Digicel's five Tourist SIM plans
Digicel Pacific's Samoa page lists five tourist plans. At the time of checking, Afiomai 15 cost WST 15 for 10 GB valid 7 days, Teuila 25 cost WST 25 for 15 GB valid 14 days, and Manaia 30 cost WST 30 for 20 GB of any-use data valid 30 days with unlimited on-net voice and SMS plus 50 international or off-net minutes and SMS. Lalelei 50 cost WST 50 for 40 GB valid 14 days with unlimited on-net plus 100 international or off-net minutes and SMS, and Faafetai 100 cost WST 100 for 80 GB valid 28 days with 200 minutes and SMS.
The page does not say where the plans are sold or what identification is needed, though the site has a store locator. Compare the plans by cost per day, not by headline size: Afiomai 15 works out at about WST 2.1 a day, while Manaia 30 works out at about WST 1 a day and adds voice. Because the page does not state whether the plans are sold as eSIMs, ask in a Digicel store before relying on a digital purchase.
5G data plans, and a figure to question
Digicel's Samoa 5G data page lists any-use data plans from one day to 28 days. As shown, WST 6 buys 8 GB for one day, WST 18 buys 25 GB for 5 days, WST 25 buys 40 GB for 7 days, WST 60 buys 100 GB for 14 days and WST 100 buys 200 GB for 28 days. The 3-day row on the page reads 158 GB for WST 11, which is out of line with the neighbouring rows and may be a typing error, so confirm that allowance before choosing it.
The page does not say where 5G is available or which handsets can use it, so treat the plan names as branding, not a coverage statement. A visitor with a 5G phone should ask the store which parts of Upolu and Savai'i have it.
Arriving at Faleolo, and why cash matters
The Samoa Tourism Authority says the main air entry point is Faleolo International Airport, 35 km from Apia, and that visitors do not need an entry permit for stays of under 60 days but must have a return or onward ticket and a passport valid for six months or more. It says travellers must declare restricted or prohibited biosecurity items such as food, plants and animal products, and that bags may be checked by quarantine officers. A fare from the airport to Apia should cost about ST$60 to 80, taxi drivers usually accept only cash in tala, and currency exchange is available at the airport with ATMs in Apia.
The UK Foreign Office confirms that British visitors can stay without a visa for up to 60 days, and says cash or travellers' cheques worth 20,000 tala or more must be declared. Because so many payments are cash, a phone's payment apps may be of limited use, so carry tala from the airport exchange.
Driving on Upolu and Savai'i: take a map
The tourism authority says all international drivers need an endorsement on their full licence, available as a temporary permit from most rental companies, the Samoa Tourism Information Centre, Samoa Post or the Land Transport Authority in Apia, at WST 21 for one month, with an endorsed international licence usable for a maximum of 90 days in a year. It says traffic moves slowly, the speed limit is generally 35 mph with slower limits in villages, cars drive on the left and there are many dogs, pigs and pedestrians near villages.
It also says there are few street signs around the islands and recommends having a map with you at all times, on your phone or in print. That is the sensible reason to download offline maps before you leave Apia. Fuel availability can be limited, especially on Sundays.
The Savai'i ferry: cash tickets and no signal guarantee
According to the tourism authority, there are daily ferries between Upolu and Savai'i taking approximately 60 to 90 minutes, leaving from Mulifanua, a 6-minute drive from Faleolo airport, to Salelologa. Walk-on tickets are bought at the terminals, adults pay SAT$10 and children aged 2 to 12 SAT$5 each way, and tickets can only be bought in cash. Vehicle crossings are booked and paid for in Apia at Samoa Shipping Corporation or through a rental company, fares are SAT$80 to 110 each way and include the driver only, and vehicle check-in closes one hour before departure.
None of this can be paid by phone, so a SIM plan will not help you board. We found no official statement on mobile coverage at sea or on Savai'i, so download maps and your accommodation's details before crossing.
Emergency: dial +685 911 from a mobile
The Samoa Tourism Authority's health page says to dial 911 for an ambulance, police or fire service, and adds that when calling on a mobile phone you should dial +685 911. It also lists the Samoa National Emergency Operations Centre on +997 and the Health Emergency Operations Centre on +685 66506 for health enquiries. The UK Foreign Office also gives 911 as the emergency number.
Save +685 911 in your phone's contacts before you travel, since a visitor's phone from another country may not know that a bare 911 is local.
Networks our Samoa plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Samoa, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- DigicelLTE