Testimonials - Who ever writes a bad one or put it another way who ever publishes a bad one?

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At Experience Rarotonga we would like to share with you some of our guest's comments on their holiday experiences, it could be a trip report, kind words About Us, feedback on tours and activities, restaurant reviews (their personal experience), Must Do's and advice...

Just a very quick email to say thank you for all your hard work and help that you provided in helping with our wedding.
It was amazing and went off without a hitch. So very stress free and everything a little girl dreams of.

Mike & Tere are amazing and the home was exactly what we wanted. Perfect.

Our Island Warrior came through, a big thank you to Tere and yourself for this. He was amazing. The sound of the Cone Shell will always send chills down my spine.

Attached are a couple of photos from our very special day, which simply wouldn’t have been possible without all your help.
Our professional photos are due very soon, and I am so excited to see them. Rarotonga is just so beautiful.

Once again, many many thanks.

Regards

Krystal & Shanye Rooney

Titkaveka Beach House

June 2010

Here is our trip report for you to put on your website:

Thanks Jennie for organising a fantastic holiday at Titikaveka Beach House. The whole family loved it. House has everything you need, even with 3 kids (age 19, 16 and 11). Some food/juice/coffee left for us when we arrived, a nice touch. Beds really comfy. Lots of outdoor furniture, excellent ocean-going sit on top kayak (with rudder), plus 2 other sit-on tops, although the double kayak definitely needs a puncture repair! Free pet chooks/chicks and friendly dogs was an added bonus…

Mike and Tere the owners were lovely, I probably bored Tere with all my questions about Rarotonga, she is very knowledgeable about its history, etc.

I see the people before us saw turtles!!! Damn, we didn’t see that. Our family are keen snorkellers and we did see a huge variety of fish (including a lion fish and lots of huge cornetfish [or rifle fish]), moray eels, octopi. There is quite a lot to see directly out from the house, but it is even better at the marine reserves at Fruits of Rarotonga (only about 2 km down the road) and down opposite the Rarotongan hotel (we actually found the last location the best). This doesn’t detract from Titikaveka as it is nice and quiet there, and the snorkelling is still very good. We found Muri a bit crowded and busy (by Raro standards).

We were worried beforehand about reports that the coral was dead at Rarotonga. Much of the coral did appear to be dead, but there is plenty of fish life and what appears to be quite a bit of regrowing coral.  We thought the best coral was opposite the Rarotongan. (We didn’t go everywhere, mind you).

Our eldest kids did a SCUBA dive, first time for my daughter, they absolutely loved it, cost $175 each including training in the lagoon and 12 m dive outside the reef. My son, who has done some diving (including the Poor Knights) said it was the best experience of his life, he went down to 28 m. Water clarity amazing. 

Thanks very much for all your help and excellent communication/info.

David, Liz, William, Freddie and Maggie.

Titkaveka Beach House

July 2010

Our wedding was wonderful.  Thank you so much for everything you did for us, the endless emails and the wonderful contacts.
 
Everyone we had to contribute to the day was amazing.  William the photographer was so fantastic.  He delivered our photos the following day so our friends and family could also enjoy them.  The Tamarind House was simply perfect.  Everyone commented on how beautiful it was and the food... Yum. The platters.. Rangi Henry and took.... All of it great...
 
We throughly enjoyed our stay at whitesands.  What a amazing location!.  We felt so blessed to have a private spot on the beach and everything we needed was provided.  John considered us staying on a couple of more days but 18 was ample. We loved Rarotonga, the people and how relaxing and wonderful it was for our whole family.
 
Please send me your address I would love to send you a photo.
 
Thank you so much Jennie.
 
Erinxx

Thank you email from Erin and John who stayed at Whitesands Beach Villas and got married there (October 2008)... Family Wedding!

