Craig Sambell is enjoying his short break in Samoa, reading Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Initiative under the shade of a coconut tree, before he returns to work as a Qantas pilot.

He arrived in Samoa on Sunday morning and will leave Wednesday morning, the two-plus days visit giving him just enough time to visit some of Samoa’s tourist hotspots with his crew.

“This is my first time in Samoa and I’ve loved it. Yesterday I went out to see some of the southern part of the island,” he said. “We visited the Piula Cave, the Faofao beach, the Ocean [Tosua] Trench, and then we went up into the hills where it was a bit wet. 

"We were going to see a waterfall up there but it was just shrouded in clouds and rain. I really like the southern part of Samoa. We had lunch at the beach and it was nice and quiet at the fales there and it was really relaxing. 

"I am here for work so I haven’t been in Samoa long enough to see as much as I want and I think I will come back.” 

The seven-member Qantas crew travelled to Samoa with one of them bringing his partner and their child for a mini-holiday.

“I’ve had some loko rice and that was a bit different. I’m not saying I’m not a fan but it would take some time. I think the people are very friendly and accommodating," said the Australian pilot. 

Captain Sambell, who has been a pilot with Qantas for just over 20 years, said that reading his book in the shade is a beautiful setting and is looking forward to his return.

He said Samoa was definitely a destination that very few Australians knew of and one of the things he really liked about Samoa was that the beaches and its hotspots were not overrun by tourists. 

According to the Australian aviator, in some countries, tourists crowd out the local areas but in Samoa, everyone gets a little slice of paradise.