When people think of Samoa, images of white sand beaches, crystal blue waters and towering palm trees come to mind. And for good reason. Samoa is an absolute paradise on earth. It must be one of the last few countries on the planet that, despite being so beautiful, has not been overtaken by tourism… yet.

One of the many incredible aspects about Samoa is that people have kept so many of the indigenous traditions alive. This can be seen through the food, and style of cooking, as much as the types of accommodation in which we stay, and where people live. What you may not be aware of, is that Samoa is a very religious island. There are a vast amount of churches across the islands and many villages have more than one church in it. About 98% of the population are Christian. Of this, almost 90% of Christians are either Congregational Christian, Roman Catholic, Latter Day Saints, Methodists, Assemblies of God or Seventh Day Adventists. The remaining 10% of Christians on the island are made up of at least a further 11 Christian denominations.

It’s fair to say, religion is a way of life in Samoa. Sunday, the country virtually closes down, and the churches come alive with amazing voices singing hymns from within the church. Almost everybody wears white and families almost always feast together. In 2017, the constitution was amended to include “Samoa is a Christian nation founded of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Homosexuality is illegal with potential punishments of up to seven years in prison, although it is rarely enforced.

Being so geographically isolated from the rest of the world, Samoa has to be self sufficient  in regards to fresh fruits and vegetables. The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on agriculture and fishing at the local level. In modern times, development aid, private family remittances from overseas, and agricultural exports have become key factors in the nation’s economy. Agriculture employs two-thirds of the labour force and furnishes 90% of exports, featuring coconut cream, coconut oil, noni (juice of the nonu fruit, as it is known in Samoan), and copra (coconut flesh). Crops that are easily grown such as plantain, coconut and taro feature heavily in the Samoan diet. Goods that are imported with extended shelf life, such as soft drinks, chips and preserved snacks fill the shelves of small shops in local villages. It sometimes feels like Coke, Fanta and Sprite only come in 2L bottles. 

The volcanic islands ensure that, although we’ll cycle along the coastal roads, we’re usually either cycling up or down hill. There’s no rush and a support van with fresh water and fruit to follow us, but it can sometimes prove a  little challenging for beginner based riders. Electric bikes are also available should you be concerned. For further cycling details, see the section below for elevations and daily distances.

Not only is Samoa a beautiful country, it is also fascinating. It’s history has created an interesting blend of indigenous culture, mixed with Westminster based politics. Alongside the country’s Western styled political system is the fa’amatai chiefly system of socio-political governance and organisation. Throw in deeply religious values brought in by missionaries since the 1830’s, grave health concerns from diabetes influenced by globalization of products, significant climate change threats of natural disasters and patriarchal values leading to the under-representation of women in almost all levels of power and you soon realize there is much more to this country than beautiful white beaches, palm trees and crystal blue seas.