 Hi there Jen, yes the Raro holiday was what the doctor ordered the house was just what I wanted the outdoor living the lagoon was fan bloody tastic snorkled everyday as each day passed the water warmed and then the fish we saw was outstanding.at first I thought 15 days may be too long but as the holiday cruised along at such a slow pace we were all so relaxed that I was very happy staying at the bach, Whats not to love reading and drinking cocktails on the beach every day.So thank you for all your help sourcing the right place, I’ve shown all my friends the photos and has been highly recommended , and yes we would like to come back!!!!!! And after 30 years the island is as I remembered it that made me laugh.Tere and Mike were fantastic we talked about our schooling she would have been in my younger sisters year she remembered the four nz familys  we lived down the road from her. So thanks again

Louise

Titkaveka Beach House

September 2009

Hi Jennie,
Just wanted to say thanks for your help with accom raro. Ocean Blue Villa was just great, heaps of room and a great outlook and Donna was lovely too. We had a fantastic time over there and would recommend Ocean Blue Villa to anyone, especially for a big group of people.
Thanks
Chris

Ocean Blue Villa

August 2009

We are back now from our holiday in Rarotonga.  We had a fantastic time, enjoying the excellent weather.  We were also very happy with all aspects of our accommodation.  The house was extremely clean and tidy and had everything we could wish for.  The location and beach access was superb, and the garden and sense of privacy an added bonus.  Tere and family were very hospitable and looked after us very well – especially during the threat of the tsunami when we were welcomed into their private home further up the hill until we heard that any potential danger had passed.

The hire car worked out well too and although a bit of a squeeze on the 2 occasions that we had to fit in all our luggage (i.e. to and from the airport) – it was great to have to freedom to come and go as we pleased.

Thanks so much for all your help with organising accommodation and the rental car.
Regards,
Karen
 

Titikaveka Beach House

September 2009

Hi Jennie,
 
We all enjoyed our week in Rarotonga, had a wonderful time, accommodation was excellent, we will contact you again if we decide to return.
 
Many thanks for your assistance. Barb Smith.

Anchor's Rest

May 2009

Hello

Just thought I would give you an update on our trip to Rarotonga.  We arrived back yesterday after 15 wonderful days.  The weather wasn't as warm as we expected (but all the locals also mentioned that it was the coldest they have ever experienced it!).  Still quite pleasant though, with temperatures ranging between 17-24 degrees.

We got off the plane, and our name was on the list for the transfer to Titikaveka Beach House - so very well organised.

Mike and Tere's beach house was fantastic. A great house in an even greater location!  The house was very well presented, with all the things you would ever need.  Tere even left some extras for us (cereal, bread, fruit, milk,
jam) which was really sweet, and Mike was there to greet us at 1am in the morning on our first night, so that was really nice.  The location - well what can we say - white sands, blue clear water right at the door step.
Great decks, and nice outdoor furniture.  Really impressed (much nicer than Iro's next door).  Mike even dropped off a bag full of passionfruit after 2 days, as I had commented on how nice the passionfruit was.  Tere was very busy organising the World Youth Netball Championships, but she still had time to stop by to say hello, so that was good.  There was a little dairy/ shop close by so that was good to buy bread/ drinks, and we caught the bus into town to get the rest of our supplies, which was easy enough.  We walked to Vai Villas on the beach the day Lisette and Grant arrived (quite a hike for the kids - 3.5kms), but a very nice walk.  We stopped at Saltwater Cafe half way for lunch which was nice too.

Our car arrived as requested.  Interesting car, with all sorts of interesting sounds, and idiosyncrasities - ie, when the radio was on, it made different noises every time you braked or sped up.  Made for very funny trips with the whole family in fits of laughter. It got us round the island several times through the 7 days we had it, so did its job just fine.  The car seat was in the car as requested so all good.  Much cheaper option hiring a private car like this, than through a rental company, so thanks.

Black Rock Villas was lovely.  Sven was there to greet us, as his parents are currently residing in New Zealand, so didn't get to eat at the restaurant unfortunately. The views were beautiful, and pool was great, but cold!  We did get used to the temperature of the water after a while though
:-)  It was good to have the car though, as it made it easier to get to the beaches, town etc.

We ate at a few lovely places, including Sails Restaurant, The Rarotongan and Trader Jacks, but by far the best restaurant we went to, with amazing food and service (better than any of the restuarants we have been to in NZ) was Windjammer Restaurant at the Crown Resort.  The food was fantastic, and the cocktails great too!

We went on the underwater submarine/boat, which was great for the kids.
Heaps of fish and we even got to see 3 turtles up close - which apparently was quite unusual to see so many!  Bastiaan and Richard went on the go-kart trip around the island and they had a ball.  We fed the fish off the decks at the Rarotongan Beach Resort (heaps of big fish right on shore).

