Cook Islands - Rarotonga Trip Report - Jan/03
Written: Feb 21 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Generous people, great beaches, warm water
Cons: Disappointed in accommodation on this trip
The Bottom Line: Great place to visit for some true R 'n R. Not for those that need to be entertained constantly. Already planning our next trip to the Cooks in 2005
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| lyndam's Full Review: Rarotonga |
Trip Report – Rarotonga, Cook Islands – January 11, 2003 to February 1 2003
Before, I get into details, just some background. This is our 3rd trip to the Cooks and it certainly won’t be our last – we love the island and the people. On previous trips, we had stayed at the Muri Beachcomber and loved it but decided that we would like to try a different side of the island so we could see the sunsets. This time, we travelled with 3 other couples who, like ourselves, are experienced travellers. Since we had been to the Cooks before, I volunteered to research our accommodation choices. After much research on the internet and discussions in browse groups, I recommended the Raina Lagoon Villas in Arorangi to our friends. This resort is advertised as a deluxe resort with air conditioning, king size beds and a private outdoor shower These amenities are there but not being maintained as you would expect in such a “deluxe” resort. The lack of cleanliness and upkeep was completely unacceptable. Unfortunately, my husband and I, as well as our friends, were very disappointed with our accommodations. . That isn't to say it was all bad - the location of the villas and the natural beauty from the verandas was fabulous.
We travelled via Air New Zealand from Vancouver, Canada through L.A., Tahiti, to the Cooks. All went well on the flights with no unpleasant surprises. We were greeted at the Airport by a person from the Raina Lagoon Villas. We found out later that this was Tai, the housekeeper, maintenance person, gardener, and general person of all trades. When we arrived at the resort we were shown to our villa and that was it – no orientation of the property or welcome to the island, etc.
The villas are in a beautiful setting on a beach that was okay for snorkelling and swimming. Some of the problems we experienced over our 3 week stay were as follows:
· Our garden shower was broken (my husband used plastic tie-wraps to keep it in place so we could shower) and tiles were coming off the wall.
· There is no barbecue area as stated on their web-site or in-house brochure/guide. There was one barbeque for all units but it didn’t have a propane/gas tank attached. When we asked for the tank, we were told by Tai that we would have to disconnect the one attached to our stove and use it. This was unacceptable as you couldn't cook anything else on the stove when you were barbecuing. My husband visited the local gas provider and talked him in to renting us a tank for the duration, but at our own expense.
· We were constantly tracking sand into our units as we didn't have a broom. When we asked Tai for another one or to borrow hers, one stated that she had the only broom and we couldn’t use it.
· The housekeeping was horrible. The towels were changed daily, linen every other day and the room dry mopped - that was it. The windows were never cleaned, the floor not washed, and the bathroom utilities not cleaned during our 3-week stay. The cobwebs that were on the bedside tables and lamps when we arrived were still there when we left. The build-up of dirt and dust under the bed and behind the couch was disgusting!
· Since there were no screens on the windows, we used 2 cans of Raid in the 3 weeks trying to control the insects and cockroaches. My husband didn't tell me until our last day but he woke in the middle of the night early in our stay with a cockroach crawling on his shoulder. We have stayed in the tropics before and understand that there will always be bug/insect problems but in this case there was no way to control them from getting in to the units. Also, we always made sure food wasn’t left out but sealed in a bag and stored in the refrigerator
The issue that concerns me the most is the misleading information that is being advertised by the resort to potential and existing guests. The following are some of the services and activities listed Raina Lagoon Villas show on their website and in their brochure that are definitely inaccurate and paint a very different picture than reality:
· Laundry Area/Services provided - there is no laundry area and no offer to provide laundry service
· Kayak and snorkel gear rental - this is not available
· Gift shop Tangaroa is situated next to Reception area and is open from 9am to 4pm - there is no Gift Shop!
· Stamps available at gift shop - again, no gift shop!
· Reception is open from 8am to 6pm for any assistance you may require during these hours - the only time we saw anyone in the office was when we arrived and left 3 weeks later and that was Tai.
· View the activity board for daily activities such as coconut husking, town trips, crab hunting reef walks, weaving demonstrations, fish feeding - we never saw an activity board nor any of these activities
If you are interested in staying at this resort, just know that there is no on-site management.
One of the other couples with us had originally booked a beach front villa at Raina with Jetsave Travel. They paid the required deposit and received written confirmation of this but when it was time for them to pay the final amount owing in November, they were told by Jetsave that the beach front unit had been booked and was not available. Since they had already paid their airfare, they had to accept a lagoon view unit. Jetsave advised them that Raina Lagoon Villas had made the mistake and double booked the unit. During our 3 week stay, one of the two remaining beach front units was occupied for 2 nights. For the rest of the time, this unit was unoccupied and the other beach front unit was empty for the duration
All of these issues are about poor management. To quote one of our travelling companions "On site management, daily inspections and better communication with guests would really improve service and bring Raina Lagoon Villas up to the first class accommodation it is “accredited” to be." I could go on some more but I think you get the picture. On the surface, this resort looks to be very deluxe but after spending 3 weeks, this was proven to be false. We did share our comments in the unit guest books but this doesn't help prospective visitors that are looking are booking this resort.
After returning home, we all sent letters expressing our concerns to Raina Lagoon Villas, Cooks Islands Tourism, and Jet Save Travel. To date, we have received replies from all. The Tourism office has promised to investigate and advise us of action taken.
We will definitely be back to the Cooks but not to Raina Lagoon Villas. On our next visit, we will again be staying at Muri Beachcomber. We also checked out some other self-catering accommodations, Manea Beach, Sunhaven Beach Bungalows. They all looked great. Check out the rental houses on the Rarotonga Realty website, http://www.rarorealty.co.ck/index.htm. Friends stayed in one of their places and were very pleased.
Some of the restaurants we tried and would recommend are:
Ambala Gardens (my favourite but only open for Dinner on Saturday nights), Alberto’s Steak House, Island Night and Buffet at the Edgewater, Fish ‘n’ Chips on the harbour, Ronnies Bar, Sandals Restaurant in the Pacific Resort, The Sails, Trader Jacks, Tumunu, and the Brunch Cottage at Sunhaven.
Activities that our group enjoyed and that may be of interest to you:
The ladies had a facial and massage at the Spa in the Rarotongan Resort – great quality and service.
Another fun activity is to watch the planes land at the airport.
Stand on the breakwater and it seems that they are going to land on top of you. What a rush!!
Spent time and money at two very reasonable-priced and good quality pearl shops, Munik Pearls and Marthaline Pearls. These shops are on the old/inner road opposite the airport. Very friendly, knowledgeable staff, and great customer service. I would highly recommend both shops.
Attended the Saturday Market in Avarua. We were advised to get there early, so arrived at 7 am but that was too early as not all stalls set up yet. We arrived the next Saturday at 8:30 am and that was better.
Bought baked goods at JMC Store in Muri Beach – try the Hokey-Pokey muffins – delicious!
Spent a morning at the Cultural Centre, especially informative if you are a first-time visitor. Well worth the money.
Attended the Sunday Services at the Cook Island Christian Church in Arorangi – the singing and service were very beautiful.
Even with the disappointment in our accommodations, it was still a great trip that was made even more special because we shared it with our friends. The Cooks Islands are wonderful and the people truly beautiful!! Hope this report is informative.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
lyndam
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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