Photos of southern Upolu island, Samoa

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Southern Upolu island

The south coast of Upolu is without doubt the holiday playground of Samoa and has the greatest number of resorts along its beaches. And it is remarkable how this area has bounced back from the utter devastation caused by the earthquake of 29 September 2009 with its tsunami that caused huge damage and loss of life.

Lotofaga church
 
Lotofaga beach
 
Fale in Lotofaga
 
View to Nu'utele
 
Near Saleapaga
 
Cricket in Saleapaga
 
Weaving the 'ie toga
 
Village of Lepa
 
Return to Paradise beach
 
House in Falese'ela
 
Road to Falevai
 
Children of Falevai
 
Church near Faleletai
 
Cricket in Samatau
 
Fishermen with canoes
 
Faofao Beach Fales
 
Along Saleapaga beach
 
Fales on the beach
 
'Aga Reef Resort
 
View, 'Aga Reef Resort
 
Nu'utele island
 
Beach near Lalomanu
 
Beach near Faofao
 
View over Lepa village
 
Road from upper Lepa
 
New school of Saleapaga
 
New houses, Saleapaga
 
Church of Lotofaga
 
Matareva Resort coast
 
Bay at Matareva
 
Return to Paradise beach
 
To-Sua entrance
 
To-Sua
 
Coast, To-Sua
 
Coast at To-Sua
 
View, Seabreeze Resort
 

There used to be villages here with their simple open fales along the sea front, but after the tsunami many people have relocated up the hills behind their original villages. So the village of Saleapaga, which used to be strung along the coast, is now on higher ground and reached via a road that goes uphill near the village of Lepa, a few kilometres west; a new school has been built there as well.

Coastal Saleapaga now has a few simple places to stay, like Faofao Beach Fales, where you can stay in simple open fales on the beach, although it also has a few more substantial rooms. The stretch of beach towards Lalomanu, on the Aleipata coast in the east has numerous beach fale places like that and is ideal for swimming, snorkelling or just lazing around. There are also more upmarket places here, like the new 'Aga Reef Resort with its own little island.

Further east is, among others, the Seabreeze Resort on its own little bay and the To-Sua ocean trench, a favourite swimming spot on a spectacular stretch of coastline near the village of Lotofaga. Lefaga Bay is towards the western end of the south coast and nearby is a beach that received fame in 1953 as the location where the movie "Return to Paradise" starring Gary Cooper was filmed.