We had a really lovely time and everything worked out perfectly.  We really appreciate your time in making our trip memorable.  The accomodation was fantastic - out classed any of the resorts by a mile!  Next time, see if you can something about all those roosters crowing on the island - starting at 11pm and not stopping till 10am! (just kidding).  Funny seeing the signs in the shops etc, apologising to tourists in advance for the roosters :-).  We also befriended several different dogs, which was cool for the kids too.
Dogs seem much friendlier and well looked after (even the strays) compared to Samoa.

Well that's about it from us.  Thanks once again, and we will be sure to contact you again next time we go to Raro.  We passed your details on to several other people who enquired, so hopefully you will get a bit more business soon.

Kind regards
Marije, Richard, Bastiaan and Annelies Banks

July 2009

Kia Ora Jen & Kathy,
 
On behalf of my friends and I, wewould like to say a big THANK YOU for your prompt and consistent comunications in arranging our stay at Kathy's Jen.  Kathy your house is truely AMAZING and it exceeded all our expectations as well as catering to all our needs (plus more) for our first visit to Rarotonga.  Both you and Tony are great hosts and we felt you went that extra mile, something we know we would have not received if we were to stay at one of the resorts.  We would definately highly recommend your place to any traveller/people who will be visiting your shores Kathy anytime.  We look forward to returning to Rarotonga and hoipefully stay at Kathy's again.  We are all sad to be bak at home now but have great pictures to look back on a fabulous time we had in Raro.
 
Many thanks, & Merry Xmas to you both & to your famalies
 
 
Kind Regards
Georgina, Uala & crew.
Stayed at Kathy's house October 2008

Our wedding was wonderful.  Thank you so much for everything you did for us, the endless emails and the wonderful contacts.
 
Everyone we had to contribute to the day was amazing.  William the photographer was so fantastic.  He delivered our photos the following day so our friends and family could also enjoy them.  The Tamarind House was simply perfect.  Everyone commented on how beautiful it was and the food... Yum. The platters.. Rangi Henry and took.... All of it great...
 
We throughly enjoyed our stay at whitesands.  What a amazing location!.  We felt so blessed to have a private spot on the beach and everything we needed was provided.  John considered us staying on a couple of more days but 18 was ample. We loved Rarotonga, the people and how relaxing and wonderful it was for our whole family.
 
Please send me your address I would love to send you a photo.
 
Thank you so much Jennie.
 
Erinxx

Trip report! Thank you email from Erin and John who stayed at Whitesands Beach Villas and got married there (October 2008)... Family Wedding!

Here’s the full written report:

Mata and Kathy at Vaikoi were fantastic.  Everything we asked, they answered.  The bungalows were perfect… with a separate bedroom and lounge so that we could entertain easily, and wonderful modern bathroom and kitchen to make life easy.  Sitting on our large covered deck, surrounded by lush gardens, we really felt part of the real Rarotonga, as we made friends with the local dogs, roosters, cats and geckos. It was far better than staying at a resort, and a lot less costly.

Self catering was a breeze, with Wigmores only 2km down the road with all the essentials. We took a lot of meat, cereal, snacks and drinks with us.

However we did get out to some of the great restaurants around – namely Tamarind House (gorgeous setting and great food) and the Little Polynesian (stunning setting and wonderful food) – neither better than the other though Little Poly probably a bit more sophisticated.  Trader Jacks were great too, with an excellent Thai fish curry, so delicate and fresh.

Best spot for snorkelling would have to be out from the Rarotongan, nearly at the reef. Take some bread with you but don’t let the silver fish with the big teeth get you!

Highlight of the trip – cantering along the beach with Storm, courtesy of Aroa Stables Horseriding. Oh and watching hubby win the RRRR  for the second time in a row.

Thank you Jennie for arranging the excellent accommodation for us, it was just what we needed!

Derryn Brenan
October 2008

We're back after a wonderful week in Raro! Arapati Beach Bach was perfect for us...we loved it. Our house was the gathering place for the family. We had a pre-wedding and a post wedding party! It was a perfect place for entertaining with the fantastic deck spaces and the big bar-b-que. The weather was a real mixed bag...Friday (wedding day) and Saturday were perfect weather wise. The Crown Beach Resort was a beautiful venue for the wedding and everything went well....it was a lovely occasion. We were impressed with the Rarotonga Backpackers as well. The car was fun in the sun!!!

So the whole trip was a huge success on all counts and it was just great to be back in Raro...an annual visit would be nice!

