SGN Contributor Liz Ah-Hi of Fine Mat Creative discovers a new adventure in familiar places of Samoa, on the back of an ATV …
With no shortage of adrenaline-rush activities available in Samoa for the adventurer seeking the road less travelled amongst the rugged coastal cliffs or the untamed rainforests – the last place you’d expect to find an exciting adventure is in the back roads and quaint plantations of rural Samoa.
If that peaks your curiosity then take a turn off the main airport road in Leauvaa and you’ll find yourself in Frank Wolf’s world where there is plenty of space to let loose on a 12 kilometre track through cocoa and coconut plantations while on the back of quad bike.
Aptly named Wolfpac ATV tours Samoa, Frank Wolf is the man behind this little operation that guarantees group fun in the sun taking you through the ”outback” of Leauvaa, Saleimoa and Tuanai villages.
If you’re like me and have never ridden an ATV before – have no fear, the tour and the quadbikes are designed for riders with no previous experience and the first thing your tour guide will do is take you through a safety briefing and general guidelines for your four wheeling excursion.
With six bikes available for hire – me and my “wolfpack” of thrill seeking explorers found ourselves in a circle around the pack leader taking instructions, suffice to say we were itching to hit the road before Frank could finish his safety briefing.
“ … and lastly, if you come across any trouble along the trail and need the group to stop, hit the horn three times which will alert everyone including me at the front.” said Frank.
Our tour departed from Frank’s compound and the effects are almost immediate as the first rush of excitement hits you when the bike roars into life, creating a glorious disturbance of the peace in an otherwise quiet village.
The plantation safari will take you on a surprisingly varied track to keep you entertained and while you might think that everyone wants to go fast on ATVs it’ll dawn on you quickly that speed will only reduce your ride time and you’ll miss out on seeing the amazing views!
From uneven dirt roads that suddenly turn into manicured plantations to lush native bush forest that may require you to dodge hanging vines and low hanging bananas – the ride is exhilarating and admittedly the urge to whoop and holler in excitement is hard to suppress.
There will also be moments of quiet awe and contentment as you take in the views of ancient banyans and towering majestic coconut trees, remnants of a colonial past with a few secrets and stories to share.
Having arrived on island time to our tour – our adventure took an interesting turn when we found ourselves deep in the cocoa plantations of Saleimoa as the sun was setting adding a new dimension to our plantation safari.
Bending light beams streaming through the dense cocoa trees brought out hidden twists, colours and tones of a plantation forest I had never noticed before.
Dusk turned into night and our “wolf pack” had finally arrived to a state of synchronicity and we morphed into an organised convoy of night riders finishing out our tour under a galaxy of stars on the long dirt road.
Whether you’re a local or an international visitor in these lands, you’ll come to realise or be reminded again just how lucky we are to live in a country where adventure is literally outside your doorstep waiting to be discovered.
So when you’re next feeling like you need to let off a bit of steam without the nasty hangover the next day – hit the back road trails for a couple of hours and awaken your senses with a hefty dose of plantation rush – your intrepid tour guide at Wolfpac ATV Tours Samoa will be happy for an excuse to unleash the beasts.
“We don’t have a minimum requirement on how many people can book at one time” says Frank “ It doesn’t matter to me if one person or a group wants to go on a tour – I just want to ride.”
For more information about Wolfpac Tours contact Frank on +6857283631. For information about all adventures and exciting things to do in Samoa, visit the Samoa Tourism Authority website.
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