Vaiula Beach Fales

Set directly on the sand at Tafatafa, on the south coast of Upolu, Vaiula Beach Fales puts guests close enough to the lagoon that the water is the first thing you notice. The property has run since 1993, hosted by the same family throughout. Eighteen open fales sit along the beachfront, ranging from simple two-person shelters to larger structures that sleep up to six, alongside two air-conditioned cottages and a self-contained studio unit. Bathrooms are shared: seven toilets and six showers serve the property, including an outdoor lava-rock shower open to the sky. Meals are included at the beachfront fales, and the kitchen leans on what the family grows and catches: fresh fish, pork raised on site, local vegetables, curries and taro. Beyond the fales, a football-sized field gives room for a game of rugby or footy with the kids. The lagoon in front of camp is calm enough for safe snorkelling, and deeper drop-off sites are reached by tour for stronger swimmers. Fishing charters run from three boats, and a surf outfit based on site guides guests to breaks suited to the day's swell. Tents are welcome for those travelling light, and day visitors can drop in without booking a fale. It suits weddings, reunions and groups as easily as a single traveller with a mask and fins.