I’ve never been to a country where nature is the playground. From sliding rocks to hidden waterfalls, there are certainly no shortage of things to do in Apia Samoa. In case you missed our Samoa guide, we’re in love with the Pacific Islands.
I was lured into booking a holiday to Apia Samoa with my 8-month-old baby and a couple of friends after seeing a photo of the To-Sua Ocean Trench on Instagram.
It turned out, Apia had more hidden gems and attractions than expected. So in this post, we’ll share the highlights of our trip with you and list the top 10 things to do in Apia Samoa with or without a baby.
At the end of the post, you’ll find 2 of our favourite restaurants to try, and don’t forget to check out the best family accommodation and resorts in Apia here.
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Table of Contents:
1. To-Sua Ocean Trench
Cost: ~$20 tala pp
This unique 30-meter deep giant swimming pool is one of our favourites in Apia. It’s surrounded by nature and right by the ocean. We see To-Sua Ocean Trench’s beauty from photos, but a true experience is to smell the sea breeze and jump in the refreshing cool saltwater pool.
There are people snorkelling here to my surprise, we hear there’s not a lot to see down there, but hey, it’s worth checking it out! Spare some time in your itinerary and walk around the trench afterwards, there are beach chairs by the ocean which makes it a great place to chill and relax. Have a chat with the locals and tourists, everyone is in their happy place here and you may just make a friend or two!
The wooden ladder that goes down to the ocean trench can be slippery, so please be careful. And no, I did not take my baby down. She cried the whole time while I was down there, and created a beautiful echo around the most popular attraction in Apia. Nevertheless, it was an experience I just could not have missed.
© Photos by Kida
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2. Pappase’ea Sliding rocks
Cost: $5 tala pp
Pappase’ea sliding rocks are super fun for those who seek an adventure. However, it’s not a baby-friendly activity in my opinion, although my baby loved watching people making a splash. You would need to sign a visitor book before making your way down a steep set of stairs through the rainforest to the cascading waterfalls.
The first pool you see on the right-hand side as you walk down the stairs can be very shallow. Don’t jump in as we did, the rocks are quite sharp.
© Photos by Kida
The actual infamous sliding rocks are further down to the left. No one tells you this, but once you slide down the first pool, the only way out is to climb out of the dip and slide down the second pool – where all the screamings come from. So if you decide to chicken out after the first one… too late, too bad.
© Photos by Kida
From May to November, water levels can be low, so be sure to check with the locals before jumping in!
If you’re travelling with a baby, you could get down really close to the pools, but do hold on to something as it can be quite slippery. Climbing back up the steep stairs is a workout, but hey that’s just a part of the fun, right?
© Photos by Kida
3. Sopo’aga Falls
Cost: $5 tala pp & $2 tala for kids under 12, Coconut Show is $10 tala per group
Uila (pronounced Weila) is the owner of this piece of paradise at the time of our travel. With the waterfalls as the backdrop, she helps tourists to take photos, and even go above and beyond to suggest Instagram-worthy poses.
What we didn’t expect though, was the coconut show at the end. Uila didn’t mention anything about it, so it was a pleasant surprise – pun intended. We enjoyed the show very much, my baby tasted coconut, and we learned about them. All at a surprise cost of $10 tala.
© Photos by Kida
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4. Togitogiga Waterfall
Cost: Free!
This waterfall is very much under-rated, it should be on top of the best things to do list in Apia. Near the car park, check in at the reception for some information on the waterfall. Donations are welcome but to our surprise, there’s no entry fee!
From the car park, it’s an easy 2-minutes walk to Togitogiga waterfall, yes even with a baby in your arm. The pool is shaded by trees, so a refreshing dip in the water is the most satisfying thing to do on a hot day. It’s shallow enough to stand, so I felt very safe bringing my baby in.
© Photos by Kida
5. Piula Cave pool
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to check out this pool as it was closed on Sundays.
A local has recommended another cave pool on the southern coastline off the main road. They run cave tours at $25 tala per person, but they are not recommended for babies and young kids because it’s common for them to get scared in complete darkness.
