old apia market

Better Late than Never....but just had to post this.My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting the Markets in Apia on a recent trip to Samoa in December. Whilst there were many legitimate road side stalls selling brightly coloured lavalava's for WST$10, there were some who decided that wasn't nearly enough and wanted a little bit more.Enter the 'Scammer'. We hadn't even reached Beach Road when we were acosted by this man selling lavalava's from a plastic bag. He asked us where we were from (Was it because we had 'tourist' stamped into our foreheads or was it because my husband is palagi (caucasion)?). Anyway he found out we were from Australia and proceeded to charge us WST$35 for one lavalava. Not knowing any different I asked for two and gave him $WST70. He then asked if he could have it any AUD$?? The Alarm bells started ringing loudly in my head!. I looked at him but couldn't read his eyes due to the very dark sunnies he was wearing. I told him that he either gave us the two lavalava's or give us our money back. Fat chance of the money being returned, he had it folded over so tightly in his fist. He couldn't get away quick enough. He tried it again on us on two further ocassions into Apia (seriously!!). Heed caution to anyone visiting the markets. Please do NOT buy anything from anyone walking around the town who charge you inflated prices (they will try and tell you it's for a Sunday School fundraiser!!). The legitimate vendors are either outside the Farmers store (with a stall) our outside/inside the Flea Market.BTW the Flea Market was great. We were able to buy some great gifts for the family (had to do a wee bit of haggling) and tried some panikeke in the 'food court' which was yum.

Awesome market. Really enjoyed it. Great place to get handicrafts and fruit and veg. A must visit. everything is really cheap and the fruit is awesome.

Loved the banana pancakes. Wished we discovered them earlier in our trip. Great place for Souvenirs and Clothing more directed at men. Also they don't hassle you to buy stuff.

If youve been to markets in other 2nd/3rd world countries, its basically the same thing. The stuff is mostly touristy junk.

We were stayng at Le Vasa Resort, thought we would rtaxi to town ( Apia ) to see some local shops, maybe pick up some souvenirs. This place Savalalo Market ( Flea Market ) looked quite promising from outside with quite a lot of stalls. However. once inside it became apparent that half of the Flea Market was taken up by Food Stalls, and the other stalls only sold approx 20 different products, mainly clothing ( tee shirts ), cheap necklaces, place mats and a few other handicrafts. Every stall had 3 or 4 identical stalls nearby selling the same thing, so if they had what you want, you could get a good price. But the range of products was very disappointing. Maybe we have been spoilt over the years by the massive markets in Thailand, Malaysia etc. Samoa is definitely not a shopping destination, but it has so much else to offer. In hindsight, should have gone to one of the beautiful beaches or waterfalls instead.

Great deals and amazing bargain prices. Just make sure you go there early in the morning in order not to miss out on the great harvest of that day.

Inside there, you can buy everything which is made by local people. The price is cheap and reasonable. If you don't mind they have some local foods you can try.Beside that market, you only walk a few minutes, you can visit the local fish market too.It is quite a good experience if you want to buy something before you fly away back to your home country.

I visited this flea market a few times during my stay in Apia. It's kinda like every other market you've visited in the Pacific. Many many stalls that all sell similar stuff! I'm a sucker for markets though and I often find myself trawling repeatedly just trying to find that rare trinket. The location is excellent and if you are walking down the main street of Apia you cannot miss it. Just follow the colourful public buses! My tips are; Try to avoid buying on the weekends when they over inflate the prices (especially in t-shirts for some reason). Also, shop around as all the stall are similar but the prices vary. As far as lava lavas go, walk across the street and buy one for a quarter of the price from the vendors near the supermarket. That is, unless you are looking for something unique. The vendors in the market will tell you that Samoan Customs visits once week to treat the wood carvings for export. This is not true and is irrelevant when attempting to bring wooden articles home. If you buy any handicrafts, inspect them yourself for worm holes etc. If it looks solid then you shouldn't have an issue when returning home.Overall the flea market is an essential place to visit when experiencing Apia.

Great place to visit but pick your time. I recommend early in the morning as possible as it gets very hot inside. Also less people and more chance getting the best of products. Watch out for the bloody dogs who can be in the vicinity of the market. The good news is the Samoa government is finally proactively targeting removing dogs from the area. This is great for market shoppers and I am sure the market stall owners.

The market is right in middle of town, covered which you need in the heat, and absolutely full of lovely colourful clothes, bags,jewllery and lots more. Goods are much better quality than mass produced items I have seen in other places. And visit the food hall part. They have pork buns you could live on and in particular a lemon/buttermilk drink that is just one tala for a big glass. Delicious and what you need in the warmth. And the locals will just sit down at your table and chat away so you can pick up some good travel hints. The stall holders are friendly and polite and not got the pushiness of other places.You have to buy some dresses to take home - keeps the memories and holiday spirit alive.

This place was dirty, way too hot and stuffy, and everyone was trying to get us to buy stuff I did not want or need. Better to spend the time at a nice beach

If you love markets and don't get claustrophobic this is the place for you. Here is the best spot to get your souvenirs including Lava lava's (think sarong but thicker), jewellery (much made from either shells, coconut shell or turtle shell (they eat them so I didn't feel bad about this) long with loud shirts and cute little dresses. If you have time you can also get traditional dresses made. Prices do vary so it helps to look around first. If you want thinner sarong any of the traders selling outside of the shops (they are everywhere) have them for about $5 tala (about $2.50 Australian).The walkways are a big cramped (especially if there are lots of shoppers) and uneven with steps up and down so may have issues with wheelchairs/prams

Like others before me, I thought this was a typical flea market. Very hot inside (can't do much about that though) and only half stalls were occupied (start of the rainy season). Variety was poor so if Samoa wants to promote tourism more actively, they will have to include other items (wood carvings, ava (samoan kava) etc

typical of a flea market all stalls had the same variety sarongs ear rings etc worth a look can see it in half an hour

The Flea Market is located near the bus transit area. It is very warm inside with Samoan food being prepared. There is a place to sit down under cover and eat. Also available are typical Samoan crafts and clothing.