Thank you so much for organising everything for us. It all went according to plan and our accomodation was perfect.


Liz, John and friends
September 2008

Jennie,

We had a WONDERFUL time.

The house was perfect. Stanton went diving (Pacific Divers), we went fishing, hiking, and ate lots of great food. We will be back!!!

I will certainly recommend Iro's and Experience Rarotonga.

Thanks so much for all of your help - you made our trip more relaxing by not having to worry about things.

Cindy (May 2008, Iro's Beach Villa)

Trip report! Thank you email from Ken and Carolyn Subritzky who stayed at Kathy's (May 2008)... Family Wedding!

Hi Jennie

Please accept our thanks and gratitude for making our first Rarotonga holiday an unforgettable experience.  From our initial contact with you, we appreciated the very personal “feel” of your service, a theme that carried through all of the other services you booked for us on Rarotonga.  We felt like we were part of an extended family rather than just clients receiving a service.  Kathy, whose stunning home we rented, welcomed us as long lost friends and was most helpful and considerate during our eight day stay.  The house (did I mention stunning already) and manicured tropical gardens set back in the hills, not only provided superb views of the reef and the Pacific Ocean, but was also an ocean of tranquility in itself.  It became my ritual to wake just before sunrise and enjoy the peace and serenity of the surrounds from the front deck as the sun lit up the sea. 

The Staff at Island Car and Bike Hire were just great – nothing was a problem, even when we couldn’t agree (as a family) the ratio of cars to scooters.  They were so patient and good humoured and always helpful as were every Rarotongan person we had the privilege to meet.  I am a new disciple of the Rarotongan lifestyle.

Rarotonga as a tourist destination is still relatively unspoiled, and therein is its attraction.  I hope that future tourism develops in the ownership of small privately owned business that retains the personal touch and keeps the experience alive!

Meitaki maata

Ken Subritzky

What a great family, another email this time from the bride and groom, Emerson and Missy Subritzky recently married in Rarotonga...

Hi Jennie, Just to let you know that were back in NZ and glad to say we absolutly loved Rarotonga and will definately be going back for more.  The weather was great for our entire trip, and even when there was the odd shower it was still lovely and warm.  Thank you so much for organising everything for us.  The accomodation at holiday house Are Paua was first class and we couldn't beleive our eyes when our house was right on Muri beach overlooking the beautiful lagoon with the stunning Motu right in front.  This was again very special to us because we were married there and to sit there and gaze at this lovely little isle as the sun was going down was the icing on the cake.  Thank you for organising the wedding side of things for us to.  Everything was just perfect and stress free, from the ceremony at Koromiri isle to the reception at sails restaurant, absolutly unbelievable how things in Rarotonga just seem to be stress free.  Once again thank you very much and we will definately be using you again to organise our next trip probably to Aitutaki next year.  Cheers Jennie.  Emerson and Missy Subritzky.

 Trip report! Thank you email from John and Diane Clemens stayed in Rarotonga at Iro's Beach Villa (March/April 2008)... 

Hi Jennie
I just wanted to let you know we had a wonderful time and Iro's is the perfect place and perfect location, for us it couldn't have been  any better.
Many thanks for your help, the only complaint I think we all had- was  that it wasn't long enough.
Many thanks again.

Kind regards

John & Diane Clemens

Trip report! Thank you email from Jay and Rose Rowland & Anita and Hart Molthagen stayed in Rarotonga at Muri Beach Hideaway (February 2008)...We are back from our great trip to Rarotonga.  Your recommendation of Muri Beach Hideaway was super.  The Molthagens really thought it was perfect as well.

We got along well with Pauline as well as she is a real sweetheart.  We took her out to the Sails Restaurant for our last night.  Here is a picture of us as we got back.

At the end of our Cook Island stay we discussed where we would have preferred to have stayed after seeing the whole island and we concluded we couldn't have done better than being at Pauline's Muri Beach Hideaway.

Thanks again for helping us book our trip.

Jay and Rose Rowland

Trip report! Thank you email from Sandra & Stu McEwen stayed in Rarotonga at Aquarius for one night, Sea Change Villas in Raro and Etu Moana in Aitutaki (November 2007)...

