Travel Channel 

Best on the Beach
Vaoto Lodge
Phone: 011-684-655-1120
Web site: www.vaotolodge.com
Email: vaoto@hotmail.com
Rates: $35 a night (single); $40 a night (double); additional persons in room $20
The accommodations are clean and simple, but the location is undeniably heavenly at the Vaoto Lodge on Ofu Beach. With low prices and a friendly atmosphere, the lodge is a great stopping point for travelers whose priorities are a place to eat and rest. The rooms are plain and tidy, and each room has a private bathroom and shower. For just $15 per person, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served family style and provide plenty of time to get the skinny on the best snorkeling, hiking and exploring from other guests and the owners. Vaoto Lodge does not accept credit cards so be sure to bring cash or traveler's checks.

Most Luxurious
Coconuts Beach Club Resort
Location: P.O. Box 3684, Apia, Western Samoa
Phone: 011-866-726-6268
Web site: www.coconutsbeachclub.com
Email: namerica@coconutsbeachclubsamoa.com
Rates: $149-$299 a night (varies with room size and season)
Touted as the best in Western Samoa, this upscale resort has it all - cozy rooms, tasty food, oodles of amenities and tours of Samoa's popular landmarks and hidden beaches. Coconuts offers the ultimate in escapism, which perfectly reflects its owners, Americans who left the rat race and frantic pace of California to settle paradise. Perks include garden, beachside and even overwater bungalows as well as complimentary snorkeling gear and an affordable meal plan.

Best Authentic Samoan Experience
National Park of American Samoa's Home Stay Program
Where: National Park of American Samoa, Pago Pago, AS 96799, United States
Phone: 011-684-633-7082
Web site: www.nps.gov
Email: npsa_administration@nps.gov [enter HOMESTAY in the subject line]
Rates: Prices vary based on location and costs of living
Experience the Samoan lifestyle from the inside with the Home Stay Program sponsored by the National Park Service. Similar to a high school or college student exchange program, guests make themselves comfortable in a Samoan village while staying with a host family. In exchange for living fees to cover accommodation, activities and food, guests have an authentic traveling adventure - one that cannot be re-created in a hotel or local inn.

Best Breakfast
The Deluxe Café
Where: main road in Nu'Uuli
Phone: 011-684-699-4000
The closest approximation of the beloved American diner this side of the equator, the Deluxe Café serves up breakfast favorites from Tuesday through Sunday. Hungry patrons can start the day off right with pancakes, eggs and a fruit salad highlighting local treats. Not a breakfast fan? Stop by in the afternoon for a sandwich and a bowl of soup in traditional American style.

Best Bar
Tisa's Barefoot Bar
Where: Alega Beach, Pago Pago Harbor
Phone: 011-684-622-7447
Tisa's Barefoot Bar is popular for a number of reasons. It might be the beachfront real estate at Alega Beach, which provides the perfect place to cool down after a long day of swimming and snorkeling. It might be the outside seating on the breezy deck. Or it might just be because it's the best place in town to drink a locally brewed Valima beer and exchange snorkeling tips with a new friend on a bustling weekend night.

Best Internet Café
Don't Drink the Water
Where: Beach Road Tauese, Pago Pago, Tutuila
It is no surprise that the long-reaching World Wide Web has stretched even to the remote and rundown village of Pago Pago. Backpackers hoping to impress their friends and weary travelers wanting to check in with home will be pleased to find Internet access served up alongside food at this café in the downtown area.

Best Snorkeling
Ofu Beach
Protected by the National Park Service, the waters of Ofu Beach are perfect for snorkeling. As underwater enthusiasts float on the water's surface, unique sea creatures move about beneath them, darting between colorful coral structures. Visitors should bring their own snorkeling gear to enjoy the underwater beauty of Ofu as there are no kiosks or tour operators to rent equipment.

Best Day Trip
Oceania Travel and Tours
Phone: 011-684-633-1172
Web site: www.oceania-travel.ws
Rates: Half-day tour, $40 per person; Full-day tour, $85 per person; maximum of four people per tour
Travelers choosing to stay in Western Samoa may organize a tour to the main city of Tutuila, Pago Pago. This tour showcases the loveliest aspects of this Samoan city, such as the dramatic mountains, the cheery harbor and the old-time architecture, as well as the less attractive tuna canneries.

Best Hiking
Mount Alava, National Park of American Samoa
Where: Information at the park's Visitors Center, Pago Plaza Shopping Center
Phone: 011-684-633-7082
Web site: www.nps.gov
With about 10,000 acres of land dedicated as parkland, there is certainly something for everyone in American Samoa National Park. One of the prettiest hikes is the ascent to Mount Alava, which leads hikers through the rain forest to the mountain's peak. Once at the top, hikers can take in Pago Pago Harbor and the stretch of islands in American Samoa, making the six-hour round trip well worth the time.

Best Island Hopping
Green Turtle Tours
Web site: www.greenturtletours.com
Rates: $170-$340 for unlimited ride pass and accommodations
Green Turtle Tours is designed for backpackers and wanderers who just can't stay in one place. The Samoa Travel Pass combined with the Unlimited Ride Pass allows travelers to access the hop on-hop off bus to remote beach huts spread around the Western Samoa islands of Savai'i and Upolu. However, don't expect fancy accommodations. Green Turtle offers fresh linens, a clean towel and a mosquito net to drape around the bed, mostly in rustic huts and beachside bungalows.