A quick trip to the Islands never hurt nobody right?? …well you could actually get Dengue fever but thats another story.
Regan and I headed to the beautiful Cook Islands recently, it was a work trip for me as I was lucky enough to be doing a wedding there, so Reg’s basically got to come along as excess baggage and enjoy 4 nights in paradise too.
I have been to Rarotonga before so I knew the best part of the island to stay was in Muri. We opted not to go for resort life as since we weren’t actually there for that long, we knew we wouldn't be spending much time in our room anyway. I had originally booked us in at Muri Beach club but at nearly $3.000 NZD for 6 nights (we had to pay for two extra because of our flight times) I decided to look at other options.
After many days of going back and forth on booking.com I stumbled across Little Oneroa. A self contained modern little villa right across the road from the water and only a 5minute walk to the main part of Muri it was exactly what we were after.
Little Oneroa was nearly half the price which was also a big bonus but the one thing that was abit of a pain was it only had a fan…. and hooooly I tell ya what at night it gets bloody hot!! I suggested to the awesome owner Andrew that Aircon is totally required and then everything would be perfect!!
Being based in Muri is the best option in my eyes, its central to the best swimming and snorkelling spots and some really great resorts/food options that are all within walking distance. I recommend Charlies if your looking for value for money, soooo much food for such a good price! The local dogs loved me so much this day as they all left with full bellies too lol!
So if your following me on Instagram you're probably wondering how we did so much in 4 nights right? Like us you're looking to holiday and still relax whilst making the most of everyday? So here we go, here’s how to Raro in 4 days!!
Get up early for sunrise, its so warm anyway there’s no way you're sleeping in!! The balcony at Little Oneroa was a beaut spot to be at first light. Surrounded by palms and with views of Muri lagoon in the background it was a refreshing way to start the day. Getting up early is also essential to making the most of every single minute on Island time
Go out for brekkie and fuel up! When your on island time you are likely to drink more than you eat, for us we often skipped lunch as we were busy so a decent brekkie was key to getting us through the day - we normally dined after 7.30 at night for dinner so breakfast was really important. ( You have to try the pancakes at The Pacific Resort Literally heaven!)
Hang out and go snorkelling with Turtle man. He’s a ray of sunshine and has lived on the island his whole life, you cannot beat this experience with the islands local Turtles! You will find Turtle man at the night market, he's such a cool guy who has huge respect for the ocean. We had the time of our lives with his team and got to swim with 5 Turtles it was incredible.
Find a spot along the Muri Lagoon and do absolutely nothing!! We found a great spot just around from Charlies cafe and visited here most days. This is also a nice little place to hang out if you want to snorkel at your own leisure (fruits of Raro is also a good pozzie)or go for a little stroll with some of the beautiful stray dogs.
I think the best part about Raro is that there is not a lot of shopping, unless your into touristy nick nacks this is exactly the place you need to visit for a proper break. You really do live on island time, the sunsets and sunrises are beautiful and the locals are some of the friendliest people I have met.
Some other great spots to check out are The Pacific Resort, The Polynesian Resort and Nautilus Resort, all three had great food and even better cocktails!!
So next time your feeling like you need to recharge even if it is for just a couple of days, truly do consider Raro! Sure it’s not super flashy compared to a lot of Holiday destinations but it’s clean and the kind of place to make you appreciate that the small things in life do matter. They live simple but appreciate everything and for some of us gentle reminders like this are exactly what we need to slow down in life.
Thank you to my beautiful client for allowing me to join you in paradise for your special day, you allowed me to take a couple of much needed days rest - I truly do have the best job in the world x
