smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Samoa
| Samoa overall | This Advice is current for Wednesday, 07 January 2009. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. It contains new information in the Summary (dengue fever). The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Samoa has a low incidence of serious crime. However, petty crime, particularly theft from motor vehicles and accommodation, is prevalent in Samoa.
Burglaries are common and are sometimes accompanied by violence.
Violent assaults and sexual assaults have also been reported.
Visitors must obtain a temporary driver's licence before driving in Samoa. These are available from car rental agencies, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure office in Apia, and the Polynesian Explorer Office at the airport. Visitors must present their current Australian driver's licence.
Driving in Samoa can be dangerous, particularly at night, due to insufficient street lighting, and poor and deteriorating road conditions. The general standard of driving is poor and many motor vehicles are not well maintained. For further advice, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
Levels of motor vehicle insurance can vary from rental car company to company. You should ensure you understand the insurance portion of any rental contract. Before you depart Australia, you should discuss hire car insurance cover in Samoa with your travel insurance provider.
The safety standards Australians might expect are not always met, especially for adventure sports and inter-islands trips.
Fatal swimming accidents have occurred due to tidal changes and powerful currents in the many coastal lagoons that surround the islands. Consult local residents and tour operators for advice on possible hazardous swimming and water sports areas.
Stray, sometimes vicious, dogs are common in Samoa. There have been reports of dog attacks in suburban areas and on beaches outside of hotel boundaries.
Levels of services in Samoa for travellers with disabilities are extremely limited. The lack of footpaths or adequately paved walkways makes it difficult for individuals in wheelchairs or the walking impaired to travel around Samoa. There are few, if any, motor vehicles capable of transporting wheelchairs and the lack of disabled ramps and access points at major hotels makes finding suitable accommodation difficult. None of the tour operators specifically cater for the disabled.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
Cyclones: Cyclone season is between November to April when flooding, landslides and disruptions to services can occur. However, tropical storms and cyclones may occur in other months. The direction and strength of tropical cyclones can change with little warning. Australians should monitor the typhoon and storm information available from the USA Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the USA National Weather Service Forecast Office and the Humanitarian Early Warning Service.
If you are travelling during cyclone season, you should contact your tour operator to check whether tourist services at your planned destination have been affected.
In the event of an approaching cyclone, you should identify your local shelter. We encourage Australians in affected areas to follow the instructions of local authorities and monitor the media for the latest developments. Flights in and out of affected areas could be delayed or suspended. Available flights may fill quickly. The cyclone could also affect access to sea ports in the region. In some areas, adequate shelter from a severe cyclone may not be available to all who may choose to stay. You should familiarise yourself with your hotel or cruise ship evacuation plans. You should carry your travel documents at all times (i.e. passport, photo identification) or secure them in a safe, waterproof location. We also suggest that you contact friends and family in Australia with updates about your welfare and whereabouts. For further information, see also our Travel Bulletin: Severe Weather - Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons.
Samoa is subject to earthquakes.
All oceanic regions of the world can experience tsunamis, but in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, there is a more frequent occurrence of large, destructive tsunamis because of the many large earthquakes along major tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches. See the Tsunami Awareness brochure.
If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians are advised to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Check with your bank whether your ATM card will work overseas.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or childcare facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or childcare facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in Samoa, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail. Court processes in Samoa can be lengthy.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Penalties for the possession and use of illegal drugs, including cannabis, may include a prison sentence. Possession of drug paraphernalia is illegal. Suspected drug offenders should expect to be held in custody while the police investigation is underway.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Samoa.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
There are conservative standards of dress and behaviour in Samoa and you should take care not to offend.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy of Samoa for the most up-to-date information.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our Travelling Well brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
Hospital and medical facilities are limited and medical evacuation may be required in serious cases. To receive medical services you may be required to pay in advance and provide a deposit if hospitalised. Medical evacuation by air ambulance to Australia or New Zealand is extremely expensive. Evacuations using commercial airlines may be delayed during June and November to January when flights are often heavily booked.
There are no hyperbaric chambers on any of the islands for treatment of scuba diving related injuries. Serious cases of decompression sickness are evacuated to the nearest treatment centre in Suva, Fiji, or Auckland, New Zealand. All registered dive companies carry basic treatment equipment to meet PADI standards.
Outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness dengue fever occur. It is strongly recommended you take precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes, including using insect repellent. For further information on dengue fever see the World Health Organization's factsheet.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including typhoid, hepatitis, filariasis and tuberculosis) occur, with more serious outbreaks from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, and avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
In Samoa, Australians and Canadians can obtain consular assistance from the:
Australian High Commission
Beach Road
Apia, Samoa
Telephone: (685) 23 411
Facsimile: (685) 23 159
Website: http://www.samoa.highcommission.gov.au
If you are travelling to Samoa, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency - whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
If you require after-hours advice regarding a consular emergency, please call the Australian High Commission on the above number. By following the prompts you will be put through to the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre. If you are unable to contact the above High Commission you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre directly on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
