How to Have an Authentic Samoan Experience

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Stay in a Beach Fale

Leave the holiday resort behind for true Samoan hospitality by staying in one of the country’s iconic beach fales.

Elevated on the sands with the sound of the waves rolling onto the distant reef; not only is sleeping in a traditional beach fale a beautiful experience but a refreshingly authentic Samoan experience.

Samoa’s beach fales are located on the edge of Samoan villages and run by local families, offering a cultural experience from the traditional yet humble structure where you sleep to the home-cooked breakfast and dinner shared with fellow travellers.

Meals are a mixture of the foods that contemporary Samoans like to eat, like curry and chop suey, to more traditional dishes like palusami with dinner and koko rice (cocoa rice) or supo esi (papaya soup) for breakfast. Many of the items you’ll find in the 20 Foods to Try in Samoa.

In short, your beach fale experience is like an awesome village or homestay including “glamping” on the beach. Learn more about it in The Guide to Staying in a Beach Fale in Samoa.

What’s more, check out the 20 Best Beach Fale Accommodations in Samoa to compare beach fales to stay.

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The Most Authentic Samoan Experiences

Ok, so let’s say you’ve either stayed in a beach fale or it’s not your cup of tea. What are the alternative authentic cultural experiences you can have in Samoa?

Siapo Demonstration on Savai’i

While visiting the must-do natural attraction of the Afu Aau Waterfall (see the 50 Best Things to Do on Savai’i), don’t miss this amazing and refreshingly authentic cultural experience right next door.

Stop at the sign for the “Siapo Demonstration” on the island of Savai’i where you’ll be invited into a local family’s fale (for a small fee, of course) for a demonstration of traditional canvas-making and painting techniques. You can even give it a go yourself! From cutting down the young mulberry tree to leaving with a completed piece of Samoan siapo (also known across the South Pacific as tapa), the demonstration lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Find this experience in Palauli village, signposted off the main road on the southeast coast of Savai’i (near the Afu Aau Waterfall).

Village Tours and Village Walks

You’ll drive through many villages during your time in Samoa but nothing compares to experiencing them at a more relaxed pace. Cue the “village walk” an activity that accommodations like Amoa Resort and Jaymy Beach Fales offer guests in order to share more about the Samoan culture and where Samoans live.

Alternatively, resorts like Sinalei Reef Resort & Spa and Taumeasina Island Resort offer more formal village tours with organised cultural activities like coconut husking, fine mat weaving and more. The village walks with Va-i-Moana Seaside Lodge, for example, also incorporate a preschool visit.

Learn more about the village walks in the 10 Best Village Tours in Samoa.

Markets

The markets of Apia and Salelologa are certainly worth perusing whether it’s for retail therapy or an authentic cultural ambience.

The largest market in Samoa and a hotspot for all sorts of cultural goings-on, Fugalei Market is a sight not to be missed, while Savai’i’s version, the Salelologa Market, is also worth experiencing. The Flea Market is a more compact version and specialises in crafts, while the Samoa Women’s Association of Growers (SWAG) Market is a cute Saturday gathering, and the Night Market on the last Friday of the month is a street food storm.

As you can see, there are plenty of amazing markets to go through, so check them out further in the 8 Best Markets in Samoa.

Sunday Church Service (and a Sunday To’onai)

Wrap up your week as Samoans do at a local Sunday church service. Even if you’re not religious, anyone can appreciate the breathtaking melodies of a Samoan church choir. While simply visiting a church closest to your accommodation is a good way to go, you can check out some of the more recommended services in the 10 Best Churches in Samoa to Experience as a Visitor.

After church, you may even get invited to a to’onai, a traditional Sunday lunch. This is sometimes the case for guests at resorts and beach fales who get on well with the staff and are often invited to their family or community’s Sunday to’onai. Needless to say, this is the most authentic way to experience this weekly ritual.

Alternatively, hotels, resorts and beach fales host to’onai where you can try dishes like palusami and food that has likely been cooked in an umu. Learn more about experiencing a to’onai in the 10 Best Foodie Experiences in Samoa.

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More Ways to Experience the Samoan Culture

While we’ve gone through some of the most authentic Samoan experiences, there are a lot more cultural activities that you could be getting up to. Although the activities we list below are more catered to tourists, they still derive from important aspects of the Samoan culture and are well worth seeking out if you have the time.

More Samoan experiences include:

• Immersing in local traditions at Samoa Cultural Village
• Experiencing a fiafia night
• Doing a plantation tour like the Va-i-Moana Koko Plantation or Ifiele’ele Plantation tours
• Seeing an umu demonstration
• Taking part in a weaving demonstration
• Learning about Samoan history at the Falemata’aga Museum of Samoa…

… And much more! Check out the 15 Best Cultural Activities in Samoa for all of the details.