Practical information American Samoa

76  sq.mi

There are no direct flights from London to American Samoa. It is necessary to travel via Los Angeles, Hawaii, Australia or New Zealand, and then take a connection. Anticipate a flight of approximately 30 hours (not including stops).

57794 hab.

Pago Pago international airport, linked to Los Angeles, Honolulu, Tonga and New-Zealand, is about 7 miles away from the capital city (a roughly 25 minute drive). A bus service as well as taxis are available (by taxi, allow USD 15). Leaving tax: USD 3.

All islands are quite safe, and their hospitable traditions hardly ever let you down. Thefts do happen, particularly on less busy beaches, as well as small crime in the towns, sometimes. Attacks very seldom happen, especially towards tourists. It is nonetheless recommended to follow common sense safety rules. Valuables, ID cards and spare money should be left at your hotel. People drown every year. You should avoid, then, swimming on isolated beaches, where the currents created by the reefs can be very strong.

Samoan is the official language but English is spoken by most of the population.

Valid passport. A Visa is not required for a stay of less than three months. However, it is necessary to have a return or open return plane ticket.

Christians (99.7%).

The US dollar. The major credit cards, as well as travellers cheques, are accepted in hotels and most shops, and can also be used to withdraw cash in banks. There are no cash machines here, so bring cash and travellers cheques in US dollars (there is no foreign exchange office at the airport). Banks are open from 9:00am to 3:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Driving: the roads on the two main islands of Upolu and Savai'i are tarmacked and perfectly well-kept, but driving still is slightly dangerous. It is a right hand drive country. Buses go from village to village, but they don't follow a very precise timetable. Taxis are available in the capital city. They are not equipped with a meter, you must negotiate the fare before leaving. They are however very cheap. It is possible to rent a car, a motorbike or a motorscooter from the agencies in town. An international driver's licence and fully comprehensive insurance will be required without fail. It is recommended to fill up with petrol before leaving any city.
By boat: car and foot passenger ferries offer a 90 minute daily link between the islands of Upolu and Savai'i.
Flights: the Polynesian Airlines airline company offers domestic daily air links between the two main islands of the archipelago.

No particular vaccine is required, but it is highly recommended to be up to date with the following : tetanus, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, typhoid, hepatitis A and B. Concerning malaria, it is recommended to take a preventive treatment combining chloroquine and proguanil, and an effective protection against mosquitoes (cream lotion, long clothes at night). It is not recommended to drink tap water, it's preferable to limit yourself to bottled drinks or to filtered water. Diarrhea problems are fairly frequent, thus it is suggested to bring a good pharmacy kit. Medical insurance covering repatriation expenses in case of an accident is absolutely essential.

110 V. Plan an adaptor for US plugs and a voltage transformer.

Samoa are mostly visited by Australian, New-Zealander, American and Japanese tourists, and by a lesser number of British people. The tourist season is concentrated in July-August. 68,000 tourists visited the country in 1999.

A 2 % tax is added to the marked prices. Tips are not very common.

To call Samoa from the UK: 00 + 684 + n#.
From Samoa to the UK: 00 + 44 + regional code (without the initial 0) + n#.