Slow Travel Samoan Style
Samoan Sunday Lunch
A taste of Samoan cuisine – soon on all menus!
Samoa’s Vaka, the Gaualofa, Now Resting in San Diego
New Novel Provides Fresh Insights into Samoa’s Rich Culture
Hot off the Press – Opening Ceremonies of Judo World Cup
Zita brings home a GOLD & BRONZE medals from Pacific Games
The Mangrove Garden
Destination Highlight: Vailima
Schafer family of 9 before they set sail on their South Pacific family adventure
Founders of the travel agency Cheap Tickets Canada.com and Brigham Young University alumni who live near Victoria, British Columbia are on a yearlong adventure to the South Pacific for the entire year 2013! The best thing about it is that Samoa is on their list of destinations.
A look at the fascinating To Sua trench from afar
Located on the Southeast Coast of Upolu Island, Lotofaga is one of the villages that make up the Lotofaga Electoral Consistency together with Vavau’ and Matatufu who are all included in the political district of Atua. Having a population of 1,089 people it is the setting for Fuipisia and Sopoaga waterfalls and the To Sua Trench.
Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel, our Managing Director, accepts challenge given by the USS Pearl Harbor Commodore Wallace Lovely
More excitement is in the air for our wonderful and committed team here at the Polynesian Xplorer. Why? Our very own Managing Director and co-founder, Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel, who wears many hats besides the one mentioned above, has been challenged towith her Digicel Segavao crew by the USS Pearl Harbor team on Saturday 8th of June, 2013 at 3 pm. She will be skipper of their longboat while the Commodore of Destroyer Squadron THREE ONE Wallace Lovely will be captain of theirs.
The wonderful and fascinating Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel after the award ceremony
Vaimasenu’u Zita Martel, the Honorary Consul of France in Samoa, who is also co-founder and Managing Director of Polynesian Xplorer and the General Manager of Virgin Cove Resort ,was awarded and decorated with the high ranking President of the Republic of France award “Ordre national du Me`rite (National Ordre of Merit), for distinguished services to France. This making her one of the the 30,000 officer of the order.
The special ceremony was held at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum on Thursday, 30th of May, 2013 and blessed by Archbishop Alapati Mataeliga. The prestigious President of France Award, was presented by His Excellency Francis Etienne, Ambassador of France to Samoa. Continue reading
Mulifusi, one of our tour guides and Talise, Assistant Product Coordinator with the Drews
We were honoured to have new clients, Joe & Laura Drew here with us on island recently. They enjoyed the hospitality our people showed and thought comfortable being around them; surprisingly with this being their first visit to the country. After Laura took a dizzy turn before taking one of our tours, Polynesian Xplorer staff leapt into action, rushing her to our local hospital, Tupua Tamasese Meaole in Motootua to be seen by the A&E clinic. There was no problem with Laura in the end (other than perhaps the heat and a little over excitement!) however this turn of events left Joe & our tour guide, Mulifusi, lots of time to chat. Continue reading
Polynesian Xplorer is thrilled with the recent coverage Samoa received in UK’s The Independent newspaper. An article by Adrian Phillips made the front cover of the Travel Section, and featured of course, was our beautiful MD, Zita Martel. The feature on our beautiful islands covered three pages, and the front page article is posted here in it’s entirety. As it suggests, if you are looking for a Samoan experience, then you have come to the right place here at Polynesian Xplorer!
“Anthony, my guide, was like a chunk of granite in flip-flops. There seemed to be a great many chunks of granite flip-flopping their way through the streets of the capital, Apia. I could have thrown a rope with my eyes shut and lassoed somebody more than capable of pushing a grand piano up a flight of stairs. Yes, if there’s a certainty in life, it’s that a Samoan won’t blow away in a gale. And that’s no bad thing when you live on a palm-fringed island in the South Pacific because occasionally nature packs up the sun, stirs up the sea and points its attack dogs at paradise.
The 2013 HIBS International Service Team
Polynesian Xplorer is at your service again! Our cheerful and amazing team greeted a school group of 15 students and 3 teachers from the Hutt International Boys’ School in Wellington, the city of “The Hurricanes” on the 20th of April. Every year, HIBS sends a service team of 12-15 students overseas to aid less fortunate communities in foreign countries. They fundraise, seek sponsorship and collect goods to take to a community less fortunate than their own. This year, 2013, with the aid of event managers, Polynesian Xplorer, they are visiting Samoa with an intention to carry out some community work and assist with reconstruction and development work.
Hostess Britta awaiting EU arrivals at our Faleolo Airport office
Our ever dedicated and attentive Polynesian Xplorer events management team were the local event coordinator for two European Union funded conferences successively. Stunning tropical sunny weather welcomed the 50 delegates of the EU to Samoa for the first series of meetings. It was – wait for it as it’s rather long – the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) National Programming Consultative Seminar for the Pacific Region. Following on the heels of that one, tropical showers greeted the second lot of 60 delegates for the ACP Connect Study for the Pacific Region. One of our flagship hotels in Apia, Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, was the venue.
Samoa Air Cesner
Samoa Air made history and went viral by becoming the first airline in the world to do what was previously unimaginable: charge passengers by weight. Yes, ladies, just what you’ve been dreading, getting weighed by a stranger at the airport! And if you’re like us who carry the kitchen sink in our handbags – don’t even think about it! Eliminate! Eliminate! Eliminate the excess baggage!! The idea has been hovering in the air in the past and voila… Samoa Air is the first to beat everyone to it.
Fa’atupu Lea’ana!
Polynesian Xplorer Guide, Fa’atupu Lea’ana poses with CEO, Francois Martel
Polynesian Xplorer Blog 