The Raratongan Resort & Spa

We decided to stay at the The Rarotongan Resort & Spa, on the main island of Ratotonga and took the short transfers from the airport. This resort is on the south west corner of the island, and you will see beautiful sunsets from the beach.

As always, we check Trip Adviser. The resort seemed to have a good mix of activities and included breakfasts (an important criteria for us) and at an affordable price. There are numerous other resorts on the island catering for families - I also liked the look of the Muri Beach area on the eastern side which has a number of resorts and water activities grouped together (eg: Captain Tamas Lagoon Cruises).

At the Rarotongan we had two adjoined 'Beachfront Rooms' (see Resort Map). These buildings are two levels - if your room is on the lower level you can open your doors to the sand, whereas if you are on the upper level (as we were), you get vaulted ceilings. The resort is small enough to walk around, so the location of your room is not much of a concern - although its certainly nice to be able to see the beach from the rooms.

We arrived too early to go straight to our rooms (check in is 2pm), so we decided to leave our bags and take the bus back into town for the Saturday Markets. Given we were only there for a week, we figured we might as well take the opportunity while orientating ourselves. There are only two bus routes on the island: "Clockwise" and "Anti-Clockwise" - and while either will get you to your destination eventually if you take the wrong one you'll be in for a much longer ride. It was a really hot day and the market was a bit of a disappointment, so before long we decided to find our way back to the resort.

The reef is a few hundred meters from shore, so the water in the lagoon is calm. You can snorkel right off the beach, and while its not perfect given the tourist traffic, you will still see tropical fish swarming around your feet and we spent many an hour exploring the lagoon.

There are plenty of activities for the kids provided by the resort. We all enjoyed paddling around in the canoes and playing table tennis and pool. There are also activities like basket weaving and treasure hunts.

The kids loved the crab races, where we bet on which crab would reach the edge of the circle first. Each crab was given a name representing different countries. Let's just say that 'Skippy' did not live up to its name.

For the most part, we were happy to stay in the resort and eat at the poolside restaurant - and most nights we were able to get a table right on the lagoon to watch the sun set. The favourite meals were Fajitas and the Suf and Turf (not particularly island fare, but they were good!). Each night there is a Themed Event (at extra cost), and we particularly enjoyed the Fire Dancing.

I also hired a bike for a leisurely ride around the island. The road is on the coast most of the way, so its a flat and easy ride - a great way to explore a bit. Its 29km around, so will take you from 1 to 3 hours, depending on your pace. I'd recommend starting early, as it can get pretty warm.

Overall we were very happy with the resort, and we would definitely return.