Twenty-four-year-old Canadian tourist Kathryn Hrycusko was on a mission when she flew into Samoa – to enjoy all that the country had to offer.

And the country did not disappoint her: The To Sua Trench, giant clam shells and white sandy beaches. And travelling alone enabled her to embrace the experience, as she has always dreamt of visiting Samoa.

“The To Sua Trench is beautiful and the beaches had been very comforting and since I’m travelling alone, I feel very relaxed and welcomed. I have also been to the giant clams and I think that’s my favourite so far, very beautiful colours and absolutely stunning,” she said.

Travelling alone has its benefits and after two weeks of seeing, sleeping, eating and waking up in Samoa – Kathryn says the experience has been refreshing – especially after her recent school graduation. 

“It’s easier to travel alone and travelling alone to Samoa had been very blessed and warming, as you don’t get to wait for other people.”

But the fun came to an abrupt halt recently, when Kathryn was bitten by a stray-dog in Apia. The incident confirmed the fears of other visitors to Samoa, who have expressed concern with the large number of stray dogs. 

“I’ve had really good experiences and also the not so good experiences, because of the incident with the dog, but it’s really been fun and I still love it here,” she said.

When she was asked if there were recommendations she would like to make to improve services for tourists, Kathryn said the locals should look after their dogs well and take care of the environment. 

Kathryn had also travelled to the big island of Savaii and from her touristy experience concluded that Samoa is a wonderful place she had always dreamt of visiting.