I think we made a great choice with Muri Beach Cottages – three small cottages each with their own view to Muri Lagoon, private but close to facilities and shops at Muri
- a smaller one on the water – you need to be able bodied to cope with a ladder to bed, but the view is amazing – nothing between you and the lagoon.
- another more spacious one with a lovely deck looking out to the lagoon through a few trees
- The third choice is the lovely garden unit
This is more a home away from home rather than a resort, relaxed and without pressure. There is no TV – each room has an excellent eclectic bookshelf.
Your host is Gwen who is was born in the USA and washed up here in the 60s where she raised her children and became a local. A hippie before hippies were in vogue, her search for paradise ended here. She is warm and friendly and ready with bits of advice about where to eat or snorkel.

The view from our deck
Three cats and a dog are also part of the welcoming team, and are more than happy to become part of your cabin life (or not).
All cottages are simple, lovely, self catering, not serviced and with basic kitchens and your own bathroom. A water filter has been installed in each cottage as an effort to save the island from plastic bottles. Along the road we saw a filtered water refill station, so there must be quite a movement around this issue.
-
Frangipani growing at the door
There is a lot of snorkelling gear under the house if you have not brought your own.
- Swimming out front no matter what the tide – we snorkelled over to the island and back in about an hour – flippers recommended for that. There are more fish around the islands.
- Warning – it can be windy at this end of the island, but it is beautiful, and we are glad we came here, and would come again 🙂
- Muri Night market is great for cheap and cheerful eating
- Paid Wifi via Bluesky – $15 for 7 days, though we whipped through all the allowance in a day.
May your biggest decision this holiday be beach, book, beverage or bed.
More on how to make the most of your Rarotonga stay
Getting around Rarotonga
The roads are flat – less than an hour to circle the island by motorised vehicle. Narrow roads, with not a lot of passing opportunities, but no one seems in a hurry, and they take care around bikes and scooters. Hire a Scooter If you do not have a bike endorsement on your licence, you […]
More...Saturday in Rarotonga
There are two main centres on the island – Avarua, near the Airport and Muri Lagoon on the other side of the island. The latter is the special snorkelling spot and on the recommendation of friends, it was where we were to be based – it was a good decision. We arrived on Friday night […]
More...Ten things not to miss in Rarotonga
We have just had a wonderful week in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. We loved the snorkelling, the warm weather, the direct flight from Christchurch and Auckland. the hospitality, the food and cycling everywhere. Everyone will tell you about the Saturday morning market which is a must visit. A great video of it here But there […]
More...
Leave a Reply