Le Vasa Resort

Cape Fatuosofia forms the western tip of Upolu, and Le Vasa Resort sits directly on its shore, wrapped by a double band of coral reef that calms the lagoon in front of it. The island of Manono is a short boat ride offshore, and a village lies just east of the property, keeping the resort within reach of daily Samoan life rather than apart from it. Rooms take the form of beachfront bungalows, oceanfront villas, traditional fales and guest rooms, each built in a Samoan style with a private veranda facing the water. Faleolo International Airport is nine kilometres away. Mulifanua Wharf, the ferry link to Savai'i, is five kilometres further along the coast. The reef does double duty: it breaks the swell for calm swimming and gives snorkellers a shallow, coral-lined lagoon to explore straight off the beach. Cocolini's by the Sea, the resort's open-air restaurant, sits over the water with hand-carved wooden posts and views along the shoreline. Next door, the Ugly Mermaid Bar pours cocktails by the pool under a carving whose backstory the staff will happily tell you. Sunset cruises run out toward Manono most evenings. Founded in 1989 as Samoan Village Resort and rebuilt after a 2006 change of ownership, the property still stands near the Malietoa Monument, a site tied to a centuries-old battle between Samoa and Tonga.