The world-famous Scottish born poet and writer, author of timeless classic Treasure Island, travelled the globe during his life and found a particular fondness for the Pacific, opting to settle in Samoa in 1890.

In fact, he even died there, in a place called Vailima, four years later at the age of 44.

It is easy to see what made him fall in love with the place at the first time of asking.

Samoa is a picture of true beauty, decorated with palm trees and a breathtaking landscape which few places can rival and with more hidden gems than you could shake a stick at.

Having being given the chance to take a tour around the island, I have to admit I was lost for words when witnessing some of what it has to offer.

It is fair to say that the Pacific as a whole is seldom-travelled to by many of us often ignorant Westerners, causing my mind to realise just how privileged I am to have seen it, as making the journey to the other side of the world isn’t cheap.

I can promise you it is worth every penny.

Everywhere you look, especially outside of the city of Apia itself, there are mesmorising views of hills, scenery and wonder, including Fuipisia falls, a waterfall located around an hour outside of the capital, and Togitogiga, where you can swim in a cave pool - a must for anyone fortunate enough to visit there.

Although Samoa was the only bidder for the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) could have been forgiven had they chosen the nation over another country based purely on the picturesque views and the enchanting places of interest.

If only hosts were chosen on that principle.

For the CGF, it is now important that they continue to award the Youth Games to countries with similar standing in the world to Samoa, regardless of any rival bidders.

Let’s face it, the Commonwealth Youth Games aren’t the Olympics - they are on a much, much smaller scale, which allows the CGF the opportunity to give the developing nations their shot in the limelight.

The Games are based on a laudable mantra of visiting places far and wide and that should be maintained by the CGF going forward.

For me, a Commonwealth Youth Games in a country such as Canada or Scotland, two of the four countries to have expressed an interest in hosting the 2017 event following the recent withdrawal of St Lucia, largely owing to fears over finances and a lack of an established athletics track, would have far less impact than in stunning Samoa.

The residents of this small yet beautiful island will surely be talking about it for years to come, remembering how they welcomed over 900 athletes from 65 Commonwealth countries and territories for a fun-filled sporting competition bereft of the usual stigma and pressure associated with a multi-sport event.

Compare that to Scotland and Canada, two countries which have staged plenty of major Games between them, and it is easy to see how a Commonwealth Youth Games in either nation may be swiftly forgotten.

Does Edinburgh really promote the fact it held the first-ever edition back in 2000? Do any of its 487,000-strong population still talk about it on the street?

I would hazard a guess at probably not.

In Canada’s case, with the city being proposed for 2017 being Edmonton, which withdrew from the race to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, eventually awarded to sole candidate Durban at the CGF General Assembly in Auckland earlier this month, the Youth equivalent is perhaps being merely used as a dry-run for a future bid for the main event, perhaps as early as 2026.

Of course, a motive for Samoa in bringing the Games to their country would have been self-promotion - to perhaps raise awareness of the fact that the Pacific even exists, a view that even some people in nearby New Zealand and Australia have, for example - but judging by the perception and the reaction of the locals, that was rarely on their minds.

Unquestionably, the people here in Samoa won’t forget September 5 to 11. In fact, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi even declared this as the biggest event ever to take place in his country - larger even than the two occasions where the Pacific Games have visited the nation.

Giving Samoa the Commonwealth Youth Games allowed them the chance to experience the thrill and the prestige of staging an event which could be the start of the path to true greatness for many of the athletes who competed over the five days of sporting action.

It gave them the chance to really put themselves on the map, and it was one they seized and relished, delivering a Games beyond the expectations of a large proportion of those who were there to witness it all unfold.

The venues were truly impressive and in all honesty, the swimming arena wouldn’t have appeared out of place in Glasgow or even London.

The weightlifting venue, opened for legendary coach Paul Coffa, secretary general of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, was a jewel in the Samoan crown and attracted praise from delegates and competitors alike.

The general ambiance around the event was also second-to-none, matched by some of the outstanding performances which we saw during the Games themselves, particularly out on the track and in the pool.

In athletics, Kenya gave us a taste of things to come in the future, with Kumari Taki producing a memorable display of 3min 39.90sec in the boy's 1500 metres, the second-fastest time posted this year and one which only he has beaten in 2015 on his way to taking gold at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, in July.

His compatriots Willy Kiplimo Tarbei and Kipyegon Bett, the top two youth 800m runners in the world, went head to head in a thrilling battle won by the former in what was a fascinating race.

In the water, a host of International Swimming Federation World Junior Championships medallists participated, including 50m backstroke world junior record holder Gabrielle Fa’amausili of New Zealand and 200m individual medley world champion Clyde Lewis of Australia.

Lewis was one of the top performers at the Games, taking home a haul of five golds, two silvers and a bronze, proving why he is one to watch over the coming years.

With the event having finished with a festival-style Closing Ceremony, which concluded with the fourth largest display of fireworks in the nation, attention now turns to the future of the Commonwealth Youth Games.

It was interesting to hear newly-elected CGF President Louise Martin, the tenacious Scot who surprised many with her victory over incumbent Prince Imran of Malaysia in the Presidential race, describe the concept, which she considers her “baby”, during the closing press conference.

“When I put the idea of a Youth Games forward it was purely meant to be as a celebration of the millennium,” she said.

“A lot of people were unsure about it as a concept and I had no idea that it would take off as it has.”

But, in chief executive David Grevemberg’s eloquently-spoken words, the CGF are not counting on their chickens just yet.

Martin, who has also claimed the success of Samoa 2015 has “got everyone talking” about the event as a whole, is now tasked with ensuring it develops and evolves makes sure it becomes a permanent and sought-after fixture on the global sporting calendar.

The CGF Executive Board look likely to be facing the welcoming prospect of having to choose between four countries for the next edition of Games following insidethegames’ exclusive revelation that Botswana, who had originally been considering a bid for the 2021 event, and the Bahamas have expressed an interest in 2017.

It means that the race for the 2017 Youth Games could be more exciting than that of its bigger brother.

Both Botswana and Bahamas have that necessary experience and proof that they are capable of hosting major events, while laying claim to being a developing nation in the sporting stratosphere.

Botswana held the 2014 African Youth Games, attended by some 2,000 athletes, while the Bahamas played host to the International Association of Athletics Federations World Relays in 2014 and 2015.

But they aren’t immediately go-to names on a list of countries  with particular pedigree in the complicated world of hosting top-class sporting competitions, and it is based on this which I urge the CGF to stick to their guns for 2017.

Give it to Botswana or the Bahamas and watch either one those countries treasure the Games, just as I will treasure every single moment of my week-long stint as part of Samoa 2015.