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Cycle Samoa

  • Cycle holiday Samoa
  • Cycle holiday Samoa
  • Cycle Samoa holiday
  • Cycle Samoa

Cycle Samoa

Life Changing Adventures

Overview

Think tropical paradise, white beaches, palm trees, rainforests, reefs and crystal clear waters. That is the beautiful country of Samoa. Located a few hours from Fiji in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Samoa is home to some of the best tropical experiences on the planet.

Slow travel by bicycle is the best way to explore this beautiful country, as we cycle around both major islands, Upolu and Savai’i. Along the way, we’ll have the chance to swim, snorkel, surf, dive or kayak in the clear blue sea. We’ll swim in a giant sea trench, waterfalls and reefs.

Social Cycles will take you on a journey to interact and connect with local grassroot Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and the beneficiaries of a funded project of your choosing. Research what really happens on the ground and out in the villages with Social Cycles in a tour that carefully balances ethical research and local impact with cycling and site seeing.

2018

March 18 to March 25
May 20 to May 27
July 1 to July 8
August 19 to August 26

 

Ready to book Register Interest

Cycle Samoa Reviews

Reviewed on tourradar.com

Features & inclusions

  • Social Impact
  • NGO Partners
  • Beach Huts
  • Hosts
  • Food
  • Bikes
  • Support Van
  • Cycling Distances
  • Group Size
  • Tour Inclusions
This adventure holiday doubles as a fantastic fundraising opportunity! Social Cycles have teamed up with CERES Community Environment Park in Melbourne to connect with, learn from, and potentially assist, some of the great locally based NGO organisations in Samoa. CERES Global has developed a variety of partner organization friendships in Samoa with a view to creating a positive social impact in the community. This Social Cycles adventure has the unique opportunity to visit and learn from these projects. The funds raised from each rider (min AU$200, tax deductible in Aus) will be able to influence which project they would like to support based on their learnings throughout the week. In addition to building a profile for our impact partners, Social Cycles also pays each NGO for their time and resources. We spend 1-2 hours with each NGO who are then remunerated, regardless of whether or not there is a follow up donation from the group.
 In Samoa, with the help of CERES Global, we will have the opportunity to visit three very different organisations. At the start of the adventure, we’ll learn more about Samoa Victim Support Group. A great local NGO working towards gender equality and the economic empowerment of women. SVSG is not a government organisation but has an incredible amount of power within the community due to it’s professionalism, local empathy and diplomatic processes. The Poutasi Development Trust, based in the south of Upolu, supports the local village by a variety of agricultural projects. PDT is focused on working towards agricultural sustainability within the region, using organic farming. Our final partner for the adventure is Women in Business Development Inc. WIBDI is dedicated to strengthening village economies in Samoa in ways that honour indigenous tradition, use traditional and modern technology, and promote fair trade.
We make the most of traditional Samoa by staying in local ‘fales’ (pronounced Far-Lay). A fale is a traditional beach hut with a thatched roof, matted sides and a wooden floor, usually nestled on stilts, right on top of the white sand beaches. Equipped with only a mattress and a mosquito net, the pure simplicity allows you to truly enjoy the sound of the waves and the breeze of the sea air. Watching the sun set (or rise) over the sea from your fale is a truly beautiful experience. A local breakfast and dinner is prepared by the host every day and it’s always more than enough to energize your cycling! If you’d prefer a little more luxury at times, other arrangements can be made for additional costs. Please get in touch for options prior to booking.
In 2017, the Cycle Samoa adventure is hosted by Social Cycles founder Brett Seychell. Brett is passionate about sustainable travel and enriching experiences by engaging with local experts. That’s why he will facilitate the 2017 tours and connect riders with local experts to give you a real insight into island life. Experts you can expect to meet will be representatives from all three organizations (WIBDI, SVSG, PDT), local coconut plantation farmers, local cocoa farmers, Rachel, our homestay family from an organic farm and plenty of friendly locals along the road!
