Q: A reader wrote asking for tips about traveling to the pacific islands of American Samoa, specifically the National Park of American Samoa.  A:  American Samoa is a five hour flight from Honolulu, and Hawaiian Airlines only flies into Tutuila, the main island, on Thursdays and Sundays. The National Park is located on three islands: Tutuila, Ofu and Tau. A twin prop plane will take you to the remote islands. Because weather challenges can delay those inter-island flights, the experts at the National Park of American Samoa recommend a stay of at least ten days if you want to experience all three islands. That sounds like good advice to us because each island offers very unique experiences. Tutuila has a well-maintained hiking trail system through its rainforest. Ofu has what is agreed to be some of the most gorgeous stretches of beach in the world. Tau is more secluded and is perfect for the adventurous traveler who likes to have a guide (you tell someone at the park the night before you need one, and a cousin or friend will appear the next morning) hack their way through trails with a machete. In terms of accomodations, the place to stay on Ofu is Vaoto Lodge, which has nine guest rooms and serves meals family style. On Tutuila and  Tau, a great way to experience local culture is to take part in the park’s “home stay” program. More like a bed & breakfast than a standard hotel, the home stay program allows you to live with a local family for a fee of between $30 and $40 a night. Snorkeling is a big draw on Ofu (the water is not readily accessible on the other two islands), with over 250 species of coral. But you’ll need to bring your own snorkels, masks and fins as there aren’t any for rent on any of the islands. Â

This entry was posted on Monday, April 13th, 2009 at 9:55 pm and is filed under Q & A, Uncategorized, adventure, national parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.