Coconuts Beach Resort in a Nutshell:

Halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean, Samoa has recovered from the September 2009 tsunami that hit the south coast of Upolu island. Visitors are returning to its lush valleys and small coastal villages centered around communal meeting houses called fales and brimming with churches of every size. From the capital Apia, Coconuts Beach Resort is a 30 minute jaunt over the central peaks to the south shore.

Formerly a laid-back refuge, the property has just been rebuilt bigger and grander, with a new reception house and lounge.

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Guest Rooms at Coconuts Beach Resort:

The property has twenty rooms, with six overwater fale bungalows part of the post-tsunami rebuild. One-and-two bedroom fale-style rooms and villas are right on the beach. All rooms have flagstone flooring, matted ceilings, and bamboo-and-cloth shades. Bright tropical bedspreads and mosquito netting cover the full-size, four-poster bamboo beds. Sliding glass doors leading to patios allow for plenty of light. Air conditioning is available but who wants to freeze in the tropics when window vents and fans do the trick? Wireless access is in the works (but pricey in Samoa).

Dining at Coconuts Beach Resort:

Open-air, thatched Mika’s restaurant has a circular bar for ultimate mingling. It serves plenty of western meat dishes, but the copious seafood choices are the obvious choice. As an appetizer try “oka,” fresh tuna cut into small pieces, marinated in lime juice and coconut cream, and served in a coconut shell.

The main dish of “coconut i’a” is a sautéed local fish in coconut cream and pineapple sauce. The “papaya oriental” dessert is a ripe papaya (locals often eat them while still crunchy) with citrus, homemade chutney, and roasted coconut sprinkles, all flamed with brandy poured over vanilla ice cream.

Destination Weddings at Coconuts Beach Resort:

A five-night minimum stay is required and a wedding buyout is possible. All government fees are included in the Coconuts packages (applications must be submitted 14 days prior). A barefoot-on-the-beach ceremony under a floral arch includes a bouquet of island flowers and cake. The Grand Wedding adds a photographer, a serenade by a Samoan string band, and champagne dinner. In the Fa’asamoa wedding, couples are “adopted” by families and the ceremony begins with the blowing of conch shells, traditional songs, and speeches by the chiefs. Families exchange gifts and a Samoan song and dance performance takes place.

Honeymoons at Coconuts Beach Resort:

All Coconuts wedding couples also receive the honeymoon package following their nuptials. Fresh tropical flowers are placed in the room along with fresh island fruit paté and a bottle of wine. Couples are given special Ramos fizz breakfast cocktails, and a hand-painted ceremonial cup for sipping kava, the island’s signature relaxing herbal drink. Other gifts include hand-painted T-shirts with the couple’s names, and the traditional hand-woven floral head adornment to be worn at celebrations.

Activities at Coconuts Beach Resort:

Coconuts offers surf lessons in front of the hotel as well in the reef that breaks up and down the local beaches. With dive sites all along the south coast, the resort can also arrange for couples to get PADI certified. The property’s whimsical gecko-shaped swimming pool is just a few yards from the ocean and has thatched umbrellas and a swim-up bar. The onsite Coco Beach Spa offers all manner of deep-tissue massage, but couples and entire wedding parties can book yoga sessions. The resort has its own rental jeeps for island explorations.

Nearby Coconuts Beach Resort:

The manicured gardens alone are worth the drive up to the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the celebrated writer’s estate and final home. Couples can frolic in the cool pools at Papaseea Sliding Rocks just outside the capital Apia, and braver types can plunge down the short falls. Turquoise ocean waters flow into the 100-foot-deep To-Sua sinkhole where a diving platform invites couples for an intimate swim. The one-hour ferry ride to rugged Savai_i island is an excursion in itself, while a drive and hike up to its deep volcanic crater is the ultimate getaway. Fiji, Tonga, and Tahiti are among Samoa's closest neighbors.

What to Watch Out for at Coconuts Beach Resort:

The property has no phones or TVs for those who just can’t break away from it all. Bathroom mirrors in the Treehouse rooms are set far back from a sink that bulges out, making it somewhat awkward to shave or apply makeup. Bathrooms could use a wastebasket or hooks for towels and robes. The swimming pool could use a shower to enable couples to get sand off as them come in from an ocean swim.

Vibe at Coconuts Beach Resort:

Samoan movers and shakers and members of the large expatriate community frequent the hotel and bar/restaurant. You’ll mingle with a contingent of New Zealanders and Australians who pop over to their Polynesian neighbor. Children are welcome, but the property does not cater to them and guests are mostly couples. Live Samoan music is staged for Sunday brunch and weekday evenings in the restaurant, while on Saturdays the property puts on a celebration.

Coconuts Beach Resort Info and Reservations:

Coconuts Beach Resort
P.O. Box 3684
Apia, Samoa
Telephone: 866-726-6268 (U.S toll-free)
Official Resort Website

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Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to Faleolo International Airport on Upolu island.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary accommodation and meals for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.