Faleolo International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Faleolo, Samoa's international airport, is about 35 km from Apia: the taxi, to be haggled over since there are no meters, costs 60-80 tala (around 22-30 US dollars) and takes 40-60 minutes, while hotel-organised transfers are almost always the simplest option. With this fixed distance, the real choice is between the city of Apia, where the historic hotels and the harbour waterfront are concentrated, and the south coast of Upolu island, about 45 minutes from the airport but 20 km beyond Apia, where the most isolated and quiet beach resorts are found.

Apia and the harbour waterfront

City centre · 40-60 minutes by taxi (60-80 tala) or hotel-organised shuttle covering the 35 km that separate Faleolo from Apia; no public bus designed for tourists with luggage.

Best for: Those who want downtown Apia, the fish market and the port within walking distance, with a 35-60 minute transfer from the airport common to any hotel in the area.

Pros

Fish market, cathedral and centre shops reachable on foot from the hotels on the waterfront
Greater choice of independent restaurants than the resorts outside the city

Cons

Upolu's best beaches are still an hour's drive away, on the south coast
Traffic toward the airport at rush hour can stretch the transfer beyond 60 minutes

Recommended hotels in this area

Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows: Historic 1930 hotel on Apia Harbour, 5 minutes on foot from downtown; Samoan-style bungalows in the garden and an airport shuttle running 24 hours a day.
Tanoa Tusitala Hotel: 95 rooms across 6 hectares of tropical garden, 800 metres from downtown Apia on the Mulinu'u peninsula; Samoan family management with over 65 years of history in Pacific hospitality.
Taumeasina Island Resort: A private island connected to the mainland by a 90-metre walkway, 5 minutes from Apia; two pools, three restaurants and a private beach, among the country's few 4.5-star resorts.

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Siumu and the south coast

Neighbourhood · About 45 minutes by car from Faleolo following the south coast of Upolu; Apia is another 20 km further east, so even an evening in the city means a long return trip.

Best for: Those looking for isolated beaches and over-water fale, accepting to stay far from both Apia and the airport.

Pros

Some of Upolu's finest beaches, with over-water fale rare in the rest of the country
Isolated atmosphere, far from the traffic of Apia

Cons

Few services outside the resort: for dinner or shopping you stay within the property
Both the airport and Apia still require 45 minutes or more by car

Recommended hotels in this area

Coconuts Beach Club Resort and Spa: On Maninoa beach, Upolu's south coast, with some of the few over-water fale in all of Samoa; 23 units between treehouse suites and traditional fale, about 45 minutes from both Faleolo and Apia.

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