As always in the Pacific, there is a risk that you could get stuck on Savai’i for a few days if the boats are unable to sail, so we recommend visiting Savai’i closer to the start of your trip if you have a firm deadline to leave Samoa by.