Just loved Sea Change Villas and had such a fantastic time in Rarotonga.  Thanks so much for all your excellent advice, as it was just spot on!  We have got everything sussed now so it will be a breeze next time we go.  Absolutely loved Aitutaki - what a fantastic, layed back place to visit.  Etu Moana is an amazing place to stay, with top class accommodation and an excellent friendly service too!  We are most definitely going to go back there.

So thanks again Jennie for all your help - you were fantastic!  We will definitely be in touch next time we plan to go to Rarotonga.

Many thanks

Kind regards

Sandra & Stu McEwen

Trip report! Thank you email from Susan, Mehau and Family stayed in Rarotonga at Nikao Villa and in Aitutaki at Aretai Villas (September 2007)...have not edited this at all...it is a wonderful account of their holiday and catching up with family there

I absolutely stumbled upon Experience Rarotonga by pure fate, this lovely lady Jennie Wilson contacted me after I had sent out many emails to many places in search of the right accomodation for my Tane, who is of Cook Island descendant and our 3 beautiful children and myself, who  am also of Cook Island decendant.
It was my first trip home to my motherland along with my Tane and our children, so I wanted everything to be perfect. With Jennies help it truely was devine.
We hopped on the plane from Auckland NZ it was overcast, grey cold and was raining, we landed in Rarotonga at 2 pm stepped off the plane to feel the tropical warmth of Rarotonga on our shoulders and sighed a sigh of relief.
We were welcomed to sounds of the ukelele  in the airport terminal and greeted by smiling faces saying welcome home.
Jennie had organised the most beautiful house for us to stay in for 7 days, Nikao Villa. I would rate it equivalent to a 5 star hotel, she also arranged our transfers and a vehicle for our stay on Rarotonga,which was parked at the airport waiting for us.
We were greeted by the wonderful friendly Albie Payne our host  whilst at Nikao Villa, he showed us to the Villa with pleasure and showed me through the house,introduced me to Julie the maid who had her own wing off the Villa, she was wonderful you would never have know she was there.I was honestly blown away, this house was magnificant, now we have stayed in some pretty classy places but this Villa was amazing, it had polished wooden floors, fans in every room, which were very useful on the days it reached an easy 30 degrees, we had our own private pool which we were in every other chance we could get,a family room, Lounge, breakfast table,step down dinning room, open plan kitchen, a spa bath, a private outdoor shower which was so cool, there is nothing like having a shower and being showered by the tropical sun's rays of Rarotonga.
We spent the next week roaming around the island in our Subaru Station Wagon, which I mentioned was organised by Jennie, and soaking in the culture and getting back to out roots.
We drove inland and found a house where the guy made Ukelele's which we picked one up for a very tidy price.
We have family in Rarotonga, so we were asked why were we not staying with our family?
 Out of respect for our family, that we love dearly, we decided that we would not burden them with having to accomodate the whole 5 of us.We still spent time with them, but were able to do our thing as well.It worked out well for us as they all worked.
We had the most excellent $10 steak meal at a little place in Avarua called the Nu Bar, truely a meal well worth it, we also grabbed burgers from FBI takeaways if you want a mean burger this is the place to go, it will cost you but its worth it, they have real fish burgers here...YUM
We had lunch at Trader Jacks, very stylish  place, excellent meal also, the service to was excellent, I had to tip the waitress here our glasses were never empty, she was outstanding.
Saturday nite is $16.95 buffet at the only Curry Resturant on the Island  Raviz, we dined outside underneath the Tepani tree with the stars looking so close you felt you could reach out and touch them, it was magic.
We had to try their equivelant to KFC called Magic Chicken, it was ok, I still prefer the 11 secret herbs and spices ;)
So as you can see there is no shortage of restaurants in Rarotonga and they are of a very high standard.
I found shopping excellent,well lets just say my credit cards got a great workout :)
You know we were told that things in Raro are expensive, but we found that most things were actually reasonable,if not cheaper, but I fell in love with CICI shopping center it has a chemist,gift shop, clothes store, surf shop,sports outlet and furniture shop.
After our 7 days in Rarotonga we caught the last plane to Aitutaki, it was a real hot day Raro was 28 degrees Aitutaki was 30 degrees, as we got off the plane you could feel how hot it was, it was beautiful, welcomed in by the musician playing his ukelele, we were transfered by large bus. Jennie had arranged for us to stay in Aretai Villas in Amuri.
When we arrived we were greeted by a Mama a lovely soul who looked after the  Villas for her children, she showed us to our Villa which I will have to say was lovely, and stayed with us for a while.
