Reviews of Arapati Holiday Homes 2 stars

Good location, the snorkeling spot is better than many others on the island, its even better than on the beaches of Aitutaki. Enjoy the view and the snorkeling! Supermarket is also pretty close. Didn’t find the roasters annoying, they are simply part of life and are on most islands all around. Value for price is good.

It was not very clean, the sheets, the curtains, the walls... We booked many different appartements in Cook Islands and French Polynesia by now and the standard is a better one. This need to improved in our opinion. We have had also some cockroaches, but that may occur in other more expensive appartments as well. The street is obviously close, but this is something you just need to get used to.

The spaciousness of the house and the closeness to the water

The two bedrooms closest to the road were noisy but that can’t be helped

It is just in front of a nice beach. Suitable for snorkelling and kayaking. Very spacious and has everything. Nice view while drinking something. Fully recommended. We will stay again.

Sometimes a little bit of noise from cars and dogs. Bed too soft

Right on a beautiful beach! Indoor - outdoor flow Overall cleanliness plus a VERY comfy bed!

A comfortable couch in lounge would be a nice addition to this large (but relatively empty) room.

Pleasant and clean accommodation

There appeared to be an issue with the washing machine...? plug point connection issue

Nice and close to beach. A wee store across the road for any emergencies.

Superb location, right on one of the best swimming/snorkelling beaches in Rarotonga, so you just walk down the stairs from the balcony and straight into the water. The balcony was large with separate sitting and dining areas and wonderful views out over the lagoon to the reef.

The property had an unusual layout with two bedrooms and a kitchen, none of which were interconnected. So, you had three separate keys, one for each separate part.

Location of Arapati is brilliant. Just a short walk from Avaavaroa Passage where you can swim with turtles. Bus stops right outside home. Restaurants and convenience store a short walk away.

Outside eg. deck and sunbathing area is pretty tired, could do with a bit of love. For the price though pretty good!

Beautiful place right on the beach. Had everything we needed. Recommend for sure 10 out of 10!

Located right on the beach. Perfect for a couple and had everything we needed. Short walk to the shop.

The bedroom was close to the road so you got traffic noise but this wouldn’t stop us from stayed by here again.

No hot water for 3/7 nights due to broken heater, safe deposit box didn’t work and was not repaired or replaced as promised. Several glass panels slipping from opening windows. Biggest issue was that the 2nd bedroom was not actually internal part of the house and was not advertised as this, so we could not leave the children there unattended overnight. Poor condition due to little maintenance or improvements such as really rough concrete sun area crying out for a pressure wash and paint. The kayak sank twice due to leaking fittings and fastenings. Old, tired and in desperate need of investment to be able to charge $400pn compared to the competition. Location was the only benefit but desperately needs some tidying up.

Excellent location for all the popular activities including the mud buggies and swimming with sea turtles, which were both in walking distance. Wigmores food store nearby. The beach/water quality by the property was excellent, better swimming than by Rarotongan. The kayak was a bonus! The hosts were excellent and really responsive. I would definitely stay there again. One thing to note if you have smaller children, the second bedroom is accessed outdoors and down the stairs.

We stayed in the 4/5 bedded Henry Arapati House and loved it. The location was fantastic for our family of 5 which included 3 teenagers. The house is huge with 2 bathrooms and was clean, but has an easy "lived in" feel, which makes you relax when you are on holiday. The little shop opposite sold seasonal fruit and emergency essentials, and the Wigmore Superstore is a 10 min walk and the CITC store a 5 min drive. The beach outside the front deck is stunning, and the ability to snorkel from outside the front of the house is priceless. The outside shower and foot-hose was a huge bonus, as were the sheltered outside couches that you can curl up on and read, sketch, drink and admire the view. BBQ was great, and having inside and outside dining tables were great options if the wind was gusty at the front. The turtle tours leave from only 5 mins walk away along the beach, and in our opinion the snorkelling from outside the front of the house was the best on the island with better fish and coral than the west coast. The property felt really private with hardly any people walking past on the beach, and we hardly saw and didn't hear the neighbours either side. The 2 kayaks were a great way to explore the stunning reef too, The water cooler and heaps of ice trays in the huge fridge/freezer were great additions. Small things like having Sistema click-clack boxes for food storage away from ants, and a cupboard with essential condiments and foil / clingwrap were nice touches -like you'd find in a NZ Holiday home. Lots of plates, glasses and wine glasses made home catering easy, and there was even Netflix available on the TV which made for a family movie night on the huge comfy couches. The washing machine and 5 clothes lines in the car port which had the afternoon sun, made it easy to dry washing / beach towels too.

The only downside (and it didn't ruin our holiday) was that the 4th bedroom was a windowless box room that only had ventilation onto the lounge with no curtains. We over came this by moving a bed into one of the double rooms which made a king and single in that room which 2 of the teenage kids then shared which wasn't a hassle. The 3 usable bedrooms are all big (the master bedroom is massive) - I think there is another bedroom off the deck that bigger groups can add onto this house to make a additional double but we didn't need it for our booking. There isn't anything else negative, it is an easy going Rarotongan holiday home that we thought was fantastic and we would love to stay there again.

Beautiful location right by the beach overlooking the lagoon. Outside area was great for coffees or nice dinners on the deck.

Snokling was great

Had to buy earplugs for traffic nose

Right on the waters edge with wonderful view, stairs to a swimmable beach, with a deck that provides both plenty of sun or covered area for shade and getting out of the rain and remain outdoors. Comfortable living area.

While the beachfront view and access was outstanding, the apartment was a mere 3-4 meters from the island's main road. The road condition in this region was poor, making sleep very difficult as every car, truck, bus, and motorcycle labored and rattled driving by. Bring your ear plugs and noise canceling headphones for sleeping and enjoy all the positive vibes on the property's beach-side. Locks on the apartment should be replaced.

great location, basic but clean & comfortable with everything you need. amazing view and snorkeling at your door.

bedroom is close to the road so not super quiet but still comfortable.. if weather turns stormy property obviously exposed to ocean so loose the sitting areas outside and inside is tight - not a big deal but a note..

You cannot fault this property. Fabulous.

The location is amazing, While buses stop pretty close you need to note they are hourly depending which way you go. We actually hired e-bikes and did a lap around the island which was great. The upstairs of this place is lovely and relaxing with great views. Snorkeling was amazing and people even saw turtles right out the front on our beach. The turtle tours are a few sites down so easy to get to if you are into that. Wigmore superstore great for getting the few things you need. The fresh tuna out the back is pretty reasonable in price.

What is there not to like. You are in Raro! Just expect that things are a little older than you might expect and that is ok. This place has a bit of a rustic bach feel to it.

Perfect location right on the beach with good snorkeling at high tide. Very spacious with great deck area overlooking the lagoon.

The place could do with some renovations like repair the rotting window sill and separation wall on the deck. And some new painting.

The space of the home was perfect! The beach was RIGHT THERE! It was a beautiful place to stay with a big group.

Nothing we didn't like. We will book again