Colonial vulgarities haven't quite wiped out paradise. Despite the palm-trees-wafting-in-the-trade-winds image, American Samoa is something of an oddity in the South Pacific. Hastily Americanised in the 1960s, the islands have all the ugly results of commercial and cultural imperialism sticking out from behind the fronds.
Destination Facts
Capital: Pago Pago
President: George W Bush
Governor: Togiola Tulafono
Government: Unincorporated and unorganised territory of the US
Time zone: GMT -11
Area: 77
Population: 57880
Languages: Christian (98%)
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Weight System: Imperial
Country Dialing Code: 684
Getting There
The best time to enjoy American Samoa - and especially the island's capital - is during the dry season (May-October). The risk of tropical cyclones (hurricanes) is reduced at this time and, not surprisingly, it is also when most of the major festivals are held. This is considered to be the region's high season, though there isn't much difference in pricing. If you plan to come during the December-January holiday period, when huge numbers of Samoans return for the holidays (mostly from New Zealand, Australia and the USA), it's wise to book flights well in advance.
Getting to Pago Pago by air is fairly straightforward, though rarely inexpensive. Depending where you're coming from, you'll need to get yourself to Hawaii, Tonga, Samoa, west coast USA, Australia or New Zealand and catch a connecting flight. Currently, the only airlines landing on Tutuila are Hawaiian Airlines, Polynesian Airlines and Inter-Island Airways. There is a 3.00 departure tax when leaving American Samoa by air, but it's included in the cost of the ticket. It is also possible to arrive by sea if you've got a bit more time on your hands. Thumbing a lift on a yacht from the US west coast or Australia's northeast is possible for those with sailing experience or the desire to cook meals and scrape barnacles. Generally, you'll be hooking up with yachties in the USA between May and October as they take advantage of favourable winds and weather conditions. They'll all scatter by late November as the cyclone season fires up. If you're not planning to batten down the hatches with the locals, you should probably scatter with them.
Inter-Island Airways flies between Pago Pago and the Manu'a Islands, while both Inter-Island Airways and Polynesian Airlines fly between Pago Pago and Apia in Samoa. Buses are a great, unpredictable, noisy way of moving about the main islands. The 'aiga buses on Tutuila are brightly painted trucks that blast reggae music all day. Drivers are a law unto themselves; they'll finish work whenever they feel like it. Never rely on a bus after about 14:00. Car hire will set you back between 60.00 and 100.00 a day plus insurance and fuel, but if you're on Tutuila for only a day or two, there's no better way to see the sights.
Visa:
US citizens can visit American Samoa visa-free as long as they have a valid passport and an onward ticket. Nationals of the following countries equipped with a valid passport and an onward ticket will receive a free one-month visa on arrival in American Samoa: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Federated States of Micronesia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Nationals of all other countries must apply in advance for their one-month visa (US$40).
Weather
Conditions in Samoa are almost perpetually hot and humid - the average annual temperature is 26.5° C (80° F) in coastal areas, with a decrease in temperature as the land rises inland. Humidity is always high but the even temperature and fresh sea breezes means conditions are never too stuffy. The region's wet season, also the season for tropical storms and cyclones (and ostensibly its low season), lasts from November to April with December and January normally the wettest months. In the harbour area of Tutuila, the famous Rainmaker Mountain ensures that the region receives over 5000mm (197in) of precipitation annually.
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