Falealupo Canopy Walkway

At Falealupo on the northwestern corner of Savai'i, a suspension walkway runs from a platform to a viewing deck built in the crown of an enormous banyan, some thirty metres above the forest floor, reached by a ladder up the trunk. It was built in the 1990s as part of an arrangement in which the village protected its forest instead of selling logging rights. Cyclones have damaged the structure repeatedly and it has been rebuilt more than once.

What you actually see

• The banyan platform - the deck built in the crown some thirty metres up.
• The suspension walkway - the bridge running out to the tree.
• The rainforest - the forest the village kept instead of selling logging rights.
• The conservation arrangement - the deal that funded protection in the 1990s.

When to go

May to October is the drier season. Cyclone season runs November to April and has closed the site in the past. The village collects fees during daylight.

Honest expectations

Storm damage has closed the walkway for long periods and its condition varies; check before travelling. The ladder up the trunk is steep and exposed. The site is a long drive from the ferry.

Nearby

Cape Mulinu'u is south, and Manase is east along the north coast.