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heritage, and a gentle way of life. Throw in
an abundance of friendly hospitality and
it’s hard to pass it up as a holiday spot.
While it’s not difficult to fall head over
heels for a country like this, staying in an
award-winning hotel can certainly ignite
that spark a little bit quicker. Seabreeze
Resort has taken out the title of Samoa’s
Leading Hotel at the World Travel Awards
for five consecutive years. So, you know
you’re in good hands when you’re being
looked after by owners Chris and Wendy
Booth and their team of local staff. The
couple are originally from Australia and
adored their regular visits to Samoa as
holiday-goers. However, they quickly
identified a gap in the accommodation
market. So they set about building their
own spot in paradise, one they could
share with others to really showcase the
exquisite beauty they’d been privy to.
Located in Paradise Cove on the
south-east coastline, Seabreeze opened in
2007 and quickly garnered a reputation
for its authentic take on Samoan
hospitality. However, a cruel twist
of fate struck in the form of the 2009
tsunami, which left the site devastated.
Despite the challenges this presented, the
natural disaster wasn’t going to keep the Booths down and they set
about rebuilding Seabreeze into something even better than
before. At the end of 2011, it reopened, this time as a boutique,
adults-only luxury resort, with all the mod cons one might need for
a revitalising tropical island stay.
Set on a private ocean lagoon
and reef, there are only a handful
of villas and each has panoramic
ocean views. The pick of the
rooms is Honeymoon Point
House, which we’re staying in. It’s
a spacious hideaway accessed by
a gentle, sloping path with the
best vista of the coastal landscape.
The room, with its king bed,
private courtyard and large deck,
sits on the point of a cliff, jutting
out over the sea to offer ocean views from three sides. We quickly
find ourselves lulled into a state of calm thanks to the soothing
hum of the ocean and the fresh breeze coming off the water,
offering us sweet relief from the tropical sun’s warm rays. Lying on
the daybed for a short rest, I find that the minutes turn into hours.“EVERYWHERE I’VE BEEN ON THE
POLYNESIAN ISLAND SO FAR HAS
BEEN UTTERLY BREATHTAKING –
FROM THE FERTILE VALLEYS TO
THE LUSH RAINFORESTS THAT
HUG THE COASTLINE, TO THE
CASCADING WATERFALLS.”I try not to think about the task that awaits later – heaving
myself back up that ladder – and ground myself to focus on the
present moment. It’s a truly beautiful spot. I was expecting that,
though. Everywhere I’ve been on the Polynesian island so far has
been utterly breathtaking – from the fertile valleys to the lush
rainforests that hug the
coastline, to the cascading
waterfalls. There’s natural
beauty and vibrant colour
everywhere you look. Even the
television producers of
American Survivor recognised
Samoa’s magnificence when
they chose to film the
nineteenth season of the reality
show here.
Samoa sits in the Pacific
Ocean, halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii. It’s made up of
six islands, with two well-known ones – Upolo, which is the
gateway to the country, and Savai’i, the larger of the two, which is
accessed via a 90-minute ferry ride from Upolo. The country
boasts a fine mix of untouched landscapes, strong cultural