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6. Palolo Deep Marine Reserve
Cost: $5 tala pp
This is a must-stop attraction for snorkelling lovers.
As we were travelling with a baby and had very little time left, we skipped this attraction.
© Photos by Kida
7. Explore Town Centre & The Markets
The first thing we did after checking into our resort, was to check out SNPF Plaza. The reason behind that was we needed to cool ourselves down as the day was getting hotter from mid-morning. My baby and I had to leave the group soon after and retreated back to our air-conditioned resort for a nap.
Dumping the stroller back at the resort, I took out my Ergo carrier and went to explore the Markets in the afternoon – Flea Market, Fish Market, and Fugalei Produce Market. It was not possible to push a stroller in and out around the markets, so a baby carrier was the way to go.
© Photos by Kida
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8. Walk around Apia Harbor
Apia Harbor is beautiful, take a stroll around the harbour to get a taste of Apia. This walk is manageable with a stroller and a helping hand.
© Photos by Kida
9. Dine at Sails Restaurant
Right by Apia Harbour sits Sails Restaurant, the best part of this restaurant is their alfresco deck. You can walk out to the harbour front and take in all the sea breeze.
High chairs are available for the little ones, and they have a buffet menu with Polynesian Show and Fireknife Dance on Friday nights.
© Photos by Kida
10. Dine at Paddles Restaurant
Paddles Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants with harbour views on the island. Bookings are recommended. What’s special about this restaurant is their service. You can experience 5-star hospitality right from the moment you walk in.
During our casual walk around Apia Harbor, we found this restaurant and decided to go for a last-minute dinner. They were full on the day but still managed to squeeze us in at an earlier session. The staff were super friendly and kept my little one busy in her high chair with animal cards the whole time!
The food was absolutely delicious, and the portions were generous and well presented. At the end of our meal, it started to rain, and to our surprise, the staff walked us to our taxi with an umbrella! It was that little bit of extra personal touch that set this restaurant apart from the rest.
© Photos by Kida
Wrapping up
We couldn’t cover everything we wanted to during our short holiday in Apia Samoa. There are so many uncharted hidden gems to explore, and for that reason, we recommend hiring a local guide who can also be your chauffeur of the day.
If you haven’t watched our travel vlog yet, scroll to the top. And don’t forget to check out our posts on Samoa essential information, including how to get around interesting facts and the best family accommodation in Apia.
Are you ready to pack your bags?
If you’re ready to start planning your next holiday to Apia Samoa, be sure to use the resources below for easy travel planning!
Interactive Packing List for Every Vacation
If you need a packing list for things like travel essentials, baby bag, beach vacations, camping, clothing and toiletries, be sure to use The Ultimate Interactive Packing List we’ve compiled for families just like yours.
This packing list is interactive, meaning you can tick them off after you pack to make sure nothing is left behind!
Accommodation Booking Sites & Apps
Hot Tips
- If your destination is underdeveloped, on an island or you only travel occasionally, consider booking with the hotel or guesthouses directly. In some cases, you’ll receive much better rates plus you’ll support local businesses and provide an opportunity to connect with them for better services.
- If you’re a frequent traveller that stays in hotels often, we recommend sticking with one hotel booking site/app to reap the benefits of its loyalty program.
- Always do your price comparisons as some sites like Hotels.com may have already priced your loyalty discounts in the room rates.
* This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no cost to you, we receive a small commission for purchases made through our links. Your support allows us to continue delivering free content to help families just like yours. Thank you. (Full Disclosure)
The loyalty program offers lifetime memberships and there are many accommodations that participate in the Genius program which gives out perks & discounts as you level up.
May of the listings on Airbnb can also be found on Booking.com. But Airbnb is a good alternative to try your luck on finding that gem.
You can see the rates on all the hotel booking sites at a glance and compare the prices from there.
How to plan a trip in 30 minutes
I used to use Trivago, Kayak, Kiwi etc but nowadays, Google does such a good job finding the latest rates, I no longer use hotel comparison sites.
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Which activity in Apia Samoa are you interested in trying? If you have been to Apia, what are some of the other things to do there that we haven’t included here?
