"Paradise on a budget" a Rarotonga Travel Page by nancyw

I spent a wonderful month on Rarotonga last year - and can't wait to go back. I wanted to spend a month someplace on the water, that was quiet and affordable. I found the perfect spot on Raro.

A bargain when exchanging USD for NZD, I rented a beautiful home on the south side of the island for less than $100 per night (USD).

Highlights were snorkling (the best snorkling on the island was 10 feet from my back door at Tia's on the Beach); deep sea fishing and an amazing night on One Foot Island - an uninhabited atoll near Aitutaki where you can arrange to rent a beach cottage and play castaway.

Don't miss the wonderful crafts and food at the Saturday market. And be sure to say hello to John, one of the friendly drivers on the round-the-island bus.

If you're interested in great food, start with a wonderful breakfast at Palm Grove - the food, service and ambiance are all terrific. For lunch - take a break from snorkling and enjoy the relaxed, outdoor ambiance and wonderful food (and drinks!) at Dine Inn, Take Away (also on the South side, just up the street from Palm Grove).

For dinner, splurge at one of the best places on the island, the Flametree, in Muri Beach. Wonderful food that could compete with some of the best restaurants in San Francisco, at bargain prices (relatively speaking). We enjoyed dinner for 3, including wine for less than $100 USD.

Enjoy Raro now. They're building more resorts and encouraging more tourism. The island has the beauty of French Polynesia without the prices or attitude.

Driving on Aitutaki, with my friends, the Smiths and some new friends from New Zealand (also, the Smiths), I commented that it was nice that everyone we saw waved at us. I said "Gee, just like back in the States!". Roger, the charmer from NZ replied, without hesitation "yeah, but here they use all their fingers!"

The other quote that had me spitting wine out my nose (and darn, it was good wine!) was in the guest book at the beach batch where we stayed on One Foot Island.

Most of the quotes were pretty sappy, about the joys of honeymooning in a tropical idyll (way to mushy for this old maid). The best line? "The dangers of nude snorkeling cannot be underestimated!"

Ouch!

I've got a list of stuff I want to do before I die. Nothing morbid about it, just don't want to get too busy that I forget what I really want to accomplish.

After just one night on One Foot Island, I crossed two items off my list, "spend the night on a deserted island" and "watch the stars, sitting next to a bonfire on the beach".

Both were as good as expected. I also got to drink a good bottle of wine and enjoy a lot of laughs with the friends I was with.

And, boy, did a hot shower when we got back to Rarotonga feel good!