Samoa

Namu’a is only a short boat ride from Mutiatele, but once you’re on this tiny private island, Upolu seems light years away (though it’s clearly visible across the strait). Fale are open, basic and right on the beach – there’s no electricity so everything is lit by oil lamps at night. Meals are mostly local style: simple yet delicious.

If you thought Upolu was mellow, try the tiny, tranquil island of Manono on for size. Canines and cars have been banished here, and the only things that might snap you out of a tropical reverie are occasional blasts from stereos and the tour groups that periodically clog the island’s main trail.

It’s obligatory for visitors to do the 1½-hour circumnavigation of the island via the path that wends its way between the ocean and people’s houses. They’re friendly sorts here; expect to be greeted with a cheery ‘malo’ a dozen or so times.

The trail winds through Lepuia’i, where you’ll see the two-tiered Grave of 99 Stones. Translated from the Samoan, the name actually means ‘Grave of the Missing Stone’ and is dedicated to high chief Vaovasa, who was killed after an unsuccessful attempt to abduct his 100th wife from Upolu. The missing stone at the grave’s centre represents the missing wife. The trail’s most beautiful section is Manono’s less-populated northern edge, where little bays offer terrific views of Apolima. Apai village has the island’s best beach.

If you follow the path behind the women’s committee building in Salua, you’ll eventually end up on top of Mt Tulimanuiva (110m), where there’s a large star mound. Nearby is the grave of Afutiti, a chief who was buried standing up to keep watch over the island. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for this side trip.

At the southeastern end of Upolu, Aleipata district has a reef system that’s making a good comeback after being pummelled by the 2009 tsunami. It already has surprisingly good snorkelling, and the beaches here are among the most spellbindingly beautiful in the world. Check out the undersea magic by walking in off the spectacular white beach at Lalomanu. If you’re lucky you might spot a turtle, but beware of strong currents.

Apia’s waterfront is well supplied with drinking options, though few places open their doors on a Sunday. Some of the dodgier pool halls aren’t pleasant places to be at closing time.

The country's most western point is not only gorgeously scenic (until Samoa hopped the dateline, it was the last place in the world the sun set each day), but home to many fascinating cultural and archaeological sites. The Fafa O Sauai’i outlook was one of Samoa’s most sacred spots in pre-Christian times; there's a great swimming hole here. Nearby is a star mound, Vaatausili Cave and the Vai Sua Toto (the ‘Blood Well’ – named after the warrior Tupa’ilevaililigi, who threw his enemies’ severed heads in here).

This outrageously photogenic spot is a Samoan icon; skip it to your everlasting regret. Though the first thing you'll see upon entering the grounds is To Le Sua (a smaller, drier depression), it's To Sua that is the star of the show: more akin to a giant sinkhole than a trench, its sheer, green-draped rock walls plummet 20-odd metres to the almost hallucinatory-blue waters of the magnificent pool below. Swimming access is via a precipitous but sturdy wooden ladder; believe us, it's worth the clamber.

This intriguing subterranean lava tube leads downwards as if to the centre of the earth. The cave is named after a legendary group of dwarves, who apparently still live in its depths, and leave the occasional footprint. It’s said that no one – except maybe the dwarves – has reached the end of it, and your guides (the village matai or local boys) will keep leading you through its prodigious depths, crossed by underground rivers, until you tell them to turn around.

Polynesia’s largest ancient structure is the intriguing, pyramidal Pulemelei Mound (sometimes called Tia Seu Ancient Mound). Constructed sometime between AD 1100 and 1400, it measures 65m by 60m at its base and rises to a height of more than 12m. Its original purpose continues to baffle experts. It’s a stirring place, with views from its stony summit to the ocean and into thick rainforest. The surrounding area is presumably covered in important archaeological finds but, for now, the jungle hides its secrets.