Nightlife

Watching a traditional dance show as part of a feast night (in Samoa called a fiafia) is a highlight of any visit. Samoan dance movements are graceful and emphasize the hands more than the hips; the costumes feature more siapo cloth and fine mats than flowers. While the dances are not as lively nor the costumes as colorful as those in Tahiti and the Cook Islands, they are definitely worth seeing.

Pub-Crawling -- Sunday through Thursday nights are quiet in Apia. But on weekends, everyone with an itch to drink, dance, and socialize strolls along Beach Road, hitting one pub after another. Most of these have bands on Friday (the biggest night) and Saturday. Thanks to citizens outraged by bars opening in residential neighborhoods, pubs must close at midnight during the week (none are open on Sun). As a practical matter, some keep going into the wee hours on Friday night.

Start with a cocktail or cold Vailima beer at Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows, and then head west along Beach Road to Apia's version of restaurant row. You'll come to the slapped-together facade and worse-than-plain furniture at Lighthouse Bar & Grill (tel. 22-691), one of the more popular bars in town. You can look right into this open-air establishment. Next comes Bad Billy's Bar (tel. 30-258) and Blue Lagoon Bar & Grill (tel. 30-298), which share a building, and then On the Rocks (tel. 20-093), where you can actually have a good conversation at the sidewalk tables. From there everyone heads west to the RSA Night Club (tel. 20-171), where Samoa's military veterans throw open a welcome to everyone with a few talas to pay for the rock band.

Don't Sit Near the Door -- When pub-crawling along Beach Road, don't sit near the door. This is where fights are most likely to erupt as bouncers evict drunken and unruly customers who don't want to leave.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.