A French tourist has praised Samoa's rich cultural heritage, saying it is what made the country unique from other tourist destinations.

Twenty-four-year-old Cedric Dalle, who has been in the country for over two weeks and is sailing the Pacific with his cousin, said he was blown away by the country's uniqueness.

He said they have visited a number of Samoa's tourist attractions over the last 25 days and he has been impressed.

“I arrived in Samoa on the 2nd of April and my cousin travelled to Samoa before that with his girlfriend. They were in Samoa two months ago but she went back to France and we are now fixing a boat with plans to sail around Wallis and Futuna and New Caledonia.

“I have been in Samoa for 25 days and I love the country for its own uniqueness, we mostly did the touristy things like visiting the To Sua Trench which was an awesome experience.

“We also went to the Piula Cave pools and explored three waterfalls in Upolu, which I forgot their names. I love the forests and natural environment found around the island,” he said.

Tasting Samoan food and the locally brewed beer Taula has also been an eye-opener, though being a vegan had its challenges while visiting the country.  

“I enjoyed Samoa’s local beer but the food is a bit of a struggle because I am vegan, I don’t eat meat or fish and so we just buy vegetables and cook."

As a keen observer of the effects of capitalism on traditional cultures, Mr. Dalle said he hopes capitalism does not lead to Samoa losing its rich culture. 

“But I would say that it will be a bit sad when capitalism takes over the island completely and hopefully Samoa does not lose its rich and pure culture, which makes them unique. But at the end of the day, the world is evolving and change is a necessity to moving forward with vast advanced technology being introduced."

And due to a hectic program upon arriving on Upolu, he said they were not able to visit Savai'i, which he said was a pity.

The lack of information booths on Upolu, to point tourists in the right direction (other than taxi drivers), was a major challenge for the French tourist. 

“One of the struggle’s faced by tourists is having to find information booths that can point us in the right directions other than taxi drivers. Some visitors prefer to do things alone and so it would be really useful if they have those around."

Mr. Dalle said they are scheduled to leave Samoa on Friday, but still have a few things to sort out before they leave.