They are not the first ones to fly to Samoa to celebrate a birthday and most likely will not be the last.

New Zealand residents Paul Green, his wife Sharon, his sister Cherrie and her husband Len Gilray flew to Samoa last Sunday to celebrate Cherrie’s 60th birthday.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel, Mr Green said it was his sister’s birthday and they decided to fly to Samoa to celebrate, as they have never visited the island nation before.

He said they had been planning the trip since June this year with his brother-in-law and they have had fun since they arrived. 

“We came here to celebrate my sister Cherrie's 60th birthday and also for a  peaceful holiday,” he said. “The people here are very delightful and we are so grateful that we have come.”

The travelling party’s last five days have been packed with fun and adventure according the group.

Mr. Green said they loved their accommodation at the Tanoa Tusitala hotel because the hotel staff made them feel at home.

“The people here are very delightful and we are so grateful that we have come,” he said.

The couple said they also learnt a lot about Samoa like the language and their experience of the culture gave them a lot of insights.

The performances during the hotel’s fiafia night was also a memorable experience for them, which kept them awake throughout the night. 

“The local people here did a fiafia night and it was very good, also they were full of energy and they kept us entertainment,” he said.

Speaking of the fire dancers, Mr Green said: “The fire dance was a bit scary when one guy jump on the other guys back while they were both do the fire dance.”

For Mr Gilray and his wife Cherrie, they said they enjoyed the local cuisine and getting insights on the impact of the 2009 tsunami at the site of the disaster, which made it an unforgettable experience. 

“Getting a brief about what happened in the tsunami and having lunch there was great,” he said while adding that they intend to return for the holidays. They return to New Zealand on Friday.