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Encounter with Robert Louis Stevenson and Mont Vaea

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Highlights:

• Visit the Vailima Botanical Gardens.
• Climb the Road of Loving Hearts to the top of the Mont Vaea Scenic reserve in its lush mountain forest. 
• Reflect on your encounter at the tomb of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and explore the gardens of Villa Vailima, his famous house.
• Visit the Robert Louis Stevenson villa now a Museum.

Tour style:Heritage & History, Mainstream sight with hiking
Inclusion:

English speaking guide, Transport & Entrance fees as indicated, Water bottle: 1 per person

Exclusion:

Items of a personal nature, tips or gratuities fro drivers and guides.

Group size:Maximum 12
Schedule details:

• Duration: 3 Hours
• Meeting point:

  Samoa Tourism Fale on Beach Road

• Start time: 8.30 AM-9.00 AM
• Finish point:

  Samoa Tourism Fale on Beach Road

Additional information :

• Additional information:

  For this tour, good hiking or sports shoes, hat, light raincoat are best. Please be aware that dress standards are conservative throughout Samoa. To respect this and for your own comfort, we strongly recommend modest clothing, covering shoulder and knees. Women should avoid wearing swimsuits or skimpy clothing away from the beach. Men should wear light shirt, polo or T-shirts with long or knee-length shorts, or local sarong (lava lava).

• Language: English

Itinerary:

Samoa  was the chosen resting place of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, known for his famous novels “Treasure Island” and “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” among others.  Relive the era of Robert Louis Stevenson on the site where he spent the last five years of his life, the famous “Villa Vailima” and on the mountain where he is buried.

The tour starts at the Samoan Tourism Fale and departs at 9.00am. We will drive on Cross-island road until the Location of the Museum through the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum gates and avenue until reaching the Vailima Botanical Gardens at the Information fale of the Mount Vaea Scenic Reserve. We will take you through the Vailima Botanical Gardens, a hike of the “Trail of Loving Hearts” built by Samoan chiefs to carry Robert Louis Stevenson’s coffin to the top of Mount Vaea, where he wanted to be buried.  The ashes of his wife Fanny Osborne (known to Samoans as Aolele or Floating Clouds) were also buried beside her husband. 

Mount Vaea, a lush green mountain is a National Park and you will have a chance to see much of Samoa’s rainforest trees and birds and reach for an encounter with Robert Louis Stevenson on top of the mountain and read his epitaph with a great view of the eastern part of Upolu.

The hike back will take you across the grounds and gardens of the Villa Vailima – the restored house of Robert Louis Stevenson and now a Museum entirely dedicated to his life in Samoa, where his story and the one of his American wife Fanny, and their Samoan friends will be told.

Once the visit of the Museum completed you can wonder on the grounds and/or visit the gallery of last century photographs until the call to join your transfer back to the Samoa Tourism Fale in central Apia.

Tipping:

Tipping is not customary in Samoa, but if you are happy with the services provided by your local guides and drivers, a tip - though not compulsory nor expected - is appropriate. It is generally rejected at first, but will be received with pride, if you insist. In Samoa, we refer to this as “mea alofa” (a gesture of thanks or love) to your host. Please consider this when budgeting for your extra expenses on this tour.

26°C
Feels like: 28°C
Partly cloudy. Warm.

Responsible Travel with Urban Adventures

 

Wherever we go in the world, we take a responsible attitude with us. That means travelling in a way which both respects and benefits local people, their culture, their economy, and their environment. Please read on for more information on our Responsible Travel policy and how you can be a responsible traveller for your entire journey.  

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