Samoa: Samoan Beach Fale

The “fale” is a traditional Samoan house that people lived in for centuries. It’s an oval-shapes roof supported by beams and absolutely open to the outside. The openness is actually symbolic of the Samoan culture and social norms where the concepts of private property and possessions didn’t exist for a long time (even now – Samoan are the friendliest people I have ever met). You can see big fale all around Samoa and people gathering for meals and just hanging out. The much smaller beach fale dot almost all beaches in Samoa, often in stunningly spectacular locations. The beach fale is a tiny house right on the sand, one can even rent a beach fale for a night or two rather then stay at a hotel. The many fale along the Lalomanu beach in the south are some of the most beautiful on the Upolu island (main island of Samoa).


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