Year round, the daily maximum temperature is about 31°C and the overnight minimum seldom drops much below 24°C.  Samoa doesn’t really have true wet and dry seasons, but May to October tend to be drier and November to April wetter and more humid.

Cycling hills on a windless sunny afternoon can be unpleasantly hot. However we find riding in the mornings before 10am can be very pleasant and cycling through lunchtime showers with no coat – refreshing. Regardless of the time of year, you are likely to have lots of mostly fine days, a good change of 2-3 wet days and almost certain to have an afternoon shower or two. The locals seldom wear waterproof coats, as they choose to just enjoy the showers. An umbrella is a good idea for tripping between fales and dining room and bathroom etc.

Our cycling season is April through to October. The wetter and more humid season is November through to March.

Year round the daily temperature is about 31 degrees celcius and the overnight low is seldom below 24 degrees

Mostly sealed roads circle the two main islands offering a total of about 400kms of riding. The speed limit outside the main town of Apia is 35mph (56kph). In 2009, traffic changed to driving on the left hand side of the road. The speed limit is not particularly well observed, but pedestrians heavily use the roads and cyclists are generally given plenty of room. Other than the stretch between Apia and the airport/ferry terminal (which we do not cycle on), traffic tends to be light and on Savaii you may only see a dozen vehicles an hour.

Despite being a coastal route, there are hills. The route around Savaii has a total of about 1,000m of climbing and it is about the same around Upolu.

Fales

Many villages offer fales (pronounced far-lays) as tourist accommodation. These beach huts consist of thatched roofs, matting sides, and wooden floors.

Fales are often in the most stunning settings and allow you to sit or lie on your bed and look out across the beach to the most amazing sunrises or sunsets. Breakfast and dinner are usually included and served in a common dining room and the bathrooms are shared facilities. Mattresses, pillows, mosquito nets and bed sheets are included.

The fales are equivalent to a permanent campsite and the more traditional ones like Namua are often a highlight for guests. Fale resorts are changing with the times and some offer lockable rooms, corrugated iron roofs, hot showers and ensuites. However, the traditional units are often cooler and much more pleasant.

Bathrooms are basic shared facilities.

Hotels and upmarket resorts

These come in all shapes and sizes with all manner of reputations.  We use several (see the itineraries) because they are conveniently located and usually offer something quite unique. being popular with general tourism they can sometimes be difficult to secure for our cyclists 1 night stays.

Samoan currency is the Tala, often abbreviated to WST.  

(Note: Samoa changed its name from Western Samoa to Samoa, but do not confuse it with American Samoa, a dependency of the US located 60kms to the east.)

A Tala costs 60 to 70 NZ cents or 50-60 Australian ones. Exchange rates vary hugely and the gap between buy and sell rates is larger than for most countries. 

On Savaii in particular you will need to pay for most of your expenses in Tala cash. The economy end resorts often do not take Visa or NZ$. The best rate for buying Tala is often at the airport on arrival with cash (even at 2am) and we recommend you get some Tala here is you have not brought any with you. ANZ banks in NZ and Australian cities have much better rates than those at Auckland and Sydney Airports.

There are ATMs that accept NZ cards in Apia, Salelologa and Manase. Rates are reasonable, but fees can be substantial.

Travel Insurance

Never travel anywhere overseas without at least Medical Travel Insurance. Contact our Reservations Team for a quote.

The best time to purchase travel insurance is when you decide to travel, as it also covers travel cancellation due to health issues.  

Dangerous Animals

There are no poisonous land snakes, spiders, scorpions or large predatory mammals. There is a giant centipede that (from personal experience) has a very unpleasant bite, but it is not fatal.

Malaria and yellow fever are not considered risks but dengue fever, zika and chikungunya are present. Do use mosquito repellent at dusk and do sleep under the supplied mosquito nets or in mosquito proof rooms. We recommend you use repellent with DEET. (ask our Reservations Team to email you our recommended cyclists First Aid travel kit checklist)

Many Samoans keep small dogs and they wander. The tourism authority has been shooting/spaying strays and the problem is mostly under control. The guidebook has suggestions on managing dog concerns.

Dehydration

This is the biggest and most commonly seen issue. Drink plenty of fluids, always carry spare water and monitor your companions for dehydration. Bring your own electrolyte powder or drink Nui (young coconuts) are incredibly refreshing. 

Food and Water Quality

Despite a solid program to supply safe piped water to all villages, tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled water is cheap and available in all resorts and some villages. We supply filtered water on all our supported tours.  

We have seen occasional incidences of upset stomach, and it pays to bring medication just incase.

Swimming in the turtle ponds on Savai’i is strongly recommended against as the water is badly contaminated. Watching water quality will generally keep stomachs at optimal efficiency.

Infection

The hot climate keeps bugs alive and skin infections can quickly turn nasty – take a good antibiotic with you and know how to use it.  Treat even minor cuts with an antiseptic and cover. 

Emergency Numbers

See the What to Take page for essential items and other gear we hire.

See our Booking and Cancellations page