In Samoan culture food is a social event that brings together family and friends to share what bountiful wonders nature has provided. As the sun rises in the east, young men are paddling their canoes out in the lagoon to catch fish, while others have gone into the plantations to cultivate and harvest what is needed for the daily meals. The bounty of the ocean provides crayfish, snapper, masimasi, octopus, tuna and more, caught that morning and served that evening. The plantations of bananas, taro, tropical fruits and vegetables picked that day add to the freshness of the meals. And with the freshness of all this bounty, it’s the flavours that have your taste buds wondering why it never tastes this good at home. If you’re out in the villages dining with a family, you won’t see the microwave and stoves, because traditional samoan food is cooked on a fale where the umu (earth oven of hot stones) is laid three times a day to cook the meals. No oils used here, fishing is wrapped in banana leaves with freshly made coconut cream poured over, pork and chickens are cooked whole and tucked in the gaps are taro and green bananas ready for baking and octopus in coconut cream placed in half coconut shells.Then once the stones are red hot and the food placed on them, banana leaves are placed all over the food to seal in the heat and two hours later the umu is lifted, the piping hot food is served, no artificial flavours and additives used here. Delicacies on the Samoan menu include palusami (young taro leaves baked in coconut cream) and oka, (raw fish in coconut cream), both are must try dishes on any holiday.
In Samoa, we partner with a local supplier for the hire of our bikes and as a result, there is a great range to choose from. Each bike comes with a helmet, lock, comfortable gel seat and a handlebar bag. You can choose from the a hybrid touring bike (GT Transeo) or a mountain bike (GT Aggressor). Alternatively, for an additional cost, you can select an e-bike to help you cruise up the hills! If you’re looking to make this a family experience with kids, a range of tagalong trailers are available.
The beauty of a tour like this is that your luggage is transported from day to day for you. The distances between stops are approximately 50km, so when you arrive to the next destination, your bags will be waiting for you. There is no part of the tour where we intend to transit together in the van as the whole country is enjoyable and relatively easy to cycle. As time is on our side, the pace is slow and the scenery beautiful. See more info on the next tab.
Cycling through Samoa is like cycling through a postcard. The beautiful white sand beaches and lush tropical green of the rainforest is totally breathtaking! We average about 50km per day and plan to set off by 8am most mornings to avoid as much of the heat as possible. With stops for drinks and photos, perhaps a swim here or there, we plan to get into most villages for our nights rest by about 1pm, giving you time to explore and relax on the beach or partake in some of the additional available activities such as kayaking, snorkeling and scuba diving.
We take a minimum of six riders and a maximum of 10. We strongly believe that when you travel with a group beyond 10, there is a risk that voices and opinions may be drowned out when we have the rare opportunities to visit NGOs and ask questions to local leaders.
The tour prices listed above includes:

    • 8 nights fale accommodation
    • Bicycle & helmet hire
    • One tour facilitator plus engagements from local experts
    • Support vehicle for the ride
    • Three NGO presentations with local staff across Samoa
    • Multiple field trips to villages and communities
    • Entry to To Sua Ocean Trench and Togitogiga Waterfall
    • 8 dinners & 8 breakfasts
    • Farm to plate cooking experience in a local homestay on an organic farm and much more.

      Itinerary


      Day 1- Apia

      Arriving in Apia

      Depending on what part of the world you’re flying in from, we’ll take today to rest, relax and settle in to Apia, the countries capital. We will arrange a transfer from the airport to greet you (along with a local ukulele trio) and transfer you to your accommodation. In Apia, we will be staying in either a guesthouse or hotel. As the group arrives, we’ll join in the evening for dinner after getting fitted for our bikes. If you’ve got time during the day, you can visit the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum or the very impressive Mary Cathedral.

