The White Sunday long weekend saw many families from Apia travel to the south coast of Upolu to spend the day under the sun and on the beach.

Sunday school students, Samoans from abroad as well as families of local residents all got on their cars and took the long drive to check out what the tourism operators had to offer. 

It was the beach fale owners and tour operators who were ecstatic with the numbers on Monday, which was a public holiday in remembrance of White Sunday.

The bus load of holiday goers on the beach were mostly Sunday school students, who opted to spend the public holiday at Lalomanu and Saleapaga. 

Some tourists staying at Lalomanu decided to utilise island tours courtesy of Namu'a Beach Fales, which is run by Levasa Ieti and his children. 

Levasa told Samoa Observer that he currently charges $50 per head for a tour that provides a day fale and a trip to and from the island. 

Staff working for beach fales along the coast were busy inside their restaurants cooking lunch for their guests, who did not bring their barbeque tools. 

"Barbeques are a popular thing on days like these," said Su'e, one of the cooks on the beach. 

A busy beach fale operator, Dennis told the Samoa Observer that he rarely has sleepovers, but the public holidays were great for him revenue starts rolling ni from car parking fees and the use of open fales. The use of the toilet and the showers are inclusive of the fee one pays. 

"The cost of water is high and then we need to pay staff, so we have to charge for these things," he said. "People can complain but they can also go somewhere that does not cost a thing, and I don't really know where that may be.

"We all need money to support our families, village and church so this income goes towards development of our villages."

Other guests at the Lalomanu beach included university students from the United States of America who were on a break and taking time off in the village of Amaile. 

According to their lecturer, they were very happy immersed into a Samoan village and enjoying their time on the beach on their last day on the south coast.