Manono Island

Between Upolu and Savai’i, Samoa

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Manono Island, Samoa's third-largest island at about 3 square kilometers, lies in the Apolima Strait between Upolu and Savai’i, just 3.4 km off Upolu's Lefatu Cape, featuring a low-lying volcanic landscape with a central hill rising to 80 meters and a 7.5 km coastal path circling its four traditional villages: Apai, Salua, Lepuiai, and Faleu.

Home to around 889 residents living car-free in thatched fale houses amid coconut plantations, it preserves Samoan customs without dogs or vehicles, offering a 2-3 hour walking loop past historic sites like the Grave of 99 Stones, the ancient star mound on Mt. Tulimanuivaai, and Methodist missionary legacies from the 19th century. 

Reachable by a 20-minute boat from Upolu's Manono-uta pier, this serene cultural landscape, proposed for UNESCO status, blends fishing communities, fringing reefs rich in marine life, and lush paths ideal for immersive hikes, embodying peaceful island life shielded by barrier reefs.