waterfall
Papapapaitai Falls
A 100-metre waterfall dropping into a jungle-filled volcanic crater, viewed from a signposted roadside lookout on the Cross Island Road that bisects Upolu. No walk required.
25 km · about 30 min drive
OceaniaSamoaA'ana
Satapuala
A'ana, Samoa · Oceania
About Satapuala
Satapuala is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Fasito‘outa, 42km from Piula Cave Pool.
Satapuala is in A'ana, Samoa, with about 1,400 people. The nearest town is Fasito‘outa, about 5 km away.
Satapuala is a village situated on the north west coast Upolu island in Samoa. The village is part of A'ana Alofi 4 Electoral Constituency (Faipule District) which forms part of the larger political district A'ana. It has a population of 1963.
Satapuala is 40 minutes west from the country's capital Apia.
The villageRead more
was relocated in 1942 to build the Faleolo International Airport. Like other land in Samoa, customary land in Satapuala was also alienated during colonialism.
Customary land has since come under the government. Part of the former customary village land is where the new Aggie Grey's Lagoon Resort (the Government is the majority shareholder) has been built with a golf course beside the airport. Other Satapuala land includes a large coconut plantation opposite the airport which the government had planned to sell as small freehold lots and to build businesses and resorts. The chiefs (matai) of Satapuala have made legal claims to return customary land from the government for many years. The disputed land is the property of the government's Samoa Trust Estate Corporation (STEC, formerly WSTEC), land which came under the Samoa government when German and New Zealand colonial rule ended in Samoa.
Leading Satapuala's legal claim against the government for more than two thousand acres (8 km²) was a high chief of the village, To’alepaiali’i Toeolesulusulu Salesa III, the late Member of Parliament of the A'ana District and a prominent figure in Samoan politics. To'alepaiali'i was a Cabinet Minister in Samoa during the 1980s. He died during a trip to Sydney in November 2008.
In the early 20th century this village had also made land claims against the New Zealand colonial administration, since it wanted to put an airport on the village grounds.
Like most villages in Samoa, the geographic boundary of Satapuala covers an area from the coastline and inland. The village is separated into two sections. Satapuala-I-Tai (tai means coastal) is the end of the village nearest to the lagoon shoreline. Satapuala-I-Uta (uta means inland) is the end where most of the village people live, and also the place where the village road ends. The village of Satapuala is famous for having the historic Lapita Site.
There is one narrow and roughly paved road which connects the two ends of Satapuala-I-Uta, although in Satapuala-I-Tai the road is unpaved. The main Upolu Highway is accessible from the main village junction, or also known as the Magafa.
There are a few schools in Satapuala, including district college Satapuala College. Many children from the village attend and so do those from places as far as Leulumoega to Falelatai. There is a large coconut plantation, where coconuts are used to make Samoan Brand Coconut Cream which is sold worldwide. There are some 10 family-owned shops in the village with 3 billiard gaming areas. The traditional 'Sa', evening prayers, takes place each day throughout the village and lasts for about 30 minutes. The 'Sa' is a Prayer Curfew, played throughout most of Samoa. The village is vibrant in colour and culture. Horses used for plantation work are sometimes kept in the village tied amongst the breadfruit and coconut trees. This village is abundant in crops and flowers although the thorny weed vao fefe. Television and radio broadcast reception is reasonable in the village. A few pay phones are found around Satapuala's Main Village Shops, but the majority of pay phones are found at the airport, where there is internet access. Mobile Phones are widely used and through local companies Digicel and Go Mobile. Topping Up, Credit Recharges and SIM Cards can be purchased from the local stores. There are ATM outlets at the ANZ and Westpac branches at the airport. Like most villages in Samoa, Sunday is a sacred day. Churches in the village are Catholic Church of 'Sagato Atonio' and the LDS Church, which is located across the narrow village road from the Catholic Church.The best
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Satapuala?
Within an hour or so of Satapuala: Papapapaitai Falls (25 km), Piula Cave Pool (42 km), To Sua Ocean Trench (51 km), Alofaaga Blowholes (58 km).
Where is Satapuala?
Satapuala is in A'ana, Samoa, about 5 km from Fasito‘outa.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,412
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- Samoa
- Region
- A'ana
- Timezone
- Pacific/Apia
- Coordinates
- -13.8354, -171.9796
Tags
Worth the detour from Satapuala
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Piula Cave Pool
A freshwater spring pool inside a lava cave directly beneath a Methodist theological college chapel on Upolu's north coast, with an underwater passage linking two chambers.
42 km · about 50 min drive
natural wonder
To Sua Ocean Trench
Breathtaking 30-metre-deep natural swimming hole connected to the ocean via an underground lava tube on Samoa's Upolu island.
51 km · about 60 min drive
natural wonder
Alofaaga Blowholes
Lava tubes on the south coast of Savai'i that fire seawater 20 metres into the air on every swell; local guides throw coconuts into the vents to be launched skyward.
58 km · about 65 min drive
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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