           

      Day 2- Apia to Vavau (52km cycle)

      Our first NGO, a small mountain climb and a beach hut

      After breakfast, we’ll spend an hour or two learning about Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG) and the role they play within the community. This is a great insight into local culture and how traditions and new world government can positively co-exist. After an early lunch, we’ll make our way towards Vavau via the north coast of Upolu. After about 30km of flat coastline, we start our ascent over to the south coast of the island. A 290m elevation stretched out over 5km makes for one of the harder segments of the trip. We’ll take plenty of time to rest (stop for photo’s!) or you can take the option of the support van. For every hill that goes up, we must come down so you’ll find the last 10-15km very relaxing! In the evening we’ll enjoy our first fale and some sunset swimming in the crystal blue sea.

           

      Day 3- Vavau to Matareva (50km cycle)

      To Sua Ocean trench, Togitogiga Waterfall and Poutasi Development Trust

      Arguably the most magical natural swimming pool in the world, To Sua trench is the ultimate paradise. We’ll arrive in the early morning to increase our chances of having this oasis to ourselves. Once refreshed and having reached the town of Poutasi, we’ll meet the leaders from the Poutasi Development Trust and learn about their community educational programs in regards to agriculture. We’ll also have a chance to visit prior CERES projects in the form of a BioGas digester. A short ride later and we’ll venture onto Togitogiga Waterfall within Le Pupu-Pu’e National Park, a beautiful swimming hole at the foot of a majestic waterfall. By early afternoon, we should reach our evening’s destination with plenty of time to watch the sun set over the volcanic rock pools.

      to-sua-trench Samoa     Togitogiga Waterfall Samoa

      Day 4- Matareva to Salelologa (35km cycle)

      Another small climb, a ferry crossing to Savai’i & Women in Business

      The 35k cycle to the ferry terminal takes us through some small villages, beautiful beaches and a reasonable climb over the mountain pass. Our ferry departs at midday and brings us to Savai’i just after 1pm. Once we’ve settled into a Lagoon Resort, we’ll spend a couple of hours learning about the non profit social enterprise, Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI). This fantastic organization brings local farmers to the international stage, with products such as locally grown coconut oil and cocoa reaching markets all over the world.

           

      Day 5- Salelologa to Manase (50km cycle)

      Coastal cycling, sun lounging and organic cocoa farms

      From our beautiful resort in Salelologa, we’ll make our way north to Manase through the jungle corridor near the coast. Along the way we’ll have the opportunity to stop and explore the lava and the remains of the LMS Church after the 1905 volcanic eruption. Once we’re at Manase, you can relax in your fale on the white sands or upgrade to a motel. Along the way we’ll engage with the local farming community on an organic cocoa plantation. This is a hands on opportunity to discover how cocoa turns to chocolate.

           

      Day 6- Manase to Falealupo (57km cycle)

      Scuba diving, snorkeling and sunsets

      Dive Savai’i and other outlets offer snorkkelling tours and scuba diving experiences for licensed divers.
           

      Day 7- Falealupo to Taga (52km cycle)

      Coconut plantation, organic farm to plate cooking class in local homestay

      On our way out of Falealupo, we cycle through some of the most pristine scenery in all of Samoa. On the way to Taga, we’ll have the opportunity to meet a local coconut plantation and learn how they make coconut oil. In the evening, we’ll meet Rachel and her family at their organic farm on volcanic rock. We’ll forage for ingredients, build an umu and make our own dinner through traditional Samoan cooking methods. This is the ultimate organic farm to plate experience.
           

      Day 8- Departure day

      Cycle off Savai’i to the airport

      This is our last day together in the Samoan paradise. If you’ve arranged to spend a few more days lazing on the beach or exploring the underwater paradise with your mask and snorkel, then we’ll arrange to get you where you need to go. The group will be making the way back to the ferry along the south coast of Savai’i by either cycle or van depending on airport commitments.
           

      Where we ride

      We cover both islands in our cycle around Samoa, starting in Apia and finishing with a lap of the beautiful Savai’i. There’s a few points where the mountains come to the coast, but the days are short in distance, time is on our side and a beach is never far away to rest.

       

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