Part of our Hawaii/French Polynesia cruise was also a stop in Pago Pago. It is a tropical island in American Samoa in the South Pacific Ocean. Located in between the Hawaii Islands and the French Polynesian Islands.
From Hawaii, it still takes four days of sailing on a cruise ship to get there, but it is worth it! The port of Pago Pago broke up the sea days to get to French Polynesia. Otherwise, it would have taken six days to get to there. This way we had four days at sea, Pago Pago, then two more days at sea.
The sail into Pago Pago is beautiful and dramatic with lush green mountains, palm trees and the turquoise reef. It is very similar to French Polynesia.
I had only been there once before and that time I just went for lunch at a nearby hotel set on the beach that was beautiful. This time I wanted to see more of the island on I went a tour of the west coast
West Coast
It was a beautiful drive in an open-air bus along the coastline right by the water, so the view was glorious. We drove through villages up to the village of Leone.
This was where the tsunami hit the island in 2009. Now, you would never know this happened to the island as all the damage has been cleared. But it was sad to see the Leone memorial of all the people that died.
The viewpoint from the memorial is beautiful and it hard to imagine a tsunami happened there. We drove to the golf course for the fantastic view of the mountains.
Flower Pot Rock
Fatu-ma-Futi aka ‘flower pot rock’ was the best part of the day. The rock formation was beautiful. They were rocks with green plants growing on the top of them, just sticking out of the water.
Flower Pot Rock is right by the roadside with a little sandy beach and crystal-clear water, so it is easy to stop by and take a few photos and even dip your toes in the water.
Essential Info
- Weather: 27*C -35*C year round – it is always very hot and humid with rain showers
- Currency: US Dollar
- Language: Samoan, English and Tongan
- Top Tips:
- Pago Pago is pronounced pahng-oh pahng-oh.
- The town centre is very close to the cruise ship terminal, where you can find the perfect Samoan souvenir to take home.
- The tour buses are old-school, so pack a towel to sit on as the seats are wooden. They are open air, so no AC, bring water and a fan.
- Bring an umbrella/waterproof jacket as it is a tropical island for a reason and it will rain at times and then stop again.
You may also enjoy reading about French Polynesia:
FRENCH POLYNESIA IS WHERE TO FIND PARADISE!
BORA BORA A TROPICAL PARADISE IN FRENCH POLYNESIA
WHAT TO SEE IN TAHITI FRENCH POLYNESIA
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Happy Travels
Good morning. I was so happy to find your post. We are also doing a cruise to Pago Pago and I wondered if you could tell me how you found and arranged for the open air bus ride to Leone. Our Princess cruise is not showing an excursion like this, so I am on my own.
Author
Thank you for reading! I went on organised shore excursion with the cruise line, and I am sure they do this tour maybe it is called something different like: West Island Drive & Samoan Ava Ceremony, West Island Drive & Village Way Of Life, or Essence Of Tutuila. Hope this helps you, have a wonderful cruise.