MASCARENHAS+Samara


 * = Samara is going to Samoa !!! Yeaaaa!!! = ||



Samoa is made up of nine islands, of which Upolu is the most populated, hosting the capital city of Apia. Scenically speaking, Upolu offers an eclectic mix of natural riches that extend far beyond white sand beaches and blue lagoons. Well, of course there are plenty of those also, including an ample supply of excellent fishing, diving and surfing spots all along the coast. If you want all of this and more, just take a half-day excursion down the east coast, down to idyllic Lalomanu Beach. Or, if romance is on your agenda, you might just want to take the Cross Island Road straight down to the southern beaches… Alluring beaches aside, Upolu’s interior, too, exudes a very special, mystic charm. There are numerous tracks that lead deep through lush rainforests to a number or rivers and dramatically beautiful waterfalls. Many of these are just the business for swimming, picnicking or just generally whiling the time away. Upolu’s budding metropolis of Apia, where 35,000 of Samoa’s 177,000 inhabitants live, is the perfect place to acclimatise to island life. Because it’s hot and humid for most part of the year, Samoans are early risers and you’ll often find them sweeping their floors as early as 5am. Having said that, all the work is performed in a chilled-out manner and it still gets done! Come lunch time and early afternoon and you’ll often find locals snoozing away in one of the open-air fales along the road to beat the heat of the day – only when it cools down in the early evening, do the CBD and coastal road become alive again. Pre and post heat are when you want to hit the colourful Maketi Fou (food market) on Apia’s Fugalei Street, to stock up on fresh fruit like pawpaws or a bunch of sinfully sweet little ladyfinger bananas. About a 10-minute walk from the food market is the flea market – the perfect souvenir haunt where you’ll find everything from clubs and kava bowls to lava lavas (the Samoan sarong), baskets, jewellery and authentic Samoan music. When it’s cooler you’ll also see many of the notoriously sports-mad Samoans indulging in a game of footie or kirikiti, the local version of cricket. By all means, don’t hesitate to join in – and don’t shun the post-match ritual of joining the boys for a cleansing Vailima beer. Speaking of which, Apia has a groovy nightlife – everything from funky pubs and roaring nightclubs to cultural shows and excellent restaurants, where you can sing, dance, enjoy fresh local fare and party the night away!

Yoga Island Retreats & Unforgettable Day Tours! Raw Shakti Yoga presents retreats in Samoa, India, Australia, China, Tibet, and more. We are rated Top Five Adventure Retreat in the world by the U.K. TimesOnline.

Both Savai'i and Upolu are dotted with grunty surf breaks and get good swells year round – northern swells in the wet season from November through April, and southern swells in the dry season in between. Experienced surfers seeking a wave-inspired adrenaline rush will get their kicks in Samoa, that’s for sure. For grommets, the breaks are perhaps a little on the dangerous side, as many of the waves break directly onto the reef and the currents can be evil. In fact, even savvy surfers are advised to only tackle the waves in the company of locals, as they know the rips and rocks inside and out. On Savai'i, surfing hot spots include Lano and Ananoa Beach in the southwest, and Manase and Fagamalo in the north. On Upolu, the best places to go for a paddle are from Apia east to Cape Utumauu, and on the south coast from Matautu to Matatufu. Both Upolu and Savai'i have several resorts catering especially for surfies’ needs and wants, and taking on the ocean even means you’re contributing to a good cause: For each day in the surf, you’ll be paying a fee to the villages, to help further the young ones’ education.

Samoan Spas Samoans are blessed with a myriad of therapeutic plants, and the traditional healers, the taulasea, have long used their juice, bark, leaves, roots and various other parts to help treat all sorts of ailments. You’ll find the most powerful specimens deep inside Samoa’s last remaining rainforest on Savaii – including the mamala tree, a traditional yellow fever treatment that’s now under investigation as a potential AIDS cure.

Today, the herbal knowledge the predominantly female taulasea passed on through the generations via their daughters and granddaughters is fast becoming a valuable spa resource. All around the islands, freshly plucked, cut and grated nutritious goodies are being used in body wraps, facials and the traditional Samoan massage or fofo to produce velvety smooth skins and lull senses into a state of bliss.

So what are the most sought-after spa ingredients this part of the world? One is nonu – its leaves, flowers and juice are great for soothing and nourishing irritated and sensitive skin. Besides, they also work wonders if you happen to have a fever, scratchy throat, upset tummy or out of control blood pressure...

Banana and papaya flesh, organic honey and coconut oil, too, are revered for their feel-good factor and health properties. Papaya is full of protein (which makes up ten percent of the skin) and the antioxidants vitamins A and C – they help prevent cell degeneration and so keep skin looking zesty and young. Banana has soothing and cooling properties (great after too many hours in the sun), while Samoan honey moisturises, nourishes and encourages the growth of new skin.

Oh, and the reason all these above make you feel and look like you’ve had an instant extreme makeover, of course, is that they are prepared fresh, just minutes before your treatment.

Swimming with Turtles For an animal encounter with a unique twist, head to the wetlands sanctuary at Savaii’s Satoalepai village is and take the plunge with half a dozen or more green turtles. These majestic prehistoric mammals have been hunted down for their flesh and eggs for year and years – as a result they are now an endangered species. Fortunately, the good people of Satoalepai have made it their business to give the turtles a new lease of life. They raise them in a part fresh, part-salt water pool and once they’re grown up, they release them back into the ocean, where they prepare for ‘parenthood’. Did you know that these gentle giants can reach a weight of up to 185kg? The Satoalepai Wetlands is the ideal place to bring your family – the kids will love feeding large tarot leaves to the gentle giants, and swimming amongst them. And while you’re at it, why not stay in one of the over-water fales adjacent to the sanctuary, and take some time to explore the waterways by canoe, and enjoy stunning views of the mountains? If you’d rather swim with green turtles in their natural habitat, the ideal place to do just that is in the ocean around Namua Island, just off the southeastern coast of Upolu.