View of a Samoan island as we are about to land at Faleolo International Airport

Faleolo International Airport

Flip flops and lavalava skirts are typical Samoan attire!

Crammed into a public bus from the airport to Apia for only 4 Tala

Colorful outfits for sale at the flea market; Apia

Siapo (tapa cloth) souvenirs for sale; Apia flea market

Kava bowls and ceremonial weapons - bargain hard at the flea market

Colorful food shack near the bus station; Apia

Public buses, Samoan style - we loved riding these around the island (cheap, cheesy and fun with music blaring)

Locals waiting for a ride home; Apia bus station

Yup, within the first few hours of arriving to Samoa, Becky is kissed by a random stranger while wandering around the bus station in Apia!

Clock tower; Apia

Rocky beach on the north coast of Upolu

Samoan flag painted on this barber shop; Apia

Slit drums at the entrance to Piula Cave Pool

Slit drum at the entrance to Piula Cave Pool

Swimming in the Piula Cave Pool is not to be missed...a real highlight of Upolu!

Becky prepares to snorkel the Piula Cave Pool

Crystal clear water gives you the impression of floating through space; Piula Cave Pool

View from Piula Chapel towards the Cave Pool

Sauniatu Waterfall

Becky at Sauniatu Waterfall (free to visit)

Stopping to check out this decorated church

Church interior

Fale with woven blinds - a common sight in Samoa

One of dozens of waterfalls on Upolu island

Le Mafa Pass is a scenic mountainous road linking the north side of Upolu to the south

Le Mafa Pass

Samoan license plate

Too many waterfalls in Samoa to count

Sopoaga Waterfall

Togitogiga Waterfall

Another view of Togitogiga Waterfall

Robby posing by Ma Tree, a massive mape tree on the southern coast of Upolu

View of the beach from our fale (gorgeous despite the constant rain); Matareva Beach Fales

Mothers and daughters "muumuu" performance at Matareva Beach Fales

Sleeping on the beach; Matareva Beach Fales

Bird looking for handouts; To Sua Ocean Trench

We had been warned that due to heavy rainfall, the To Sua Ocean Trench was muddy. This is what it looks like after a few hours of rain

Beach fales - a common sight in Upolu Island

Seabreeze Resort

Samoan flag proudly waving on this tiny island off Seabreeze Resort

Upolu's southern coast

An overcrowded public bus makes its way around Upolu

Typical beach fale - notice the flip flop cut-outs on top of the roof!

Waterfall flowing next to a taro field; near Lalomanu Beach

Our home for a few nights; Taufua Beach Fales

Beach fales on Lalomanu Beach

Beach fale number 9 - our home at Lalomanu Beach

Bathroom wall decor; Taufua Beach Fales

It's Fiafia night as these Samoan beauties put on a show for us; Taufua Beach Fales

Portrait of a Fiafia dancer

The Samoan men slapped their chests a lot during their Fiafia dance

The boys are invited to join in the Fiafia festivities

One legged balance position

The women are mesmerizing with their dance moves

Well behaved Samoan girls watch eagerly from the sidelines

Yellow bird performance

Samoan fire dancer

Closing act of the Fiafia dance night; Taufua Beach Fales

Balancing a fire stick on his feet

Waking up to a brilliant sunny day, the first in over a week!

Sunny view of Taufua Beach Fales

Taufua Beach Fales

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was overcast and gloomy and today is paradise on earth

Becky getting ready to snorkel at Lalomanu Beach

Snorkeling off Lalomanu beach is mediocre. There are some fish and coral beyond this sandy zone

Sea view of Litia Sini Beach Fales; Lalomanu Beach

Our hosts preparing the Sunday umu feast; Taufua Beach Fales

The guest of honor gets to devour the entire pig's head; Sunday umu feast

Pigs roam free near To Sua Ocean Trench

Visibility at the To Sua Ocean Trench has cleared up since the morning has been largely rain free

Becky demonstrates how to climb down to the To Sua Ocean Trench

Selfie at the To Sua Ocean Trench

The ladder to To Sua Ocean Trench

Cave view of the To Sua Ocean Trench

Becky exploring a lava tunnel; To Sua Ocean Trench

A heavy rain storm hits and the water quickly turns murky; To Sua Ocean Trench

Rocky lava pools near the To Sua Ocean Trench

Spectacular coastline near the To Sua Ocean Trench

Pretty flowers in bloom; To Sua Ocean Trench garden

The To Sua Ocean Trench garden is a relaxing place to enjoy a picnic with plenty of fales to hang out at

View as we drive back to Lalomanu Beach in the late afternoon

Lalomanu Beach during sunset

Papapai-uta Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Samoa

Baha'i House of Worship

Northern coast view on our bus ride from Apia to Mulifanua Wharf

Entrance to Basilica of Saint Ann

It feels like every village in Upolu has its own church

Girls smile as they try to sell fish by the roadside

Apia Samoa Temple - the first temple built in Samoa and the third built in Polynesia

A dozen fales around this massive field offer plenty of shade; Apia

Samoan statues guard the entrance to a hotel; Apia

Robby relaxing with a Vailima beer at Talofa Inn, our central Apia hotel

Breakfast served daily at Talofa Inn (an awesome place to stay in Apia)

On board our tiny Polynesian Airline plane at the Fagali'i Airport; Apia

Upolu's mountainous interior

View of Upolu's coastline on our flight to Pago Pago

The tiny Fagalii airport - a domestic terminal for Polynesian Airlines

Drenched upon arrival

Apia fish market scene

Eels for sale; Fish Market in Apia

Fresh fish on display at the morning fish market

Mulivai Catholic Cathedral - the prettiest church in Samoa

Interior view of Mulivai Cathedral

Ceiling dome of Mulivai Cathedral - notice the traditionally clad Samoans!

Samoa Cultural Village

Photo of Tony Tuitamai, our jovial host at the Samoa Cultural Village

Kava ceremony at the Samoa Cultural Village

Demonstrating how to husk a coconut

It takes mere seconds for the coconut to be grated

Demonstrating how to make "siapo" (tapa cloth). Step one is peeling the bark off a tree

Step two is using a shell to flatten out and grate all the knots from the inner bark of the tree

Next up is pounding the tree bark to flatten it further

Viola! Our guide shows how wide the tapa cloth has become after all this manual labor - we had no idea how much work went into making siapo

The final step is putting the finishing touches onto the tapa cloth using pre-set designs

A sample of tapa cloths for sale (prices starting as low as 20 Tala); Samoa Cultural Village

A farewell dance concludes our visit to the Samoa Cultural Village - can you imagine this is all free? A must do if visiting Apia

Fruit for sale at the Maketi Fou, Apia's main market

Lavalavas and children outfits for sale

Wooden carvings for sale. We found the souvenirs in Samoa to be of better workmanship than those in Fiji and Vanuatu

An overturned bus accident on the way to the airport

Goodbye beautiful Samoa...till next time!