Dan Ahwa stays at Sea Change Villas, in Raratonga’s Ara Tapu, Takitumu District in the Cook Islands
Location: In the south of Rarotonga in the quiet Takitimu district in the village of Titikaveka, known for turquoise lagoons and white-sand beaches. An easy 15km from the airport.
Style: Self-contained villas all with their own private swimming pools. Choose between 1-2 bedroom villas located in a lush garden setting, or 1-2 bedroom villas located beachfront. We check into a tidy, selfcontained beachfront villa with one kingsize bed, kitchenette and a private fresh-water pool.
Perfect for: Couples wanting to do their own thing away from resort life, solo travellers, groups of friends.
First impressions: We arrive on a Friday evening, and we are picked up by a transfer service. Even at 100 per cent occupancy, the surrounding villas are quiet and low-key. We enter via the back of the villa and first see our private pool, and then into our villa where we find bottles of water in keepsake aluminium bottles, and a large charcuterie platter — the perfect light snack after our journey. The villa is tastefully decorated with fresh flowers. Reception is open during the day for a limited time, so arriving after hours means any concerns and questions need to be raised the next morning — none of which we had. Clean, spacious, well-lit. You’ll need to keep the screen doors closed especially at night as there were a lot of tiny midges flying around the deck.
Rooms: The bed is a firm kingsize four-poster bed with fresh sheets. It’s an open-plan villa so the bedroom is facing the living room area which is adjacent to the open kitchenette. The only rooms that are private are the walkthrough closet that takes you to an ample-sized bathroom with shower. Possibly for ventilation purposes, but the bathroom ceiling doesn’t go all the way up so while not entirely private in terms of noise, the open plan design isn’t compromised. The real winner is the beachfront view which you can see from the bed at all hours, or from your private patio on a lounger. Like the majority of this side of Rarotonga, it’s super quiet, although you may hear the odd rooster in the distance for your morning wake-up call. Otherwise, the sound of crashing waves is pretty much the only “noise” we noticed — and passing scooters on the main road.
Bathroom: The bathroom has a double sink feature, perfect for couples and comes with Cook Islandsmade local skincare brand Rito products, including shower gel, moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner (these are also available to purchase from reception). There are plenty of spare towels and additional amenities that you can request with housekeeping, and fluffy white robes.
Food and drink: Self-contained means the essentials are available but you’ll need to head to the local supermarket (Wigmores store, open 6am10pm) or to Avarua, the main town centre, for supplies. There is a Nespresso coffee maker, a kettle and a selection of tea and plunger coffee on hand, along with fresh Kibble rye bread, butter and jam, packets of cereal, butter and eggs should you wish to have breakfast on the patio. We hopped on a couple of the bikes available by reception and rode to Charlie’s Cafe and Little Polynesian for lunch and dinner (call early to
make a reservation for Little Polynesian). There’s also a great cafe nearby at the Maire Nui Gardens and Cafe — 5 minutes up the road. Great for a cool down in the lush gardens followed by morning tea or lunch.
Facilities: We had a Wi-fi voucher but the connection is not amazing, so if you really need to unplug then make the most of it. Next to our villa, we helped ourselves to reef shoes, kayaks, paddle boards and snorkel equipment — this is the only workout gear you need. Parking is ample for rentals outside each villa. There’s also a TV, which took more time than necessary to figure out, so just ignore it’s even there. There’s a safe in the closet for valuables. If you’re with a group of friends and family, there’s a barbecue located nearby that can be used by guests. A handy floating room called the Tiare room is available should guests require an early check-in or late check-out. If you’re in the mood for love, i.e proposing on the beach at sunset, the reception team are at your service to ensure you have the best experience possible.
In the neighbourhood: If you need an ATM — as you may need cash for many of the markets — then Wigmores Store, the closest supermarket to the villas, is your safest bet. Make sure you have cash if you want to visit the brilliant Punanga Nui Markets on a Saturday morning. About a short 10-minute drive from the villas, make sure you book in for the Charlotte Piho private turtle and ray tour, an ecofriendly and intimate turtle tour that is a highlight in the area. If you do want to stay nearby and give the rental a rest, riding on the villa bikes and exploring the local neighbourhood is highly recommended. There are a few old churches nearby that are worth noting, and you can’t look past the beauty of Maire Nui Gardens and Cafe up the road.
Family-friendly: Sea Change is an ideal, independent self-catering hot spot for adults, groups of friends and families with older children, so not a recommended location for families with kids. The villas do not cater for children under 16 years of age — except in its Lagoon View Executive Villas, but only for kids 12 years and up.
Accessibility: There is a ramp available for the villa we stayed in, however, the beach access is via stairs.
Sustainability: Cleaning is available but encouraged only if required, and if you’re spending so much time outdoors, you want it to feel like you’re at your own private bach anyway, so we had cleaners in only when necessary.
Contact: seachangevillas.com / Instagram: @seachangevillas