Sea Change Villas

Sea Change Villas On our trip to Rarotonga last week, we stayed four nights at Sea Change Villas, in Titikaveka on the south side, halfway around the island from the main town of Avarua. The resort is virtually adults-only and accommodates guests over 16, except for one Executive Villa that can take children of at least 12 years old. This is the first time we have stayed at Sea Change, although we have passed by the villas many times over the twelve years we have been visiting the Cook Islands and wondered what they were like. We booked a one-bedroom Beachfront Villa with a private pool and after seeing the pictures on the Sea Change Villas website we were excited to see what it was like inside. Stephanie met us at Reception and took us across the main road (Ara Tapu) that runs through the resort and unlocked the gate to our Villa. Wow! We walked onto the large front deck, with a plunge pool on the left, a small tropical garden set back on the right and a couple of sun lounges, chairs and tables as well. Straight ahead was the glass door to the kitchen and dining area. A well-appointed kitchenette on the right, with full-size fridge, two gas jets on the cooktop, a microwave oven, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, Nespresso machine, and enough crockery, glassware and cutlery for four. Pots, pans and a supply of utensils completed the stock. The fridge had milk, tropical juice, six eggs, a loaf of bread, butter and a bowl of various breakfast spreads, such as marmalade and jam. On the left was a dining table with six chairs. Further in was a large lounge area with two three-seat sofas, a coffee table and a reasonably sized smart TV. The far wall was completely glass, with a door leading out to the back deck. This deck had a round wooden table with four chairs, two more sun lounges and an outdoor shower. It was quite well concealed from the beach, and there was a rock track leading down to the sand. This was not considered safe for people of our age, as there was no handrail, and it was uneven. That was not too much of a problem, as we could go back out the Villa’s gate and walk along a deck past the resort’s kayaks and stand up paddle boards and then down nine or ten wooden steps to the beach. Back inside, the bedroom was past the kitchen area. This had a four-poster king bed, with a huge picture window facing the lagoon. It gave a picture-postcard look, and the glass was exquisitely clean, giving it the look of no glass at all. Between the bedroom and bathroom was a dressing closet, with a full-length mirror and an open wardrobe with shelves and a rail. The huge bathroom had a two basin vanity, a toilet and a large shower, with a large rain showerhead and a smaller hand held head. Various fancy toiletries were available for guests. There was an air-conditioning unit in the dining/lounge area, which only ran when the key tag was inserted in the power slot. However, there were also three ceiling fans – one each in the dining room,

A wonderful get-away in a spacious and comfy villa. Large rooms, great showers, comfy beds. Pool, hammock, bikes, paddle boards, kayaks and snorkel equipment available. Games room for rainy days. Views of the lagoon, where we saw whales!

Sea Change Villas exceeded our expectations in all respects. Luxurious and spacious accommodation, fully equipped and very well furnished. Great location, beautiful beach right there. Water sports equipment is provided (no charge) - we really enjoyed the snorkeling and kayaking, also just swimming in the sea and lying on the whitest beach sand. Bicycles are also provided, we enjoyed some cycling too. Our villa also had a table tennis table and a dart board, which we made good use of. The swimming pool was also great. Very nice complimentary food and snacks were also provided, not expected by us. Steph and the management team were very helpful and nice to deal with.

My brand new husband and I had a wonderful time at these beautiful villas. They were lovely, comfortable and clean. Judith and Bruce and their whole staff went above and beyond to insure our comfort and happiness during our stay. Raratonga is a beautiful place; full of friendly people and wonderful beaches and hikes.

On June 8th we arrived at Sea Change, from Florida, and "WOW" we were just amazed! Deb & Charlie have done an amazing job with Sea Change. We were VERY comfortable and well taken care of during our week stay. The villa had everything we needed. The decorating along with the colors put a smile on our faces. It was soothing. The snorkeling right off the beach at Sea Change was a sight to see. Deb took care of all our excursions and dinner reservations. It was nice having a car to cruise around and explore the island. We were also married on the Island. Everything was perfect...from massages in our villa, a special lunch set up for us at a restaurant after the wedding, to a private dinner in our villa with our own chef. Our wedding cake was scrumptious and we were worried about how we were going to travel to the next Island with it, but there was no need...we ate the cake in four days...LOL. We were VERY busy during our stay. We highly recommend all the excursions we went on: Scuba Diving (Pacific Divers), Private Game Fishing with Brandon, Island night at Highland Paradise, and Raro Mountain Safari Tours. We did the hike on our own to the Needle as well. Two of our favorite restaurants were the Tamarind House and Waterline Bar/Grill. Both of these have very scenic views. We have no complaints about any of the restaurants. The food was great everywhere we ate. All the recommendations came from Deb on where to eat. If you are a runner, as I am, I highly recommend going out for your runs. You will be running on the road. I was out at 7:00 AM every morning which made for less traffic. Just make sure you are running during daylight as the roads are not well lit at night. We can not say enough about Sea Change and Rarotonga. It is a hidden paradise untouched by Americans which made for an unforgettable trip! We hope to return one day :)

Recently I got married and took my wife to Rarotonga for our Honeymoon. We stayed at Sea-Change Villas in the double story Lagoon View Villa #8. From our very arrival at our villa at Sea-Change, to our departure, we received nothing less than exceptional service. Charlie and Deb (Owners/Managers), and their staff paid every little attention to detail. Charlie and Deb were amazing from the get-go, and helped us with everything they possibly could. They would effortlessly arrange all our meals and excursions out and about on Raro at the local restuarants and attractions, and would give us hints and tips along the way regarding what was worth seeing/doing and some insider info which helped us immeasurably. Our Villa was very spacious, clean, and fresh, and the styling was very modern, yet with a perfect touch of Island feel to it. We even had our very own fresh water swimming pool outside on our private backyard/deck, and it was fantastic! The villa is also very quiet, and we were never disturbed by others. Great for honeymooners!! It really is a home away from home, and the villa provides you with absolutely everything you would need and more. My wife cut herself on coral the one day and on arrival back at our villa, we even found a first aid kit to help us out in our cupboard. These are little details that really do help and also save you $20 at the local shops!! Deb and Charlie are amazing hosts and great to chat with. They have tons of local knowledge and know the true meaning of taking care of ones guests. My wife and I were blown away and we would go back in a flash. You may find them a little on the pricey side, but you definitely get what you pay for!! It was the best choice I made. All in all, a very pleasant experience and would encourage anyone wondering about staying at Sea-Change to do so. You wont regret it! Gregg and Shar (Honeymooners)