SAFES
All Resort guestrooms and suites are installed with in-room safes for the safekeeping of your valuables. To operate please follow these simple instructions:
- Press the re-set button before entering your nominated 4-digit pin number.
- Chose a 4-digit pin number that you will remember easily.
- To record this number, enter the 4-digit pin you have chosen onto the safe’s keyboard and press ‘close’. The safe will then close and the number will disappear off the screen.
- To open the safe simply enter your pin number (from memory) and the safe will then automatically open.
Please note that if the wrong pin number is entered three times, the safe will go into a lockout procedure that will stop you entering the safe for approximately 30 minutes. If this occurs, please wait and try again in half an hour using the correct pin number. If you continue to experience further difficulties please contact Front Desk, dial “0” for assistance. Please ensure that your room safe is securely locked before leaving your room.
- To lock the safe, enter your 4-digit pin number and press ‘close’.
- Please remember upon vacating your room to empty the contents of the safe and leave the safe open. You may close the door, but please DO NOT enter your pin number as this will lock it and make it inaccessible for the next guests occupying the room.
Please note that the Front Desk has available a free Security Storage system as an alternative to your in-room safe, ensuring you 24 hour access. If you have any further queries please contact Front Desk, dial “0”. This service is free of charge.
SAILING
Enjoy a fun cruise on your tropical holiday on the trimaran “Hotel California” with your skippers Alberto and Gene. No experience is required for this fun sailing excursion, which includes snorkelling outside the reef, snacks and refreshments, and whale watching in season. Cruises depart daily at 1.30pm returning at 4.30pm. Adults cost NZ$75 and children NZ$35 (6-16yrs). For reservations call South Pacific Sailing Tours on 55 225, email: tonkovich2000@yahoo.com. Sunset and Overnight Cruises also available. Cruises depart from Avatiu Harbour opposite the CITC Liquor Store in Avarua.
For sailing inside the lagoon contact the Rarotonga Sailing Club, which meets every Saturday at Muri Beach. Call 27 349 for further information.
SCENIC FLIGHTS
Scenic flights are a great opportunity to see Rarotonga’s mountain trails and diving spots from the skies as well as a stunning view of the whole island and its majestic mountain peaks and verdant coastal plains. A 20 minute flight costs NZ$75 per adult and NZ$57 per child (11yrs and under). The minimum number of people required for the trip is 2, and the maximum allowed is 3. Flights operate daily between 9am and 2pm.
Bookings are essential and can be made through the Front Desk. Dial “0” for further information.
SECURITY
Rarotonga is one of the friendliest, safest places on Earth. However, crime exists even in Paradise, and you should be alert in particular to opportunistic petty thieving and take sensible steps to avoid becoming a target. The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa provides a 24-hour security guard service for our guests’ added peace of mind. To assist with the safekeeping of your valuables please take advantage of your free in-room safe, and ensure you drop off your guestroom key at the Front Desk when leaving the Resort. Please ensure your guest room is locked whenever you go out, and do not leave any valuables lying about in your room nor leave your personal belongings out on your verandah overnight. Also, do not leave your valuables in an unlocked vehicle, nor walk away from your bags at a shop, on the beach or at the Airport. Putting temptation in the way of even the most honest of people sorely tests them, and you would be wise to take these simple, standard precautions to ensure the security of your belongings. If you have any security concerns during your stay please call Front Desk and ask for the Duty Manager, dial “0”.
SMOKING
All Resort guestrooms and restaurants are NON-SMOKING. Please dispose of your cigarette butts thoughtfully (not on the Resort beach, gardens or walkways please).