Later we walked down to the beach,just 30 metres or less and jumped on kayak and went for a paddle, the kids were amazed at all the different coloured fish and how clear the water was.
Next day we went on a cruise on the Titi- Ai-Tonga, I recommend this cruise to all over the others.We left at 10am blue skys blue water what more could you ask for.We went out to were they filmed Survivor Cook Islands, we stopped there and all who wanted to do some snokelling did so.There were fish in abundance, our kids saw every fish that was on Finding Nemo,except the sharks, how cool is that? While we were doing that the crew were preparing lunch which was a tastey Island buffet, I am not much of a fish person, but I found a new love for broadbill  or swordfish it melts in your mouth,and I have to say, I never liked mango's, that was until I tasted one from Aitutaki, this was on the menu along with other yummy side dishes.After lunch we went to One Foot Island for more snorkeling or just to roam the island and where you can get your passport stamped at One Foot Island Post Office .....Buggar... I did not take our passports, Note to all going take your passports.It was low tide so you could walk to the other islands, the water was so warm and cystal clear, by now we were showing a pretty nice tan, so that's me I'm happy, you can not afford to stay in the sun to long in NZ as it is a nasty burn, so different to the Island sun...go figure??
After One Foot Island we turned around to head home,on the way back the guide organised hermit races which was hilarious, everyone on the boat was in fits of laughter.We ended our day on this excellent boat listening to the captain and his crew playing their sweet island sounds on their drum and ukelele's.
We headed back to Aretai Villas just after 3pm,the kids headed straight to the beach with us in tow, what a wonderful day we had today I thought and look at all the experiences our kids have had just in one day on this little Island.
The next day was spent visiting family and watching the Nuku ( Celebration of Christianity being in the Cook Islands)
The Whole Island stopped for this, it was a hot 32 degrees , but I was loving it.
Young & Old were present representing their village, it was certainly fun, after that we went back to our Villa to swim some more,and got ready for dinner, it was our last nite on this magnificant Island so we wanted to treat the kids and give them a night to remember, that they could talk about to each other when they are older.
And you know what it was a night that they wont forget ever, we took them to The Pacific Resort, they had Island night there and so has it My Tane's cousin was dancing in the dance group that was preforming.
When you walk in the entrance it is like walking into a tropical garden,with fish ponds and is tastefully deocorated or should I say Manea - Beautiful, dinner was served by the pool it was buffet,an assortment of meats, chicken and Broadbill, and a large choice of salads.... it was a mean feed!!....an excellent meal!!
An not to mention the celebrity that was there that our kids got to meet, which is why they will be talking about it for a very long time, the show was excellent and the string band, brought tears to our eyes they were in a league of their own.
Pacific Resort was paradise, you have to see it to believe it.
We headed home and I have to say that I must warn others of the land crabs YUCK!!  They are like possums to New Zealand, they were all over the roads.Apparently they head down to the beach to spawn at night and then make their way back to their homes inland, I tell you there not little, we saw some during the day and they honestly looked like coconuts on the lawn... until they got up and moved, had us all screaming and running in all directions.
We said our goodbyes to family and headed back to Raro for one last nite, Jennie had organised for us to stay at Lagoon Lodges for one night and also arranged the same vehicle which was parked at the airport waiting for us again.
We arrived at the Lagoon Lodges to find that the unit that had been booked was not available, so decided we would not stay there as the accomodation they offered us was unsuitable, so we headed back to Nikao to find Albie to see if the house was available or one of his beach bungalows, turns out the house was available so he let us stay here for our last night which worked out fine for us.
We spent our last day at Muri Beach, which can be hard to find if you dont know where to go, but if you head for Muri Appartments you will find it. We hired a couple of Kayaks and the traditional outrigger from the friendly retired Kiwi bloke that is there, and went out to the Motu for a paddle, just fluffing around in the water most of the morning with the kids.
We arrived at the airport just in time to beat all the other tourist to check in, even though their duty free shops are very few in numbers they beat NZ's hands down.
We boarded the plane reluctantly, with a lump in our throat and a tear in our eyes, with the Ukelele playing to us as we walked across the tarmat, to head back to New Zealand.
We will return home to the Cook Islands soon...
 
