We have been to Fiji several times & Samoa (the island of Upolo) once. I don't like to try to compare the two (& Fiji has been my favorite) since they are so different but I'll try to describe my impression of Samoa. First, I haven't found a place with people as warm & outgoing as the Fijians but the Samoans were friendly & an interesting culture. Just seening the capital of Apia, it seems the island would be pretty modern, but once you are outside the city it reverts to open air housing & firepits for cooking. Though they all seem to have TVs which is funny to see a fale (house) with no sides & everyone on blankets on the floor watching television at night. Their customs seem very intact & we even asked permission to access some southern beaches from the tribe chief. We stayed at Coconuts beach Club on the southern coast. It was great! Very reasonable (compared to the real upscale places we stayed in Fiji) & the best food & great hosts. Go to their website & read about the owners. It is descibed as electic & quirky & that fits. We stayed in one of the two overwater bungalows. Power & cooling was intermittent (big thunderstorms) but we enjoyed it very much. There is a seawall, some beach, pool & then shallow water for snorkeling, kayaks for exploring out further & the adjacent mangroves & diving is you chose. Inland trips to the waterfalls or other beaches, or Robert Louis Stevenson's house & burial grounds on the mountain top. We enjoyed our stay enough to want to return to see more than our time allowed us & perhaps get to the northern island also. Hope that helps. If you have any questions, please post.