A Swiss family of five are happy to have been stranded in Samoa since the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 began in March.
The Rocci family from Switzerland have been dubbed “the last tourists of Samoa” by the staff at the Amoa Resort.
“We wanted to stay here for 6 weeks but we have been stuck here now for four months” said Marco Rocci.
“When the lockdown came, it was a bit of a strange feeling because all the tourists we met wanted to rush home and took the next available plane – except us. It was a bit stressful at the time but we are happy that we decided to stay.”
Marco, his wife and their three children had picked the Pacific region as their destination for a year long journey based on a specific set of criteria.
“We wanted to go to a place that was safe and we knew we would never travel to again because of how far away it is. Our three children are at the perfect age for travelling and we wanted to use this time to spend it together.”
Over the last four months, the Rocci family have not experienced any shortage of places to visit in Samoa.
They stayed in a variety of accommodations and exploring the local attractions and even stumbling across other hidden natural wonders like the Mata ole Vai.
Amoa Resort Manager, Elizabeth Siaosi has been overwhelmed and grateful for accommodating the family at the resort.
“We’ve just recently become aware of this site some time last year when Afu Aau was closed temporarily and we were looking for an alternative fresh water pool site for our guests.”