The south coast of 'Upolu is a string of sparkling palm-fringed beaches where you can lie back and enjoy an idyllic beachcomber's lifestyle. First up is the aptly named Return to Paradise Beach, made famous by Gary Cooper in the film of the same name. It's not an ideal swimming beach, but then again it's not an ideal film. The pounding surf and shallow reefs make swimming a hazard, but it's a wonderfully scenic spot for a picnic.The next beach is Matareva, a series of safe coves and shallow rock pools that make for great snorkelling. Further east are Salamuma Beach and Aganoa Black Sand Beach and this is where you'll find the best swimming areas, while at the end of the bay are more snorkelling reefs. If you keep going around the coast you'll eventually get to the easternmost tip of 'Upolu and here you'll find the reefs of the Aleipata district. This is one of the most breathtaking areas of Samoa with reefs of a brilliant turquoise blue and some of the loveliest swimming beaches around. As with all swimming in Samoa, be sure to ask locals first before diving in, and don't be surprised if you're asked to pay a 'custom' (a small fee for the use of a village's resources).There are a number of ways to get around the south coast region. You can catch a bus from Apia but locations that might be close geographically can be miles away in terms of the driver's ambitions for the day. Hiring a car is a reliable alternative even though petrol can sometimes be difficult to rustle up. Taxis will take you to most points of the island but agree to a price before you set out. You can also cycle down the coast, which can be hard work in places, but is probably the most rewarding way. At least there's always a beach nearby to cool you down (remember to ask first!).

Apia, on the island of 'Upolu, is the capital of Samoa and the only place in Samoa that you could call a city and really mean it. For all of its modern details, such as banks and burger outlets, it still retains the picturesque charm of its history. All the traders, beachcombers, pirates, whalers, and fallen missionaries who have washed up on the shores of Apia still seem to be present in Apia's slightly rundown air and the old pula trees shading the streets. From the centre of town, Apia's neat villages spread west along the level coastal area and climb up the gentle slopes towards the hills and into the valleys.The clock tower in the centre of town, a memorial to WWI casualties, is a landmark for all those trying to orient themselves in the town centre. Just to the west of the clock tower is the Flea Market which has craft stalls selling everything from cheap clothing, to siapo (dyed bark sheets), to 'ava bowls and coconut-shell jewellery. A large number of churches are scattered around Apia with the largest of them being the Catholic church on the city waterfront. The Anglican church, although smaller, has the most beautiful stained-glass windows and at the Congregational Christian church are the clean-picked bones of the unfortunate Reverend John Williams.Aggie Grey's Hotel, named after its famous and feisty owner (believed to be the inspiration for James Michener's character Bloody Mary), has fale named after movie stars that have slept there and an air of exotica. It's expensive but drinks at the bar are cheapish and the atmosphere is free. The main drag of Apia is Beach Road which follows the curve of the wide pleasant harbour. The bus station and the main market are a couple of blocks south of the city centre and the wharf lies at the eastern end of the harbour. Fagali'i Airport is a few kilometres east of Apia and can be reached by bus or taxi.

Even the name sounds like fun. The Papasee'a Sliding Rock is a 5m (16ft) slide down a waterfall straight into a jungle pool. It's like Disneyland's Jungle Boy and Water World combined. The slide, over real rock rather than faux rock, sometimes has even the most hardened adventurer a little faint hearted but there are a number of smaller slides to choose from if the big one looks too daunting.Take the bus from the main market in Apia and then walk the remaining 2km (1.25mi) to the slide.

Just 4km (2.5mi) from Beach Road in Apia is Vailima, the beautifully restored home of Robert Louis Stevenson now operating as a museum. There is enough memorabilia here to entertain for an entire morning but of even greater interest is RL Stevenson's tombstone at the back of Vailima and up a steep incline. His gravesite looks out over the township, the white fringe of reef and the distant horizon. After he died the people of Upolu worked 24 hours non-stop to hack a path to the top of the hill so that the body of their beloved tusitala ('storyteller') could be buried the next day with full ceremonial privileges. On the tombstone is inscribed RL Stevenson's elegy with its famous last two lines: Home is the sailor, home from the sea,/ And the hunter home from the hill.To get there take a taxi or bus from Apia.

Savai'i is one of the largest islands in Polynesia but one of its least populated. It's an untouched and pristine island showing few western influences and the people of Savai'i have maintained a way of life even more traditional than 'Upolu. There are any number of first-class beaches on Savai'i and the places that aren't good for swimming are perfect for snorkelling. If you get sick of the beaches, the reefs, and the laid-back life of a beachcomber, the interior of Savai'i is just as interesting.The Tafua PeninsulaRainforest Preserve is one of the most beautiful and accessible stands of rainforest with, rugged stretches of lava coast studded with caves and lava blowholes. The Matavanu lava fields, formed when the volcano spewed and belched molten lava for nearly six years back in the early 1900s, is now an impressive moonscape, and a walk around the crater of the volcano is a must for archeological buffs. The other rainforest on Savai'i is the Falealupo Preserve, which has a canopy walkway to the top of a stately banyan tree. For a few extra tala you can eat and sleep up there too.In southern Savai'i, don't even think about missing the Alofaaga Blowholes at Taga. Not just another set of blowholes, there's little to equal them anywhere else in the world. Olemoe Falls, also in the south, is a lovely jungle waterfall that plunges into the crystalline waters of a deep blue pool, which is marvellous for swimming and diving.You can get to Savai'i by plane, with flights from Fagali'i Airport in Apia, landing at Ma'ota Airport on the southeast of the island, or by a boat that runs between Mulifanua Wharf on 'Upolu and Salelologa on Savai'i.