SNORKELLING
A few steps from your beachfront room or suite at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa you can snorkel straight off the white sands of Aroa Beach in the underwater wonderland of the Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve, protected by the encircling, natural coral reef. Swim with rainbow-coloured angel, parrot, butterfly, squirrel, goat, rabbit, unicorn, box and Picasso fish and a variety of beautiful wrasses such as sunset and bird, all in chest-deep, clear warm waters. The snorkelling is so good here many of our guests have compared it to that of the Maldives or Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (check out the Resort Guest Books for some of their comments). If you’ve never done it before, you’ll be amazed at how incredibly easy and rewarding it is, especially so because Aroa Lagoon is both an important fish breeding area and a traditional marine reserve (a raui). And you can swim or snorkel at any tide in Aroa Lagoon (not so in most parts of the island). Our Activities Team will be delighted to provide you with snorkelling masks and flippers or reef shoes along with invaluable local knowledge to ensure you get the most out of your snorkelling adventure. Reef shoes are highly recommended and are available for 2 hours free hire from the the Activities Hut to all in-house guests. Snorkelling safaris, snorkelling lessons and fish feeding activities are part of The Rarotongan’s Daily Activities Programme, and for something quite special, talk to the Activities Team about our night snorkelling adventure, and see how different the reef life is after dark. Please dial 8061.
Night Snorkelling: Please note that night snorkelling is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
Travellers Tips! Bring or buy your own snorkelling gear and reef shoes as you then have the confidence of them fitting you perfectly. Do go snorkelling soon after you arrive – if you find yourself hooked (and many do) then you’ve still got plenty of time to do loads more. Invest in a disposable underwater camera, as that will add another dimension to your holiday snaps. It’s also worthwhile buying a waterproof Cook Islands Fish Identification Chart. The Treasure Chest gift shop and the Dive Shop in Avarua stock them, and you can then attach one to your wrist (using the rubber band threaded through the hole in the corner of the chart) and wear it as you’re snorkelling along, which means you then know what you’re looking at! And reading up about the life and types of fish and other marine life can make snorkelling even more fascinating – things like the different colourations of juvenile and adult fish of certain species, the fact that wrasses have independently moving eyes (a little like chameleons!), the fact that parrot fishes make themselves a cocoon to sleep in at night, the way that one eye of a Peacock flounder migrates to join the other one while it’s still a juvenile so that it can turn into a flatfish, the special coating which clown fish have to protect them from toxic anemones . . . ah, the mysteries of the deep! Talking of protection though, always remember to wear your reef shoes or flippers when heading out for a swim, snorkel or kayak to protect your feet from coral cuts and also from the possibility of accidentally stepping on a spiny sea urchin or stonefish. The stonefish has stinging spines along a ridge on its back but can be difficult to spot as it is well camouflaged for survival, either sitting on corals trying to look like a stone, or sitting slightly submerged on the sandy bottom of the lagoon. Locals who have been stung by a stonefish report that it’s very painful, so although stonefish are rare, it’s always wise to never swim, snorkel or kayak without sturdy protective footwear. Avoid walking or trampling through the water, it’s best to swim or float or to glide your feet along; should there be a stonefish around, it will then have warning to avoid you (which is what it’d rather do). Remember though, hundreds of visitors enjoy Rarotonga’s lagoons every day without any incident, and stonefish stingings are extremely rare – generally the victim is a local who is out fishing or catching octopus along the reef, and often not wearing any protective footwear. Please note that the Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve is a strict NO TOUCH ZONE, and fishing is strictly forbidden. The Golden Rule of the Raui is DO NOT TOUCH, disturb, remove or kill any marine life, which includes reef fish, octopus, clams, corals, shells, shellfish, urchins etc. Please also take special care not to knock or bump any living corals or giant clams with your flippers, which can be easy to do accidentally. Please DO NOT STAND ON THE CORALS when out in the lagoon. Corals are beautiful and delicate living animals which take decades to grow, and one loose or heavy foot can destroy many years of growth. If you’re snorkelling or swimming in the lagoon you may feel a slight nip on your calf or thigh. That is likely to be caused by the harmless Picasso trigger fish which is trying to keep you away from its territory. This usually occurs during breeding times (not seasonal) and will not cause any harm other than a tiny nip. The best thing to do is to swim away to another fascinating part of the lagoon! These handy hints will ensure you get the most out of your exciting snorkelling adventure, and that the marine environment is also there for everyone to enjoy in the future. Happy snorkelling!
