Apia is the capital of Samoa. It is on Upolu. As with most Pacific Island capitals, Apia is a little shabby and run down.
Reasonably small in size and lacking in obvious attractions, it is very useful as an initial stop off point for first time visitors to get their bearings, organise tours and accommodation, and recover from jet lag. The vast majority of Samoa's highlights can be found outside this town.
Mulinu'u, the old ceremonial capital, lies at the city's western end, and is the location of the Parliament House (Maota Fono) and the historic observatory, which is now the meteorology office.
One of the most interesting feature of Apia is the Cathedral . The name of the Cathedral is the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral and it belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.
An area of reclaimed land jutting into the harbour is the site of the multistorey government offices and the Central Bank of Samoa. A clock tower erected as a war memorial acts as a central point for the city. The new market (maketi fou) is inland a bit at Fugalei, where it is more protected from the effects of cyclones. Apia still has some of the early, wooden, colonial buildings which remain scattered around the town, most notably the courthouse, with a museum on the upper floor. Recent infrastructural development and economic growth has seen several multi-story buildings being built in the city. The ACB/NBS building (2001) houses the Accident Compensation Board, the National Bank of Samoa, and some government departments. The mall below it is home to shops and eateries. The Samoatel building (2004) which is the site for Samoa's international telecommunications hub was built inland at Maluafou, again to protect it from the effects of seasonal cyclones. The newest addition to Apia's skyline is the DBS building (2007) which houses the Development Bank of Samoa.
Writer Robert Louis Stevenson spent the last four years of his life here, and is buried on Mt. Vaea, overlooking both the city and the home he built, Vailima, which is now a museum in his honour.
PLACE TO VISIT
Robert Louis Stevenson museum about 5 km south of town in the village of Vailima is definitely worth a visit. This was built by RLS during the final years of his life, which he spent in Apia. It is now a very well kept museum with a good collection of items either originally from the home or equivalents. Catch a taxi up and consider walking back in the late afternoon.
Robert Louis Stevenson's grave on a crest of Mt. Vaea is best visited in the early morning. As long as there has not been a lot of rain the longer and shallower path up takes about an hour and is an easy walk. The steep path down hill is an option if it has been dry recently. Early morning is a good time to do this walk. Take water and snacks and once you are at the grave, you will have good views to the east and across the Pacific.
WHAT TO DO
A walk along the sea wall is enjoyable. But only on a milder day (i.e. 25 degrees), and not after dusk because of dogs. Many Apians walk along the sea wall in the late afternoon.
The fish market is worth a visit at 6AM on Sunday morning. This is when the locals go to buy fish for the special meal of the week, Sunday tonai.
The flea market nearby the fish market, sells a variety of local handicrafts.
Mulinu'u peninsula holds parliament house, the law and titles court, the historic observatory, and many important tombs.
The new market or marketi fou is a traditional market selling all sorts of local produce as well as some handicrafts. One area sells kava by the cup.
Apia Museum is on the first floor of the courthouse building in beach road. This small museum is worth a visit on a hot day as it is air conditioned.
Palolo deep at the eastern end of beach road provides snorkeling gear for hire and the deep itself is a safe and easy way to see abundant reef life as long as there has not been recent heavy rain to silt up the water.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Apia is approximately 20 miles from Faleolo Airport(IATA: APW). Outside the tiny terminal are the normal stream of taxis (especially when an international flight arrives, as it's not a frequent occurrence) which will normally cost in the region of 30-50 tala for a ride into Apia. Some hotels, such as Aggie Greys, operate shuttle buses for guests. Arrange this in advance, as the scrum of arriving passengers and eager taxi drivers can be confusing when a whole plane load of tourists step outside to the small drop off/pick up point.
By boat - Occasional cargo ships dock at Apia port on their way around the world. A twice monthly ferry sails to Tokelau.
