Day 3 of a week long, ~135km cycle around the Samoan island of Upolu, the slightly smaller but far more populated of the two main islands. Organised through Cycle Journeys / Outdoor Samoa, this was a great way to explore this beautiful Pacific country. This was one of the best days I had in Samoa, with cycling, hiking, snorkelling and swimming under a waterfall.

There were fewer rivers in Samoa than I expected, but they’re generally worth stopping to take a better look at.

There were some impressive buildings in Mulivai, along with a refreshing looking freshwater pool, a rarer sight on Upolu than Savai’i.

At the entrance of the Siumu district was a large sign welcoming King Charles III, who visited Samoa in October 2024 for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

O Le Pupu-Pue National Park was one of my favourite places in Samoa, with good facilities and three great sites to explore.

There was an atmospheric short walk out to a giant Ma Tree. It was only a 700m but felt longer with the heat, humidity, and uneven track, though it was an attractive and interesting walk.

The Ma Tree is about 20m high with huge root formations.

To the south the Lava Field Coastal Walkway is one of the best walks in Samoa. Epic coastal scenery with multiple arches, huge sea spray, a lava field, and dense and fascinating plant life. Care was needed through as at times the path is literally only 1-2 metres wide, with sheer cliff drop offs. There was a wonderful sense of anticipation from the start heading through the thick bush to the coast.

There were great views in both directions of the volcanic coastline.

It is a pretty incredible piece of coastline.

The plant life was quite surreal.

The walk ends at a lava field, being battered by the sea.

All this hiking in heat and humidity made visiting Togitogiga Waterfall even more appealing. There was were some lovely landscapes and a welcome from King Charles III.

The main attraction was an impressive two tier waterfall, below which is a pool which made for a refreshing dip.

I finished the day at Tafatafa Beach, staying at Brenda’s Beach Fales, a nice spot.

There is reasonable snorkelling here, though a bit of hunting around is required to find each patch of coral, many of which were dead (probably from the 2009 tsunami). Some were alive though and home to many fish.