“Just go with the flow in Samoan time”

By Yolanda Lavata’i 11 January 2019, 12:00AM

Australian Josh Nicholls first visited Samoa for his sister’s wedding when he was four-years-old.

He is back 40 years later with family and relatives for a reunion and is visiting with his wife Tracy and daughter Bermuda. The family flew into Samoa on Sunday from Adelaide, South Australia and are staying at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel for close to a week.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Mr. Nicholls says he finds Samoa comforting, compared to the hustle-and-bustle of life in Australia.

“The calm slow nature of Samoa is very infectious — you just slow down, relax,” he said.

Six days after their arrival in the country, the Nicholls have already conquered Samoa’s world-famous tourist attractions, such as the To Sua Trench, the white sandy beaches of Lalomanu, the Piula pool and eye-catching waterfalls along the way. 

But enjoying the various Samoan landmarks on the island of Upolu has not been the only fun they have had since arriving. Tasting traditionally-cooked dishes has also been on their bucket list. 

“We have even tried the Home Café, pork buns, oka and the Samoan food from the entertainment night, and it was just great.

“It is really surprising how fresh the coconuts are here compared to home — it’s not fresh back at home. When you open one up it’s almost like lolly,” Mr. Nicholls adds.

When asked what he thought of customer service upon their arrival, he said: “The people here are friendly and helpful, the service is really great as well.”

For Tracy, it is her first visit to Samoa, and she has been blown away by the experience.

“Yeah, it is our first time in Samoa and it has been good, it is relaxing and not doing too much,” she said.

While visitors to the country — who fly in for business —fear the impact of “Samoan time”, Mr. Nicholls reckons you should just “go with the flow”! 

“People here are on Samoan time, so no matter what you do where you go, if you can’t realize that, you may have an issue with that. But find that you go with the flow, join the time.”

The Nicholls continue to enjoy their stay in paradise and hope to return for another visit.

By Yolanda Lavata’i 11 January 2019, 12:00AM

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