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I stayed at sweet escape for 2nights and had amazing time during my stay. There is no cars, no dogs and not many mosquitoes around, very peaceful with amazing staff. If i didn't booked the other place I would of stayed for another couple nights. You can just walk around the whole island in 1hr n half and there is a one beautiful beach there as well(most of the island is quite rocky). I would recommend this place to everyone who wants to escape from the busy life. Very relaxing peaceful place. Also all the people that i met in Manono Island were very friendly and kind too.
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Date of stay: June 2013
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No cars, no dogs and no rubbish. I would recommend this place to absolutely everyone who visits Samoa. I took my parents here, who were visiting from Australia. We had the most authentic, down to earth Samoan experience, however at the same time the accommodation was completely comfortable, very clean and hassle-free. (In other places, there is usually a trade off between a genuine experience and those creature comforts).
Tepa and Leiataua (Vaisagote) and there extended family were amazing hosts, Leiataua Vaisagote is a cheif in the village. We were very spoilt with interesting conversations and traditional cuisine including Palusami, Coca Rice, Koka Esi (Coca, Coconut and Paw Paw stew), Samoan Chicken, Oka (raw fish in coconut).
One night we could hear men singing nearby in the background while we were eating our yummy dinner, during low tide friendly men and women fish directly out the front and we were also invited to have a traditional lunch with the family.
ACCOMODATION: The fales are a huge step up from rustic beach fales which we also enjoy staying in. They provide a very traditional feel with welcoming creature comforts. The Sweet Escape Fales are not overly lavish or pretentious. Thicker than usual mattresses are on bed frames off the ground, nice clean bathrooms, the fales are on the water’s edge and there was a cool coastal breeze. There is also electricity in the fales and they are very secure.
TRANSPORT: It is very convenient to visit Manono Island, an easy way to get off the beaten track. If you phone ahead the hotel provides boat transfers at whatever time you request (dependant on tides). You can get a cheap taxi to the Manono wharf from the airport. If you have a car the parking is safe and secure (its guarded). So simple!
ACTIVITIES: Nice snorkelling and swimming and you can easily walk all the way around the island (about 6kms) to gain a glimpse of Island life.
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Date of stay: June 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Two of my friends and I stayed here for two awesome nights. The hosts were so welcoming and friendly. They cooked us amazing Samoan meals every night and told us the best places to go on Manono; one which included a beautiful secluded beach with the clearest water and the whitest sand. We fortunately had the opportunity to go to one of the elementary schools on island, where they sang to us songs in English and Samoan, it was truly a treat! I would highly recommend this island, resort, and host family, to any who would like a "Sweet Escape".
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Date of stay: March 2013
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Read some good reviews and was looking forward to staying here. We didn't meet anyone by the names previously mentioned so wonder if there has been a change of ownership?
The booking process was all telephone based, which unfortunately meant we had nothing in writing... We were told everything was included in the 200WST per night rate, and specifically asked about getting from the Manono wharf back to the main wharf (only a 10min drive). We were told we would be dropped there or anywhere we liked.
Once we got on the island we had no options as there isn't much there, and the story changed. We asked for a tea and coffee and were charged 5WST... we asked for directions to the two points of interest on the island and were told we needed guides. 10WST to the grave site and 40WST to the star mound. We very politely declined and were later told that the grave site was damaged and unremarkable, and that we would walk past it if we walked on the one trail around the island (no guide needed). We were also told that the star mound offered no views as it was overgrown, and due to the wet weather was unreachable. Glad we didn't fall for the 50WST jip!
Food was very plain, and my partner got very sick after dinner on the 2nd night. We didn't find the family friendly at all, despite our efforts to be friendly and polite.
Then on the last night we were told we would have to pay 20WST to be transferred from Manono wharf to the main wharf. We politely queried this as we had been told it was free, but they wouldn't budge, so we said we would find our own way. In the end we caught a taxi, and while we were waiting for the taxi we saw the family drive past us, and when we got to the main wharf they were there picking up other guests. Its disappointing that they asked for 20WST to drive exactly where they were going anyway, particularly after they told us it was free!
