Best places to visit in American Samoa

Made up of five volcanic islands and two coral atolls (a total of 76.2 square miles), American Samoa is situated approximately 2,300 miles southwest of Hawaii and about 2,700 miles northeast of Australia.

Secluded beach in Ofu, SourceThe largest and most populated island in American Samoa is Tutuila. The territory's capital (Pago Pago), the seat of its legislature and judiciary (Fagatogo) and the office of the Governor (Utulei) are all located on the island.

Pago Pago is a heady mix of natural beauty and seedy commercialism. Tuna canneries are framed by a background of dramatic cliffs and the polluted harbour makes for a pretty picture on good days. But at its core, the city is little more than a semi-industrialized small town.

The most impressive and beautiful of the Manu'a Islands and a popular tourist destination is Ofu. Ofu's south-coast beach – a 4km (2.5mi) stretch of white sand – is one of the most beautiful beaches in the South Pacific. Part of the American Samoa National Park, it is home to 300 species of fish and 150 types of coral. Samoan rain forests and coral reefs are also the abode of unique tropical animals such as the flying fox, sea turtles, and an array of birds. The park has paleo-tropical rain forests, coral reefs, and an extensive sample of Samoan marine environments.