"Tonga, American Samoa & Western (Independent) Samo" Tonga Travelogue by PaulinVT

We left Burlington on Wednesday afternoon, September 13. We drove to Albany (because the first segment to LA was MUCH cheaper from Albany than from Burlington - Albany is about 3 hours from us). We left Albany at 5:30 and made it to LA (changing planes in Philadelphia) by 1AM (4AM NY time). Thursday we went to Disneyland in Anaheim (my first time - MIchael's been before). It was great. Sunny and hot.
On Friday, we boarded a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu, changing planes there for our flight to Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango we were told) in American Samoa. Although it is an American Territory, we were surprised to find that we had to go through customs. Our DC-10 dwarfed the Pago Pago International Airport. We stayed for 2 nights at the government-run Rainmaker Hotel, at the base of Rainmaker Mountain. This was a hotel built by the US Government in the 60's. It was quite run down (although it probably was a First Class Hotel when it was built). Our room was a traditional Samoan Fale (Hut) and the view was breathtaking (lots of those views on the trip). We rented a car one day and drove around the Island (Pago Pago is located on Tutuila Island). There are 2 major Tuna Fish Packing plants in Pago Pago - so, if you eat either Starkist or Chicken of the Sea Tuna, it probably came from Pago Pago. Once we got past the plants (the SMELL was atrocious), the rest of the island was very picturesque. Beautiful villages surrounded by mountains, palm trees and pristine water.
We left American Samoa on Sunday, September 17 and were supposed to fly to the smaller of 2 airports in Western (Independent) Samoa, but our flight was late (as were 11 of the 14 flights we took), so we had to fly to Apia (Faleolo Airport), because the smaller one (Fagalii Airport) doesn't have lights on the runway (that's right - no planes can land or take off after dark!) We got to our Hotel (Vaiala Beach Cottages) at around 1AM Samoan Time. (Samoa is 7 hours earlier than Eastern time). The hotel was a group of cottages in a lush tropical garden setting and was owned by an Australian gentlean married to a Samoan woman. Apia is the Capital, and it was DIRT CHEAP! We ate at a restarant called SAILS, which is located in the first home of author Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde). Samoa was very hot and humid. They do, however, have a McDonalds. (I had 2 Big Macs, supersize Fries, Large drink, apple pie; Mike had a quarter pounder with cheese, supersize fries and drink and apple pie - Total cost: 21 Samoan Tala or about $7US!) We loved Apia and the island of Upolu. The other major island of Western Samoa is Savaii, which we didn't get to see.
We were to leave Apia at 7AM Monday morning on Polynesian Airlines for our flight to Tonga. (We couldn't fly to Tonga on Sunday, because the AIRPORT IS CLOSED!) However, after getting up at 4AM to get to the airport in time, the Airline called to tell us that the flight had been delayed - we ended up leaving at 8PM Monday night! The ONE 737 (that's right - i said ONE)that Polynesian Airlines owned had to return from Auckland, New Zealand before we could get to Tonga.
Now we left Apia at 8PM on Monday, September 18, and arrived in Tonga 1 1/2 hours later at 9:30PM on TUESDAY (Tonga is on the other side of the International Date Line). We landed at Fu'uamotu International Airport on the southern island of Tongatapu, where the capital city of Nuku'alofa is located. We stayed at the Good SamariTAN (their spelling) Hotel. We had reserved a private fale but had to stay in a very sparse accomodation because the person in our room had to wait till the next moring to leave (yep - she was taking that same 737 on Polynesian Airlines going back to Auckland.) The hotel was directly on the beach, with an outdoor restaurant. The food was Fantastic. The best lobster I ever ate! We were here til Saturday, September 23. On Wednesday, one of the guides at the Hotel took a group of us around Tongatapu and to Nuku'alofa. Next to our hotel was a protected conservation area where FLYING FOXES habitated. (These are fruit bats with a 3 foot wingspan.) We went to the Tongan Cultural Center and took part in a traditional Kava Ceremony (I was named the Honorary Noble). Kava is the National Drink - it tasted like dirty water to me. Friday night was the traditional Tongan Feast (i.e. Luau) at which was served very interesting food (such as octopus, mahi mahi and turtle).
Saturday, we left Tongatapu and flew North on a 17 passenger plane (Polynesian Airlines) over all the Tongan islands - absolutely beautiful. We arrived on the northern island of Vava'u and went to our hotel in the capital city of Nei'afu, the Paradise International Hotel. This was the best hotel we stayed at on the entire trip. Our room was enormous, and overlooked the Bay of Refuge, called that because of the protection it affords ships from nasty weather. The sunsets were FABULOUS. We stayed till Monday when we took a powerboat to the island of Vaka'eitu, about an hour boatride south to the Popao Beach Resort. This was the hotel with NO ELECTRICITY, NO PHONE, and the accomodations were built to resemble traditional Tongan huts - (we had to pour water into the toilet to flush!) - Again, the food was phenomenal - (Michael thought otherwise - our first meal was cooked papaya, stuffed with corned beef and cheese and topped with a cooked baby octopus - MIchael almost lost his lunch when it was served. I loved it. A raw tuna dish with a japanese soy/horseradish sauce was also served - it was great. The chef (also the owner) ended up preparing Michael his own food, which I though wsa terrific. The snorkeling was the best I have ever seen - and it wasn't even sunny! That was the problem at Papao Beach - the weather was iffy - the huts were very dark - and the bed was hard and uncomfortable. We were supposed to stay for 3 nights, but we ended up leaving after 2 and going back to the Paradise Hotel. (I love that place). The weather was such that our whale-watching trip was cancelled - that was a disappointment. Thursday, September 28 we left Vava'u and flew back to Tongatapu. After dinner, we left Tongatapu on Thursday at 9:30PM and arrived in Apia (in Western Samoa) on WEDNESDAY at 11:30PM. So we had Thursday to do all over again. This time the 737 was on time and stayed at Vaiala Beach Cottages again till Friday. We drove around Upolu (the island that Apia is on) and saw some beautiful sights. One of the interesting things about Samoa is that they don't have traditional cemeteries - you bury your relatives in your front yard! (I guess you don't move much!) The more important the person, the more tiered the grave. Itcwas bizarre to see traditional thatched open huts with modern conveniences, TV, etc, (no glass windows, etc) Very odd. Friday the 29th we began the long journey home. From Apia, back to Pago Pago, then Honolulu, LA, Pittssburg, Albany and VT! WE had a 7 hour layover in LA so we went to a movie near the Airport! We were EXHAUSTED when we got home on Sunday October 1. (I had Monday and Tuesday off.)