Travel Agent Stirling

As soon as I stepped off the plane, a wave of warm tropical air rushed to greet me.
I felt exhilarated and alive as this was my 1st overseas trip since having children.
I was lucky enough to be offered a place on an educational to Samoa.....partly to see the wonders that this country has to offer....partly to see how the country is recovering from the Tsunami in September 2009.

We spent the 1st couple of nights on the main island of Upolu visiting the many magnificent resorts that this country has to offer. I felt very privileged to be escorted around this island seeing the many villages and glimpsing the local peoples' way of life. The countryside is very green and lush with many banana and taro plantations. We had a local guide which enhanced our experience as we were told many stories about villagers and their way of life.

We visited the South Eastern corner of the island which was the main area affected by the Tsunami and met with the owners of the 2 resorts which were badly damaged. They are both in the process of being repaired and are due to reopen soon. As I stood on the beaches looking out at the calm lagoon it was hard to imagine the devastation which took place just such a short time ago but the damage remaining told another story.

Then we were off to Savaii - the 2nd large island of Samoa. I loved this island as it was a lot less populated and the beaches consisted of brilliant white sand and crystal clear tropical waters. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the more traditional resorts which was a simple fale on the beach. The fale was a simple wooden platform with a mattress on the floor for a bed and a mosquito net to keep the bugs at bay but the thing that made this experience so special was being lulled to sleep with the sounds of the waves gently lapping at the shore no more than 10 steps from where I lay. Paradise!!!

Samoa is a beautiful tropical destination and although it is well set up for tourism, it is still very laid back and is not overrun by crowds. There are many different accommodation types to satisfy any need from backpacker style to 5 star resorts but the thing that truly makes this country spectacular besides the beaches is everyone's welcoming smile!

I look forward to offering some up to date advice about this amazing holiday destination.