To Sua Ocean Trench
A hundred-foot seawater swimming hole at the bottom of a garden, linked to the ocean by a tunnel.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Best time
At low tide, in the morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
To Sua means 'big hole' in Samoan. It is a thirty-metre shaft formed by the collapse of a lava tube, filled with sea water and linked to the ocean by an underground tunnel — so the level and the current follow the tide.
You go down a nearly vertical wooden ladder, some ten metres long, from a platform. Around it, the garden is kept by the village that owns the site, and the entry fee funds the community.
Getting there
South coast of Upolu, near Lotofaga, about an hour's drive from Apia. Hire car or a taxi for the day.
What the price covers
private land, entry fee paid on arrival
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Headlamp
- International driving permit
Rules on site
The ladder is steep and slippery: the descent is not for everyone, and there is no other way in. The tunnel current strengthens on a rising tide, and a rope is strung to hold on to. On Sunday many village sites close for worship.