It seemed that everything here was about the money. There wasn't a lot of care about the guests!
Shower was ok, just a pvc pipe but usual standard. Toilet didn't flush well... and although there were no other guests when we stayed there, the family seemed to use the guest toilet (we came home from a day out to find a massive turd floating in the bowl).
The room itself was nice, good fly screens and louvered windows.
Manono Island has a few other places to stay, but I suggest you skip the island altogether. There are much better beaches and snorkelling on the South Coast of Upolu and even more so on Savaii. The one beach on Manono at Apai is regularly patrolled by unfriendly villagers asking for 5 Tala each... we were approached 4 times in the 2 hours we were there, and one of the more heavily tattooed villagers took a lot of convincing that we had already paid. If you want the peace and quiet you could head to the North coast of Savaii... people there are friendlier, swimming is generally free, beaches far better, snorkeling infinitely better and the food is good.
I've never left a bad review before, but after staying here feel duty bound to warn others off. :(
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Date of stay: June 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We enjoyed our 3 days at Sweet Escape. A great initiation into Samoan life and culture and the perfect place to relax with a good book and wind down for the start of our Samoan adventures. Without vehicles and dogs the island is a tranquil oasis.
Our family hosts, Eddie, tepa and Elisi were friendly and attentive to our needs. Our enclosed fale (1 of just 4) was bright, comfortable and clean. Each one had a verandah, tables and chairs, insect screening and electricity and they were close to the waters edge making for breezy and comfortable nights and no mosquitos.
Shared facilities of toilets, cold shower and laundry were clean and although we were the only guests would be adequate for the 4 fales. Food was basic family style served in the open family fale and they even included an umu just for us; delicious.
We did the two recommended walks, one following the public path around the island giving many glimpses of island life and the other through the family plantation and forest up to the high point on the island. Our hosts daughter Elisi was our guide on each of these and her husband Toia came along on the second climbing impressively for green coconuts high on the tree for our refreshment. Make sure you ask them to take you on to the Star Mound; we didn't realise it was a little further on and they did not offer to take us on.
Most of the beachline we saw was rocky and unremarkable. We did visit the beach at Apai, said to be the best, but at low tide it was not really swimmable. As is customary we paid 5 tala each to Apai village to use the beach for the 3 days but did not return.
We booked through the hotels-samoa website and took a taxi (selected by Polynesian Xplorer) direct to the wharf from Faleolo Airport for a perhaps inflated price of 40 tala for the 15 minute ride. The family boat was there to meet us. Extreme caution is needed on the slippery ramp at low tide – we discovered the hard way! When we left Manono Toia saw us onto the local bus at the wharf for the Mulifanua Ferry to Savai'i for 1.50 tala each and an amazing experience!
At 100 tala each a night including breakfast and dinner and boat transfers we found Sweet Escape fair value for money.
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Date of stay: July 2012
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Second or fourth fale from the house would give greater privacy from kitchen or toilets.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was my fourth visit to Samoa but my first to Manono Island and The Sweet Escape. From the moment I arrived until the moment I left a week later I was embraced by Eddie and Tepa as one of the family and also by the Village at large. I arrived the weekend of White Sunday. The children's singing was movingly beautiful and the performances complicated and long practised. I was privileged to be asked to present Sunday School prizes to a few of the children and was still given gifts in return.. Monday was a public holiday after White Sunday and I was invited to the children's games. The walk around the Island was a treat of bush and villages and beaches. The guided walk to the Ancient Star Mound was a great adventure cutting our way up through the vines and bush, followed by freshly picked coconut. My fale was spacious and well furnished. Surrounded with eleven windows there was an all round breeze day and night and at night I slept with sea lapping the sea wall close by. Tepa treated me to Samoan fare such as papaya soup and coconut soup and I learn't how she prepared these. From both Eddie and Tepa I learn't so much of Samoan culture, and especially life on the Island and within the village. I booked through the hotels-samoa website however it does take a commission so it is cheaper to phone Tepa and Eddie direct or email The Sweet Escape.
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Date of stay: October 2012
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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