To you Jennie
Much love to you for all your help and hard work,
We reap what we sow,
I believe you are about to reap your rewards :)
 
With much love
Susan, Mehau and Family.

Trip report and a great one too! Thank you email from Andrea, Andrea and family stayed in Rarotonga at Andys in Tikioki in (August 2007) 

Hi Jennie,
 
Just wanted to let you know we are back and am thrilled to report we had an amazing time in Rarotonga! Barbara met us at the airport and was very gracious given the hour. The house was just perfect for us and our brood, I was able to relax and let the kids go, the beach down the end of the road is perfect, awesome for the kids with little sandy bits but also great for snorkelling. We got hold of a paddling pool which we have left at the house for others with kids to use, we found that ideal for when weren't at the beach and also great for bathing them.
The hire vehicle was at the air port and Tamsyn had the seats in it for me, The wedding was at the Crown Resort and was fabulous, we went back the next day as it has a great beach for that side of the island.
We loved Muri and can see it is the new Kuta! We ate heaps of paw paw, taro, arrowroot and raw fish, we also discovered Poke in all it's various forms and went on daily missions to find it, mostly in vain as they only seem to make it once a week. but we found the raw fish in coconut cream in supply on the last day at Raro fried chicken of all places! We did the Captain Tamas glass bottom boat trip and had a great day they were really friendly and looked after us, they did a deal with me so we were pretty stoked. Went to the Flame tree for dinner and it didn't really live up to expectation, but Tamarind house was lovely. We got lovely weather, most days were overcast to start with but that was so fine as it always ended up warm and sunny at some point.We circumnavigated the island most days and always saw something new.Hired kayacks and did a bit of snorkelling, I was fascinated by the motus but didn't get to explore them as much as I would have liked as my oldest daughter Amber seemed to have sweeter blood than I and was devoured by some invisible blood sucker as was Julian.
Arrived home to zero degrees and had to fight the urge to wear my jandals this morning ( we have central heating so  a quick look out the window brought sanity back to the foot wear decision and ugg boots it is!) Anyhow, thankyou so much for organising everything for us your advice was invaluable and we think you offer a great service.  
 
Cheers
 
Julian, Andrea, Amber, Imogen, William, Henry and Ianthe Twiss 
 

Thank you email from Emma, stayed in Rarotonga at Koka Cabana  in (August 2007) 

Hi Jennie,
 
We got back from Raro on Sunday and I just wanted to write a quick note to say thanks. We had a fantastic time. The accommodation at Koka Cabana was lovely and Muri was beautiful. The snorkelling was excellent just opposite the house, so we didn't have to venture very far if we didn't feel like it.
 
So, thanks for all your help and advice,
Em

Thank you email from Sandra and Stu, they will stay on both Rarotonga and Aitutaki  in (November 2007) 

Dear Jennie,

Thank you email from Jim and Liz, they stayed at Sunset Palms and Tarani Beach Bungalow (September 2006) 

Kia Orana Jenni, arrived back tired but safe. Have been flat out since. Thankyou very much from Liz & I for looking after us so well – we have been telling everyone that they must go to the Cook Islands & must book through you to get the right place !!! Take care & let us know when your coming to visit.

PS: Jen, I’ve attached a photo of you & Liz outside the “Cafe”.

cheers Jim  

Thank you email from Natalie and Greg (May 2006) 

Our experience in Rarotonga was just fantastic, thanks to Jenny and her awesome advice and guidance for our trip. She directed us to all the right places to stay and eat (very important) and on our first day gave us a great tour of the island so we could get our bearings!  Anything we needed to know Jenny had the answer - she knows Rarotonga far better than your average travel agent. You can't beat getting advice from someone who actually lives there. The most invaluable thing about Jenny is her open and friendly attitude and that is so genuine. She not out to send you to the most expensive place, she listens and fits into your budget and you just know she has found you the best place for you because she genuinely cares that you have an awesome stay. I highly recommend her and would go as far to say you are mad if you dont book your Rarotonga experience with Jen.  Thank you for our fabulous trip!  We are definately coming back.

They are too, in December...Nat and Greg have their friendly faces on our home page.

Trip report from Jonathan, Karen, Sean and little Sam...they stayed at Pacific Resort Rarotonga, Pacific Resort Aitutaki and The Rarotongan (July 2006)

(we have some photos, to be published soon)

We had a fantastic time in Raro, really enjoyed it, couldn't believe just how quiet it was, no people, fantastic.  Thank you for everything you did.

