Lalomanu is a village on the east coast of

Upolu Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long and in area, making it the second largest of the Samoan Islands by area. With approximate ...

island in

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands ( Manono and Apolima); ...

.The village is part of the electoral constituency (''Faipule District'') Aleipata Itupa i Luga which is within the larger political district of

Atua Atua are the gods and spirits of the Polynesian peoples such as the Māori or the Hawaiians (see also ); the Polynesian word literally means "power" or "strength" and so the concept is similar to that of '' mana''. Today, it is also used for ...

. It has a population of 712. Aerial-view-tokelau-2012-photo-new-zealand-ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade 12780239164 o

The white sandy seaside is called Lalomanu Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Samoa with

beach fale A beach fale is a simple thatched hut in the architecture of Samoa. Beach fales are also common in other parts of Polynesia. They have become popular in tourism as a low budget accommodation situated by the coast, built with a few posts, no walls ...

accommodation run by locals, including Litia Sini Beach Resort and Taufua Beach Fales, for tourists and visitors. The beach has rich

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and ...

lagoons A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...

and one of the best views in Samoa. From the beach one can view the uninhabited Nu'utele Island, off the coast from the village. There are activities like snorkeling and sea kayaks available in the area. A beautiful church of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa is located in the center of the village. The intricate patterns of the previous sanctuary's ceiling was kept intact with supporting mounts while the new sanctuary was built around it, then it was lowered in place. Lalomanu is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes drive from the

Apia Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga. ...

, the country's capital. The village is the base of the Ao o Atua, Tui Atua fa'anofonofo. Leifi-le-Taua is the son of Lufasiaitu, mentioned in the old tale of Lu and his sacred hens, Samoa. The title is approximately 2,000 years old and has over 75 generations of title holders till today.

2009 Samoa tsunami

The remains of Lalomanu village (10729795903)

Lalomanu was heavily damaged in the 2009 Samoa tsunami with fatalities following an earthquake south of the

Samoa Islands The Samoan Islands ( sm, Motu o Sāmoa) are an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and of the wider region of Oceania. Administratively, the archipelago comprises all of the Independent State of Samoa ...

on 29 September 2009. However, the village has slowly recovered in a rebuilding programme with international aid and support.

2009 Samoa tsunami

See also