ATTENTION SAMOA TRAVELLERS!!! ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

ATTENTION SAMOA TRAVELLERS!!!

Replies: 96 - Last Post: 12-Oct-2009 06:36 Last Post By: silvanocat

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Posted
27-Feb-2006 13:39
by: islandboi321

Posts: 3,537
Registered: 23/06/03

ATTENTION SAMOA TRAVELLERS!!!

There are 2 issues of late in Samoa that are rearing their ugly heads more than usual...

1) The dog situation in Apia is really getting bad. You MUST take a taxi anywhere at night.... An absulute must (They're really, really cheap so use them, please and spare yourselves a trip for stiches at the MedCen and a horror story for the Thorntree)

2) There have been some very bad thefts from visitors at more than one beach fale... YOU MUST MAKE SURE YOUR VALUABLES ARE SAFE AND KEEP YOUR MONEY, PASSPORT, CREDIT CARDS ETC. ON YOUR PERSON AT ALL TIMES WHEN NOT IN YOUR FALE.
These thefts have been occuring on both Upolu and Savaii island. They seem to be random but it is an issue so take care.

Please don't constre that Samoa is a dangerous place... far from it. It's just that I think many Palangi travellers are losing their common sense and being too relaxed. (Would you leave your open wallet on your kitchen table in your unlocked house?... Same idea.)

Safe travels, everyone!!!...

"I'M SICK OF ECO-PORN - ALL THE MISTRUTHS, EXAGGERATIONS AND RENT-SEEKERS IN THIS AREA. SO I OFTEN PARODY EXO-STORMTROOPERS WHEN THEY START CARRYING ON...." -tezza

Posted
27-Feb-2006 19:47
by: Laszlo

Posts: 6,039
Registered: 11/03/01

1

Greg,

You know very well, that we did not lose our money by leaving open wallets on kitchen tables in unlocked houses.
Rather, at least two I met in person (and one you did) had it stolen by resort owners to whom they handed it for safekeeping.
The lesson is the same: keep it on your body at all times.

My info & thoughts:
on East-Indonesia.info: Indonesia, West Papua, Maluku, Ternate, Ambon, Saparua, Banda, Kei
on VirtualTourist.com: Papua New Guinea, Philippines, New Caledonia, Eritrea, Djibouti
on Thorn Tree: Seeing Orangutans, Kalimantan, SE Asia Islands FAQ thread & Samoa Warnings

Posted
28-Feb-2006 11:02
by: copperspoon

Posts: 903
Registered: 06/08/05

2

Quote
It's just that I think many Palangi travellers are losing their common sense and being too relaxed. (Would you leave your open wallet on your kitchen table in your unlocked house?... Same idea.)

Well here we go blaming the victim!
In fact I do leave my wallet on the table when I get home from work in an unlocked house and in 25+ years of living here have never lost anything ever!
If as mentioned resort owners are so desperate as to steal openly from guests and vicious packs of dogs rule the streets after dark then Samoa is no place for peace loving people to visit!
Are village kids still stoning visitors as well?

'donde al agua es azul, azul'

Posted
28-Feb-2006 11:58
by: silvanocat

Posts: 848
Registered: 20/02/02

3

Which beach fales?

Not being able to walk around at night for fear of packs of dogs and not being able to trust your innkeeper sounds really, really bad.
Common sense says to avoid a place like that.

Tahiti On A Budget --- Kayaking and Camping Palau

Posted
28-Feb-2006 13:55
by: Laszlo

Posts: 6,039
Registered: 11/03/01

4

Quote
Are village kids still stoning visitors as well?

At least that did not happen to me, though I did meet a Dutch guy who experienced it! ;-)

Posted
28-Feb-2006 14:39
by: islandboi321

Posts: 3,537
Registered: 23/06/03

5

Lazlo: There's been some further incedents since you left.

copperspoon: Your day is coming. The good Lord gave humans a brain for a reason. Leave it out and it gets stolen... Blame the victem? Uh, Duh....
Stoning cars? Only visitors from Kitsilano, I've been told.

"I'M SICK OF ECO-PORN - ALL THE MISTRUTHS, EXAGGERATIONS AND RENT-SEEKERS IN THIS AREA. SO I OFTEN PARODY EXO-STORMTROOPERS WHEN THEY START CARRYING ON...." -tezza

Posted
28-Feb-2006 15:14
by: copperspoon

Posts: 903
Registered: 06/08/05

6

Quote
Stoning cars?

Not cars-_people_-*white people*.
In that regard Samoa is infamous.

Quote
Common sense says to avoid a place like that.

Yup!

'donde al agua es azul, azul'

Posted
01-Mar-2006 06:48
by: Venezio

Posts: 141
Registered: 11/08/02

7

When I was in Samoa and a friend's wallet was stolen, I was told that Samoans consider it as a kind of custom to take money from others, since they live in a society of shared property (to tell the story in brief).
Well, since there are a lot of other societies in the South Pacific, who accept that I do not want to share my property involuntarily and who inhabit islands which can compete with Samoa in terms of natural beauty, like the Cooks, I really ask myself why I should go to Samoa again (aside from the fact that I like cats more than dogs).

Posted
01-Mar-2006 06:59
by: Bung28

Posts: 53
Registered: 29/05/03

8

Agree with #7
AND - there are NO DOGS on Aitutaki =) =) =)

--------oOO---------OOo--------
nuthin' motivates a man
more than the last minute

Posted
01-Mar-2006 15:19
by: Laszlo

Posts: 6,039
Registered: 11/03/01

9

Quote
there are a lot of other societies in the South Pacific, who accept that I do not want to share my property involuntarily and who inhabit islands which can compete with Samoa in terms of natural beauty, like the Cooks, I really ask myself why I should go to Samoa again

I don't even ask myself - will stay well clear of Samoa in the future for sure!
Indeed, all other island nations I have visited were a lot more welcoming... and often more interesting/beautiful/traditional as well.

Posted
01-Mar-2006 16:30
by: silvanocat

Posts: 848
Registered: 20/02/02

10

Were these incidents reported to the police? What was their reaction?

Tahiti On A Budget --- Kayaking and Camping Palau

Posted
01-Mar-2006 19:29
by: copperspoon

Posts: 903
Registered: 06/08/05

11

These reports-theft/stoning of visitors by unruly village children-have been coming out of Samoa for years now.
Where there's smoke there's fire that's for sure.

'donde al agua es azul, azul'

Posted
02-Mar-2006 06:45
by: angelasamoa0204

Posts: 7
Registered: 03/04/04

12

To silvanocat! When Iwas in Samoa tickets, money and passports of two young australians was stolen out of the locker in a room in the resort in Apia. The girls went to police and they told them, their money and tickets they can forget but they should make an inserat in the local journal, that they lost their passports and they would give some money at the person who will find it. unfortunately without success, they told me they did not get it back, they spended hours or better days at policestation and other offices!

Posted
02-Mar-2006 06:46
by: angelasamoa0204

Posts: 7
Registered: 03/04/04

13

this was 2 years ago, maybe police has now changed their strategy.

Posted
02-Mar-2006 18:36
by: Crossie

Posts: 64
Registered: 10/04/05

14

Common sense should kick in. Don't go to Samoa. But that might stop you from going to Niue where none of these nasty things happen.

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