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Samoa: I Crossed a Border That Shouldn’t Exist | Travel, Culture, Island Life

Ilya Varlamov

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I'm in Oceania! I travelled to both Independent Samoa and American Samoa — two islands with the similar people, language, and history, but divided by time, culture, and colonial legacy. One side is calm and traditional, the other loud and Americanized — even down to a full-blown prom parade in the rain with dressed up teens in pickup trucks. They’re just a short flight apart, yet sit on different days of the week — guess time travel is real! From quiet streets to honking celebrations, we’ll explore what happens when one island becomes two very different worlds.

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#oceania #travel #samoa

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Hello! My name is Ilya, I am a Russian journalist and founder of various urban beautification projects in Moscow and around Russia. There is nothing in the world that I love more than traveling. On this channel, I will do my best to give you an objective overview of life in different parts of the globe. Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss my new videos!

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro: Welcome to Samoa!
00:26 What makes Independent and American Samoa so different?
01:08 Life through they eyes of a local
3:55 Who really controls Pacific islands?
8:16 Should you keep your loved ones THAT close?
10:35 Fa’afafine: a local phenomenon
15:20 It’s time for American Samoa!
16:04 I’m a time traveller!
17:38 Loudest prom I’ve ever been to
18:50 What makes American Samoa so special?
24:48 Handmade buses
26:59 Final thoughts

20 Comments

@ilyavrlmv Creator 1 year ago Pinned

Would you cross a border to travel back in time? Visiting these two Samoas was like stepping between parallel worlds. Which one would you visit first?

@TimBrianTufuga 1 year ago

Привет, мой русский друг. Спасибо, что посетили Самоа, мою исконную родину.

@bbs-vj1cx 1 year ago

excuse me lol American Samoans ARE hardworking people. We work on weekdays Monday to Friday and do outdoor chores on Saturdays. Sundays are for church because we are mostly a Christian country. Nothing worth seeing because you don't have a local showing you around. You visited tourists spots and not the local spots. All the local spots are cheaper and we have nice pastries sold in grocery stores. Asian restaurants are top tier here and we all don't just eat McDonalds. Most samoan houses still have an outdoor kitchen or "umu" where we cook natural grown foods from our backyards like taro, breadfruit, bananas. We also still go fishing for our foods or buy fish from the main market. Most of you tourists see us as lazy samoans here in American Samoa, but we live a more advanced and rich life than most of you foreigners. Let me know if you have any more questions, I know a lot about my own country. Seki 👍

@susanavaifale6418 8 months ago

I am proud to be a Samoan and forever will be. God bless my Polynesian side. The pearl of the Pacific 💪💪💪

@AvarikiFamily 1 year ago

37:07 Depends on what you are looking for. Been here for a good number of years and still enjoying it close to nature in this pearl of the Pacific 🇦🇸

@wiredancient-g7u 1 year ago

He roasted the American Samoans hard out 🤣🤣🤣

@JamakiahEckert-uh7xw 1 year ago

Hi Ilya. How nice. You travel all over.to see the culture. I have been to. Bora Bora island. Tonga Samoa is nice place to visit. Enjoy ur stayed ther

@ChristaSzegedi 10 months ago

Sorry you did not show the real Samoa, were are the nice beaches, the nice people....
I am from Germany and be here since 1984 and did not want to be in any other places. ❤

@dmilomeredith 1 year ago

Do your due diligence before making any narrative about our islands. Everything you’ve stated on this video is so off base that I find it offensive.

@ChristopherGoodwin-v4m 5 months ago

Your tour guide in American Samoa is my good buddy Rory, he is a wealth of knowledge

@Talidia02 9 months ago

Wow the graves next to the houses shocked me 😳 but its Interesting thing to see. Im really interested in the polynesian culture and i would be so excited to go there one day ✨
Also im not Samoan but even i felt bad when he was talking things about the people and the place🥺 sorry for it, not all Europeans are like this ….

@Motugelegele 1 year ago

Nice. Learned a lot about the 2 Samoas

@kamakoa 1 year ago

SAMOA MO SAMOA beautiful.

@issenvan1050 1 year ago

Switch hitter! 😂

@geoffersontwaidabu5776 1 year ago

I'm not a Samoan but I've been there its not that bad I enjoyed the time attending training as Meteorologist and great people massive build and has massive heart ♥️... And even the island it self is such a beautify...your take is a massive false dude won't be subscribing your channel FYI

@Gary-wi8gx 1 year ago

Well this guys not the first Ukrainian to visit that would be me as I first came to Samoa in 1990 and will make it my home eventually…Fa’fetai Lava!

@farseverosapirico6248 7 months ago

Optimal video !....

@ucedoko_84 1 year ago

I think it is important to be clear that American Samoa is not simply "America in the Pacific" and constantly framing it through your opinions about the United States does a disservice to understanding who we are. We are Samoan first and our connection to the United States does not erase our language traditions or values. Comparing American Samoa and Independent Samoa as if one is more authentic than the other oversimplifies a complex history. The differences you see in infrastructure governance or lifestyle are shaped by political circumstances not by a lack of culture or identity. Both sides of the ocean share the same heritage and it deserves to be recognized without bias. Get your facts straight we people here are hard workers and PSA those are not sheds they are called faleo‘o. Come back next time so I can po your felas. 😉