Talofa from PARADISE: A Special Talofa to all Nuts, and would-be Nuts! As I fire up my trusty old Mac, grab the mouse, and say hello to all of you, I become aware of just how privileged I am to be able to do this. Once each year, as I start to write this silly little letter, I sit back and reflect on the year that has passed and consider all of the news from Paradise that I think you might be interested in hearing about. It's a lot of fun! I am happy to say that it has been a great year for us - our best ever - , and we hope for you, too. Travel writers continue to praise Coconuts ... the "RETURNING NUTS PHENOMENON" continues to grow ... more Nut Letters to share with you - so much good news! We are truly grateful! Before going any further I would like to acknowledge and thank all of our friends in the travel industry and all of our past guests (Returning Nuts), who have made this past year possible. Mika, Sieni, Ned and I are very gratified that you enjoy our unique brand of hospitality to the extent that you support us and come back for more. We thank all of you Nuts and would-be Nuts for your encouragement. And, please continue to write to me. I welcome your comments! Afa

PROGRESS IN SAMOA: An Oxymoron? Decide for yourself! ...Here's some exciting news! Apparently the close relationship between our own national carrier, Polynesian Airlines, and Air New Zealand has come to an end. Polynesian has now partnered up with Qantas Airlines! What's more, just about the time that you read this, Polynesian Airlines will have taken delivery of a new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft - with all the latest creature comforts. With the extended range of this new aircraft, Polynesian will begin twice weekly service between Honolulu and Apia. Polynesian has also expanded its Polypass - with partners Qantas, Air Pacific and Delta - to include stopovers in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Honolulu and Los Angeles... More good news is that Air New Zealand has announced that in October It will be flying non-stop from Los Angeles to Apia, and then on to Auckland, but will no longer be flying the Honolulu to Apia route... So, in just a few short months, getting to Coconuts from all over the world should be a lot better! We are really excited by this news.

NEWS FOR OUR COCO NUTS : Lots to talk about here! ... First of all, I hope you enjoy the enclosed edition of NUT LETTERS. And - believe it or not - they are all 100% true! ... I have to spend just a few minutes talking to you about our web site. I have really gotten hooked on the idea of our web site being a place for all of you NUTS to visit on an irregular basis - not just a place for people who have never been to Coconuts. Kind of like treating it as an extension of this newsletter. So, it is in a constant state of evolution and change. I've even managed to shorten the address. It is now http://www.coconutsbeachclub.com !! If you haven't seen it for a while, you are in for a treat. It has lots of new pages, including guest pictures and a serialized story about living in Samoa, thanks to the talented writing of Leah Nagler, a Samoan studying at the University of Hawaii... Speaking of web sites, one of our recent guests, Jon Cooper, has posted his own Coconuts web page, with some of the most beautiful pictures of Coconuts that I have ever seen. You can find them at http://www.yonyonc.com/page8.html. Thanks, Jon, for sharing your pictures with us. You are truly a talented photographer! ...Erskine and Christine Rodan, RETURNING NUTS from Melbourne, were recently back for their twelfth visit. But, I'm not sure if they hold the record, even though I have been saying that they do for years! I was chatting with Carrie and Andre Lavigne over a maitai at Sieni's' three-stool-bar when they reminded me that, since meeting at Coconuts, they have been coming back to Coconuts from Southern California at least three times a year, for the last SIX years! That would be make their last visit their eighteenth! Unfortunately, we have only been keeping records for the last two
years... I continue to receive lots of queries about our special deal for RETURNING NUTS. It's easy. All you have to do is to write, fax, call or Email us - or your travel agent - and say that you are a RETURNING NUT. We will do the rest. You will receive a 20% discount on your room rate, and a complimentary upgrade if available (don't you hate when they say that?) when you check in.

COCONUTS "STAYS FAMOUS" Mark Fuller wrote an article that appeared in the "The Age" Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, June 3, 2000. "Fine experiences though they are, Apia and the Stevenson museum are not good enough reasons (to) make the 10-hour flight across untold datelines to Samoa....We want the postcard thing...It came to us in the form of Coconuts Beach Resort...At Coconuts the beach fales sit just meters from the shoreline. There's something special about lifting your head off the pillow and getting a view of the ocean, or showering in a private open-air bathroom" ... And, in the Sunday, June 2, 2000 issue of the San Francisco Examiner Magazine there was an article about weddings entitled "Destinations - Imagine Elopement", by Amanda Jones. "If your style is barefoot on a beach somewhere far, far away - would Samoa do? Samoa has...the casually elegant, American-owned Coconuts. Although you can get married perfectly legally by a Samoan Methodist minister or a secular celebrant, consider the exotic option of being joined by a local chief, (who also happens to be the late-night bartender at Coconuts) in a traditional Samoan ceremony. Chief Papalii, wearing his bark cloth lavalava (wrap around skirt) presides; the best man is Sila, the tour guide, and Alofa, the hotel manager's pretty girlfriend, stands in as bridesmaid. Get the fire dancers...and traditional string band to perform afterwards, as you snack on your lobster feast by tiki light."

RESTAUARANT NEWS: The MEAL DEAL, now in it's second year, continues to be a great success! The price of the MEAL DEAL remains the same - only US$39.95 per person for breakfast, lunch and three course dinner - but, in addition to unlimited quantities of our California House Wine at lunch and dinner, we have added unlimited quantities of many of your other favorite beverages, including the ever popular Vailima Beer. And, of course, there are still no buffets - just Mika's wonderful food, cooked to order for you, from the same great menu as always. August saw the arrival of new furniture and new lighting for the Palm Terrace - a great, romantic place for dinner. As you can see from the Nut Letters, Mika receives lots of fan mail and more and more RETURNING NUTS are coming back for the food. So, with the increased popularity of the restaurant, Mika decided that his lovely wife, Julia, had to give up her treasured spot in the gift shop to help him in the restaurant. So, look for Julia in the restaurant these days - and Mika swimming in the lagoon - HOW RUDE!

HOTEL NEWS : It's good news/bad news time. The good news is that the response to our four new beach front accommodations has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The bad news is that they have become heavily booked, so I am sorry if we are unable to confirm your first choice of dates. Located on that empty stretch of beach between the over-the-water fales and the two bedroom fale, my favorite is Fale E because it has a 75 ft. tall coconut tree growing right in the middle of the bathroom!...The long awaited news is that we are just now putting the finishing touches on our new Guest Lounge & Library. Designed by our talented architect and friend from Los Angeles, Robert Ross, this will be a welcome addition. A large room, open on three sides and constructed entirely of round poles in the local custom, this new addition is true to the "quirky" character of Coconuts and seems to fit right in. It will be a place to read, write, relax, enjoy the great ocean view, play games - and watch movies late at night. Movies from our eclectic collection of some 500 videos, under the direction of Mika (our resident movie expert) will be projected via a state-of-the-art digital projector onto a giant 10' screen - with a great sound system. Think South Pacific, or Return to Paradise! We will also have the ability to cater to small meetings of up to sixty people, conferences and private parties.

TOFA SOIFUA: Wow! I'm exhausted! Time to shut down my Mac, head on down to see Mika, and have a sunset cocktail on the new furniture on the Palm Terrace. We are very blessed, here in Paradise. We have almost everything. The only thing missing is YOU. Please join us soon. Love from all of us here at COCONUTS to all of you COCO NUTS and would-be NUTS!

Afa (Barry), Sieni (Jennifer), Mika (Mike) Julia (Julia) and Ned