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ISLANDS OF SAMOA
Famous for the home of the great Schottish author and adventurer Robert Louis Stevenson, Samoa is known for its natural beauty and gentle pace of life. Just a three-hour flight from New Zealand, the people of this vibrant Polynesian nation have held onto their ancient customs, and Fa'a Samoa. The Samoan Way, continues to play a huge role in village and community life.
Savai'i and Upolu are Samoa's largest islands, and the collection of eight smaller islands includes Apolima, Fanauatapu, manono, Namua, Nu'ulopa, Nu'ulua, Nu'usafee and Nu'utele.
Spread out along the coastal highways of Upolu and Savaii are traditional villages with their neat fales futher inland you will find volcanic craters, lava fields, ancient archeological sites and forest reserver which beckon th be explorer. The country's capital of Apia and Faleolo Internation Airport are both located on the main island of Upolu.
Samoa lies east of the international dateline, 2890 km from Auckland and 1200 km from Fiji.
GEOGRAPHY
The main islands of Upolu and Savaii are fringed by magnificient coral reefs and lagoons, overlooked by craggy volcanic peaks. Inland, the rugged interior hides virgin rainforests, tubling waterflls, steep gorges and srping-fed pools and streams. Traditional villages and cocunut plantations lace the coast, which is fringed by palm trees and white sandy beaches.
Recent volcanic activity on the island of Savaii has also created many lava tubes and volcanic craters.
FLORA & FAUNA
Samoa's tropical climate and fertile soils embrace a diverse range of landscapes from rain-forests and coconut plantations to scrublands, marshes and mangrove swamps. Native wil life includes flying foxes, rare Pacific pigeons and doves, seabirds, skinks and geckos.
in the surrounding ocean dolphins, whales and porpoises migrate through Samoa's warm waters and turtles are regular visitors to the islands. The spectacular fringing reefs are home to som e900 different fish species and over 200 varieties of coral.