Hi Ash

Have booked Sinalei for a week at the end of March , really looking forward to it after reading your post, how did you find the meals there?

I thought the meals were fine. Okay yes, they were not the greatest, but they definately as bad as some have made out in their reviews.

We really enjoyed all out meals during the time we stayed there. Although I'm only 20yo, I do dine out and some very nice restaurants every now and then and it was comparable with some of those. We had steaks, lobsters, heck, I think almost all of the more expensive items on the menu! To be honest, we did not pay for anything on the trip, so that's why we decided to indulge. However in saying that, the Samoa currency is quite favourable for Aussies and New Zealanders and I think one night we had, like another reviewer, a steak and lobster combo plus 2x entrees each and desert and beer AND wine [lol] and it came to just over 200 Samoan dollars if I remember correctly. This works out to about $100 aussie/nz. This is great value and the food really is enjoyable. Just odn't be picky and realise that Samoa is not as 'developed' as other south pacific destinations. They do their best, and their best was fine by me.

Hopefully you will be able to have breakfast at Avi I Toga each day like we did. That restaurant is down over the breakwall and your 'buffet' breakfast is actually all you can eat fresh cooked ordered food. Fantastic stuff and a great spot to eat breaky whilst feeding the fish with your left over toast crusts! :-) Dinner and lunch down at that restaurant were also nice. The large fale restaurant was beautiful and a nice ambiance for dining.

I reccommend the BBQ night and the Fia Fia night. Both all you can eat and very fun. Fia Fia buffet didn't seem to be as nice as I was hoping, food seemed a little too 'cooked too early in the evening'. However, it is a good time to try lots of different Samoan food like Palisami and Taro [put the Palisami on the Taro, its nicer than plain Taro]. Do go across to Coconuts for a meal. It's a nice restaurant there and the food was worth the short walk. :-)

Have a great time! I'm jealous! But, we're going back in 10 [!] months for just over two weeks, 5 nights at Sinalei I think, so not too long till I'm back at one of my favourite places in the world - coming from a not very travelled 20yo of course! :-P

Oh, and my review of Sinalei is the one titled 'Number One in Samoa'. Any questions just ask me!

If you don't mind me asking, what room type have you booked? We were in Beachside Fale and these, in my humble opinion, were the best in the resort. Absolutely beautiful and private. The other rooms such as the Ocean View Suits and Ocean View fales were very nice too - these are air conditioned which might be handy for you. Our fale had a ceiling fan, but was in a very shady location and you could open it right up which meant you got a breeze though. We didnt mind the heat/humidity at all. Plus you get a mozzie net for your bed so you can even leave it all open at night. Also, mozzie coils/repelent is a must - being a tropical destination they can be a bit of a pain! But, take the right precautions and you won't get too bitten - we got a few bites but heard/saw someone complaining about being bitten really bad. They didn't bother reapplying repellent or taking advantage of using the mozzie coils in the bathroom.

AshRich and Pub-7, you are not alone in your opinions. I ruled out Fiji because I want more than just a sterile, western style resort. If I'm going to fly halfway around the world, I want to experience something different from what I have already experienced in Cuba and Mexico. I realize there are other Fijiian islands with more authentic accomodations, but they'll require a couple extra travelling days, which we can't afford in our time frame.

I looked into the Maldives, and I was quite turned off by the requirement of the government for tourists to only go to certain islands and to be completely isolated from the local culture. I understand their desire to protect their people from the influences of Western culture, but I can't see how these resorts would be any different from a Western chain anywhere else.

150 years ago, the average person didn't wander much further than the countryside around their hometown. And sometime in the future, all accessible cultures will be so blended together, that there'll be little value in travelling. So even if you've missed the peak, living at this time is a good comprimise.