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Travel and Tourism in Samoa
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Samoa.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Time Difference
- UTC+13 (18 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- tala (SAT)
- Climate
- Samoa's proximity to the Equator results in hot and humid conditions throughout most of the year. There are two distinct seasons, the dry season (winter) between May and October and the wet season (summer) between November and April. The average annual temperature is 26.5 °C in coastal areas, with a decrease in temperature as the land rises inland. Southeasterly trade winds make April to October the more pleasant months. Samoa lies in the cyclone belt and is periodically buffeted and bruised by cyclones, the majority of which occur between November and April.
- Language(s) Spoken
- Samoan is probably the oldest Polynesian language, and it is the official language of both Independent Samoa and American Samoa. English is the second official language. Samoans are proud of their language.
- Ethnic Groups
- Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian blood), Europeans 0.4%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day Celebration, 1 June (1962); note - 1 January 1962 is the date of independence from the New Zealand-administered UN trusteeship, but it is observed in June
- Geographic Coordinates
- 13 35 S, 172 20 W
- Location
- Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand
- Airports
- 4
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
Health care facilities in Samoa are adequate for routine medical treatment but are limited in range and availability. Complex illnesses and life-threatening emergencies, as well as related laboratory work, generally need to be treated elsewhere. Serious medical conditions and treatments that require hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to the United States can cost thousands of dollars. You should have emergency evacuation insurance before you travel abroad.