SUNSET VIEW beach fale
SUNSET VIEW beach fale on the west side of Manono offers 5 sheltered beach fales directly at the water front with verandah and a beautifull view to Apolima island and Savai'i, especially at sunset. It is a perfect place to stay for leisure away from the beaten track - away from everything noisy or with wheels on it - and to catch up with Yourself.
Even if Manono is a small island it comprises quite a diversity. Take a walk around the island or a guided tour to the top of the island - everywhere people are happy to chat with You - and show You - Samoan way of Life.
SUNSET VIEW beach fale is run by Leota Tini and his wife Sau in a friendly, laid back family athmosphere and offers accomodation (max 2 pers/fale) at a rate of ST90/day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is delicious!
Once or twice a week - depending on weather - Leota will prepare You an umu, and anytime he is happy to tell You about Manono and Samoa.
Snorkelling is excellent in front of the beach fales, but Leota can also take You out on the reef or round the island (at a small fee). '' this is one of the most amazing reefs to snorkel on! amazing colours and loads off beautiful tropical fish darting around! better thant he great barrier reef!''
Fishing trips outside the reef can also be arranged.
In the evenings, you can sit just off the jetty on the edge of the lagoon and look at the most amazing stars while Leota or one of his sons plays somoan songs on the guitar and the waves gently lap at the shore. its a real paradise experience, and the have some of the clearest skies in the world! you can see the milkyway stretch across the whole sky. Alternatly, if your there as a couple you could take advantage of the warm blamy nights and sit on yuor own private verandah of your fale and watch the stars together.
Transfer to and from Manono is free.
Just call Leota (ph +685 45640), and he will pick You up at Manono-Uta on Upolu.
Location (right by the sea, amazing island),
atmosphere (such a friendly welcome, so relaxed and happy),
value for money (includes delicious meals and lots for little extras),
cultural experience (see a traditonal umu, eat bananas or cocoa fresh from the tree, see fine mat weaviing in the local village, and general village life),
activities (amazing snorkeling and fishing, canoeing, possibly surfing although i forgot my board, walks around or to the top of the island, or perfect place to relax)
This was one of my most amazing stays in my round-the -world travels! All inclusive, you get a ferry from the main island to the island of Manono (the ferry piont is just 30 minutes from the airport and airport pickups can be aranged), a beautiful unspioled island surrounded by a lagoon, where no cars or dogs are alowed, so incredably peaceful too. It takes just a few hours to walk around the whole island on the grass-covered footpath that goes all around the island, passing through the small brightly coloured villages where the friendly people still have a traditional relaxed somoan lifestyle.
Once you arrive you are greeted by five brighly coloured thatched fales with their individual verandahs, and the main family house biult in the traditonal stlye with no walls to let the fresh sea breezes straight off the lagoon blow in. You are greeted by Leota's smilling face and given biscuits and freshly made lemon juice and so starts an excelent Somoan holiday.
The price of ST90 a per person per night is for a two person fale withy our own verandah literally 4 meters fron the sea, and includes all meals, which are truely amazing with all the cluinary delights of traditional somoan food, including a traditonal umu (fire pit), an experience not to be missed or tasted! Also included , which is where it becomes such good value for money, is the activities which include fishing and snorkelling on the reef, which i have to say was more colourful and full of fish that the great barrier reef in australia! this includes equipment and a boat ride to the reef and watching Leota try to catch dinner spear fishing! Also they have an outrigger canoe which your more than welcome to use while your statignt here. Onland, you can wander around the island or climb to the top to a monumental site where an anciet warrior is supposed to be buried standing upright to keep guard. You also have a wonderful view of the whole island and the ones nearby which is fairly spectacular with the hot sunshine iluminating the tropical blue waters and lush green rainforest that covers the island! and if you like, Leo, or another other Leota's family can acompany you as guide.
And after after a delicous evening meal, you are very wlecome to join Leota and his family as they sit beaneath the stars by the edge of the lagoon and play songs on the guitar or listen to Leota's stories which include a large collection of somoan myths and folk tales, such as howthe world was created. This was my best experience, sitting in the balmy air with a cooling breeze blowing off the lagoon, the sound of Leota's singing and the lapping of waves on the shore, the frangipani perfume drifting in the air, looking up at one of the clearest skies i've ever seen witht he whole milky way spread acorss the sky, and later a moon shining down on the small island reflecting in the deep blue waters and lighting the breakers on the outer reef!! it was truely amazing!
And the atmospere of the place is great too! Leota is a happy welcoming man with a great sense of humour who goes to great efforts to make your stay enjoyable, including organising for you to get to the airport at 5am and gettign up to say goodbye! As it is a small place, with jsut 5 fales, which incidently, Leota and his familly have built thereselves, you really feel welcomed into the family and as a lone traveler i really apreciated that. Alternatly, you have your own fale and verandah and if traveling as part of a couple can easily have time to yourself. And although this place is proving already very popular, Leota has no plans to enlarge or overdevelop it into a resort.
However, as a smaller setup, facilities are a bit more basic, such as a shared bathroom facilities, although for Smoma they are fairly modern and it adds to the feel of getting away from it all. Also, there is no airconditioning in any of the fales although you can pay a little extra for fan cooling, and there its so close to the sea there is always a breeze. also, beds must be covered with the misguitoe nets provide, but are very comfortable.
My favorite facility was the main fale, which had a large 'room' without walls to let the breeze in with a tv and stereo, surounded by sofa beds where you can lounge around and read or listen to music, or even have a mid day siesta which i luxuriated in! Definatly much bette rhtan any hostel common room. And all meals are cooked for you so there are no kitchen facilities.
For anyone a bit closed-minded or unadventurous, this may be a little basic or off the beaten track for you, but for a budget travelr like me i found it quite a luxury, and to the explorative traveller it may even be a little tame! however, the atmoshere and the cultural experience more than make up for share toilet facilities and it is definatly a place i shall be returing to hen im in that nck off the woods, and would recomend to everyone!!
