Post #207586 by hmc on Sat, Jan 14, 2006 3:28 PM

But the place that really awoke the Tiki within was Samoa! I had 3 weeks in this Polynesian paradise in 1998, & so long as you don't mind roughing it(cold showers, no Air-con)& are not in a hurry you can stay in your own thatched hut (called a 'fale')on the beach for about $15USD a night(including Breakfast & Dinner).This is Independent Samoa I'm talking about NOT nearby American Samoa.
Despite all the appearances of the most traditional Polynesian society around, Tikis are rarely to be seen - if at all. Kava (Ava in Samoa)Bowls though can be found.
If you want an extremely laid-back holiday with a traditional culture thrown in, Samoa will reward you, without breaking the bank!
I'd love to go back.

I'm going to Samoa in June this year! And reading your post about Samoa has gotten me excited... actually, whenever I read up on Samoa it gets me excited - so it's nothing personal ;o)

Virgin have got this new deal with Samoa and have a new flight path called Polynesian Blue (it's newly launched, since about Nov 2005). Ever since this new partnership, Virgin have been doing big write-ups on Samoa. In one of their articles, they included pictures of the new Aggie Grey's (there are 2 Aggie Grey hotels now) and the new one includes Tiki Totem poles throughout their whole outdoor dining area! I'll taking LOADS of pictures and I'll definitely post them for you all...