I thought that I would give you a brief run down on our experiences and travels so that you can add it to your database of things to know, if you want, otherwise you can just read our story!  We were met when we arrived by the VIP meeter and greeter/chauffeur - an excellent guide and should really get a raise.  Arrived at Muri and were given the guided night tour of the resort, followed by a lovely glass of bubbles - thank you so much.

The next morning we dined on the beach and the boys got taken for a ride in the glass bottom boat with the other resort kids, a good hour of driving around the lagoon - great for them and us.  We then went and picked up our car from just down the road.  A drive around the island found us in Avarua for some supplies, including reef shoes that we completely forgot about and left at home!  With new drivers licence issued we continued around the island back to the resort, and the beach.  We ended up spending a good 2 hours kayaking around one of the little islands in the lagoon - beautiful.

Dinner that night was at the Fishing Club (The Flying Boat) - great food, awesome spot, but chilly - had to put the roof of the convertible up!!  The next day we went out to Aitutaki - no problems there and we were met upon arrival and whisked off to paradise.  What a great place, ok so we liked it - what can we say.  Those beach front bungalows are awesome - and yes, I did try the outdoor shower - the one behind the bathroom, not the one down at the beach - but no one else was keen to join me!!  Went for a swim / snorkel / kayak, then retired to the pool for early afternoon cocktails and food for the boys.  Due to the tired nature of the littlest sproglet we decided to eat in the restaurant.  Yes, very expensive, and the food good, but probably not quite that good.  View however, outstanding.

The next day we had another early'ish start, after a yummy breakfast, for the lagoon cruise - remaining clear at all times of the RED ZONE!  The yanks and their TV shows  Was a good day, excellent snorkelling, clams, colourful coral, and a heap of sea life.  The whole day was probably a bit long for little kids but did bloody well considering.  We left the wharf on the floral bus, and were taken straight to the airport where our luggage had been previously delivered - very efficient.  Note to Jen - if at Aitutaki International Airport at dusk - wear protective suit, mosquitoes large and ferocious!!  Of course the worlds best Mum had packed insect repellent so we drowned ourselves in that and it probably kept a few of the less persistent mozzies away.

Back to Raro - into the convertible and off like a fast thing, well slow actually, to the Rarotongan.  Interesting to say the least.  Perhaps we had just been too spoilt by the previous nights accommodation  Given what we were paying, anything more would be expensive in my view.  We foolishly ordered a couple of burgers for the boys, and they arrived, after an exchange of gold bullion, with the patties basically totally uncooked.  Big day, big sleep.  The next morning we went down to breakfast as it was included - a mistake as it turned out.  And we found where all the people were!  Anyway, food barely average, and the near dead eel lying on its back in the pond as you enter the restaurant did nothing for our appetite.  Why we didn't just head straight for The Cafe is still a mystery!!  But we did eventually get there, after much haggling about the fact that I was not going to pay for inedible room service.

We then sauntered off around the west coast stopping at galleries as we found them, in our search for some artwork to take back with us. Then to The Cafe, had a couple of yummy coffees while Blair sorted the previous night out with the Big Breakfast!!  Off to the airport we went, checked in, and then spent the next hour on the beach opposite the airport sunning ourselves and trying not to think what the temperature in Auckland / Hamilton might be - just brilliant.

T

Dear Jennie, we had a lovely trip.  All of your arrangements worked out perfectly.  Loretta and Chris were very accommodating and when Kim needed certain kitchen utensils to do her Vietnamese cooking were happy to lend those to her from their own kitchen.  The accommodation itself was very nice - spotlessly clean, fully equipped, roomy and a very convenient location.  While the weather was windy this did have the benefit of keeping the temperature and humidity down, and we still snorkelling almost every day, mainly at Fruits of Raro, cycled around the island, and Cyrus and I walked across the island (the trail was not well marked from the waterfall entrance and we were most surprised after about 4hrs to find ourselves back where we started rather than on the other side of the island where the girls were waiting - but went back and did the rest of the route a couple of days later).  We ate as much fish as we could fit in - the joys of having our own kitchen - cooked, raw and marinated.  Many thanks for all of your organization.  It was simply wonderful.  Kindest regards Peter and Kim

Peter, Kim and friends stayed at Koka Cabana in Muri, June 2008