Pimp my bus ride: Buses in Samoa are a unique experience

Pimp my bus ride: Buses in Samoa are a unique experience

Samoan buses are uncomfortable, noisy and don't run on time. But that's the fun of it! Even if you can't go anywhere in Samoa, take a bus somewhere.

We wanted to leave Apia and head to the south coast. We had heard that the water was incredible and there were some great natural sights to see. Taxis are expensive and since we are on a budget the bus was the answer. We've traveled across the Pacific Islands on many buses now, but this one was a little different.

First of all, Samoan buses are brightly decorated in whatever style the driver desires. We saw one with a Bon Jovi and Guns 'n' Roses theme, one with a lottery theme, and several that appear to be named after the driver's mother. The drivers seem to make their own rules and leave whenever they are ready or when the bus is full, and if they want to leave early and watch rugby, they will.

The colorful Samoan buses

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• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>
• alt=“Samoaische Busse in Samoa“>

When we got into ours we found the driver asleep.

“Excuse me, is the bus going to Vaiula Beach?” asked Kia. No answer. She tapped him on the shoulder and he looked rather grumpy when Kia asked again. He nodded, still clearly irritated. “And when does it start?” A pretty reasonable question, we thought.

“10:30,” he growled. It was just gone 10.

At 11, after what felt like an eternity of sitting in our muggy seats, he finally started the engine and slowly pulled the vehicle into the nearest parking bay, then turned off the engine again and waited. A local got off and got on another bus instead. After a few more minutes, the driver turned the engine back on, this time driving onto the main road, going around the roundabout before returning to the same bay in the bus station. Kia and I just looked at each other.

We finally left the bus station around 11:15 am and 10 minutes later pulled into the first gas station where the driver and almost all the passengers got out to buy snacks for the upcoming journey. After everyone got back in, we drove off and drove to the nearest gas station, where the driver's friend got out and filled a canister with gas. We watched worriedly as he stowed it under the bus where the luggage was supposed to go!

Finally we left Apia. The driver turned on the radio and found his favorite station, which seemed to specialize in some kind of hybrid Euro-techno-reggae. He had his own amplifier and speakers mounted on the front, making it impossible to hold a conversation. There is also a rather strange hierarchy in Samoan buses, where foreigners and elderly people sit at the front so they can “enjoy” the full volume of the driver’s favorite sounds.

In 2009, the Samoan government changed the law from driving on the right side of the road to the left. It does not appear to have been fully boarded. Our bus was a right-hand drive vehicle, but the driver sometimes only drove in the middle of the road. Luckily for us there isn't much traffic outside of Apia so there weren't too many moments where you could see your own death.

The car ride itself was only supposed to take about an hour, but there were almost three of us on the bus. Our budget dictates that we need to take more Samoan buses while we are here. I just hope our next driver prefers some light listening instead!

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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