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Pago Pago Town
American Samoa
american samoa travel guide
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american samoa pictures map |
Pago Pago Town
Pago Pago is a rather seedy place with its small presence being dominated by two large tuna canning factories. Pollution of the stunning harbour has recently been addressed and a conscious National clear up campaign has helped its image. The town retains its clapboard buildings and red light district so romantically written about by Somerset Maughan in his book Rain.
There are several hotels and inns in downtown Pago Pago, all relatively expensive compared to Western Samoa, the most upmarket being Sadie Thompson Inn, and the cheapest being the budget rooms at Evalani's Motel starting at US$55 per night. One of the icons of American Samoa is the Rainmaker Hotel, recently the shabbiest and shadiest hotel in the South Pacific but now in redevelopment to bring back the glory days from its early years.
To cope with the shortage of rooms, Quality Inn Hotel have built a 100+ room hotel aimed primarily at the business market near Pago Pago airport, about 20-minutes drive from downtown Pago. A few minutes drive north of the hotel is the historical star mound. These ancient sites are scattered amongst Samoa's rainforest and mark chiefly areas where men of rank would hunt pigeons. Close by is the Matafao Peak, the highest point on American Samoa at 653 metres and with the beautiful Nuuili waterfall at its base. South of the airport at Fogagogo is a pleasant beach with the small discreet beach resort of Maliu Mai. From the beachside restaurant you get a great view of the wild coastlione and blowholes. Two other raods lead down from the inland highway to the south coast: one to Vaitogi where virgin tropical rainforest has been preserved along the rocky coast. You can stay along this peaceful coast at the pleasant Turtle & Shark Lodge which is located at the end of the road and backs on to a small blowhole. A twenty minute walk along the otherwise inaccessible coastline leads to a twin bay, each with a sandy beach and great snorkelling. The other coastal road is about 3km further west and is signposted to Vailoatai, otherwise known as the Sliding Rock. You can stay here at the budget Sliding Rock Lodge and explore the wild coastline.
search for ... American Samoa Hotels
find ... American Samoa Tour Companies
continue to ... Tutuila Island
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Cook Islands Travel Guide
Fiji Travel Guide
Tonga Travel Guide
Tahiti Travel Guide
Hawaii Travel Guide
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