Upon arrival to Samoa, we learned that Return to Paradise is unique because it is the only resort in the country that is 100% Samoan-owned, and all the staff are locals. Once we tried a couple of other accommodation options, it was evident that the main draw of this resort is its beach. While the beach may be small by Australian standards, there is plenty of room, and at no point did we feel crowded.
Accommodation
Our accommodation was a Beachfront room, located just behind the coconut trees that lined the beach. The rooms were simple, featuring a King bed, air-conditioning, mini fridge, kettle and a spacious bathroom. Our only complaint was that the curtains were quite thin, and there was a bright outdoor light that could not be switched off. Once we hung a towel over the curtain rod, it seemed to help a lot.
Image by Return to Paradise Resort
Dining
Return to Paradise features three dining options:
- The main restaurant, Paradise Kitchen, is open for breakfast and dinner.
- Cabana Cafe, which stocks a small selection of sandwiches and muffins.
- Rock Pool Bar, offers a similar menu to Paradise Kitchen, open for lunch and dinner.
Ultimately, the Cabana Cafe was not appealing, and we rarely saw anyone dining there. There is a small shop on site, but snack options are quite limited. Fortunately there is no need to purchase bottled water as there are multiple refill stations on site (water pressure permitting).
We attended the Fia Fia night at Paradise Kitchen $90WST per person ($51AUD), which included a decent buffet of traditional and international food. The fire throwing was spectacular, and while the male dancers brought a lot of energy, the women appeared tired and unhappy. We weren’t entirely sure how traditional the event really was, as some of the music was modern pop. The whole event made us feel a little icky, and like we were on board a cruise ship, but ultimately it’s a must-do when visiting Samoa, and the buffet was pretty good.
Service
Our accommodation option included an airport transfer from Apia. We had some doubts that someone would pick us up on arrival as we did not land until 3am, but thankfully we were quickly swept up by the RTP van and on our way.
Generally the staff were very friendly and helpful at the front counter and surrounding grounds, however we had a lot of difficulty getting served at restaurants. We often had to prompt staff for menus and to take our orders, which became pretty tiring by the end of our stay. However, this was not an isolated incident, as we experienced similar issues at two other restaurants. We don’t believe that Samoa has a strong service culture in the way some other countries do.
Facilities
The beach at Return to Paradise can be described as a little choppy in some places, with a rip current located on the left side that swimmers and snorkelers are urged to avoid. There are several shallow rock pools and sheltered swimming areas to explore, the whole beach can be explored in about an hour. Once you’ve finished, you can set up on of the beach chairs by the coconut trees.
Return to Paradise have three pools located side-by-side, and one adults-only pool a few steps away. We noticed the rules for the adult-only pool were loosely enforced. None of the pools were particularly deep, we could stand at all times.
Image by Return to Paradise Resort
The on-site gym is well-equipped with modern equipment and is perfectly air-conditioned.
Apart from the Fia Fia night, we did not book any tours through the front desk, although there are plenty on offer. If you hire a car like we did, there are plenty of parking spaces at Return to Paradise.