P.S. Make sure you don’t miss out on the Fish Feeding right beside the water’s edge next to The Rarotongan’s TE VAKA Deck. Make a date with the lagoon’s residents at 1.30pm any day Monday to Friday – you can bet they’ll be there! You can even hand-feed the fish down at the water’s edge – an unforgettable experience!
SPA BATHS
Spa Baths are located in all Deluxe Beachside Suites, Deluxe Beachfront Suites, Grand Beachfront Suites, Two Bedroom Beachfront Suites, and there is also a beautiful open-air spa in the Honeymoon Bungalow. These are simple to operate but MUST BE FILLED WITH WATER before the jets are turned on. Please ensure that the jets are covered with water prior to turning on the pump so your spa bath can operate correctly. For further assistance please dial “0”.
SPAPOLYNESIA
SpaPolynesia is located in Suites 500 and 600 of The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa and is open Monday to Saturday 9am-7pm and Sunday 10am-4pm. For an appointment please telephone extension 500 or 600. SpaPolynesia proudly uses the finest products from the house of Biodroga in Germany. Based since 1959 in the world-renowned thermal spa resort of Baden Baden in the Black Forest, Biodroga has continually been developing treatments which balance the best of modern science with the best that nature has to offer, to bring to you a beauty care system of outstanding bioactive quality and effectiveness for your skin and body. We are also able to offer you the beautiful and luxurious Pure Fiji range specially developed in the islands using our tropical plants to truly immerse you in Paradise. A selected range of Biodroga and Pure Fiji products for face and body are also available for purchase at SpaPolynesia.
SpaPolynesia is copyright to The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa.
SALON VIVO
Treat yourself to a great hairstyle at Salon VIVO. The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa is proud to present our Resort Hair & Make-up Stylist, who is expert at making you look your best for a special dinner out, for a Portrait or Couple’s Photo Shoot in Paradise with our Resort Photographer or for your dream island wedding. Appointments are essential and can be arranged through Front Desk; please dial “0”. Often we have our own favourite hairdresser back home, but for a fresh new look or for a ‘tidy-up’ it’s great to know that Salon VIVO is here to help you look your best during your vacation in Paradise, ready for when you head back home to face the world!
SUNDAY BRUNCH
with the Pacific Gospel Show by St Mary’s Music Ministry
Select from a special Sunday Brunch Menu, then relax in TE VAKA Restaurant listening to the beautiful harmonies of the St Mary’s Music Ministry and their unique take on Pacific Gospel. A truly special Sunday afternoon of song and dance. Please note that a $25 cover charge applies for those not partaking from the Sunday Brunch Menu.
SUNDAY ROAST NIGHT
with the Guitar Melodies of Tok
Popular and delicious! Succulent roast beef, lamb, chicken and pork with a side of roast potatoes and vegetables, topped off with an attractive array of desserts. Accompanied by the beautiful melodies of local artist, Tok, on his solo guitar.
SUNSETS
The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa is set directly on Rarotonga’s best beach, Aroa Beach (Lovers Beach), located on the island’s sunshine southwest coast where the sun sets and the moon rises. At dusk, directly in front of The Rarotongan, the sky is often ablaze with a breathtaking show of colour. Experiencing one of these spectacular tropical sunsets will be a memorable part of your South Seas holiday, especially if you’re kicking back on the lagoon deck with a long cool sunset cocktail from Captain Andy’s Beach Bar & Grill. Alternatively take an evening stroll hand-in-hand with your beloved and gaze out at the shimmering waters of Aroa Lagoon (the Lagoon of Love) as the twilight glow settles across the horizon. Sunset times vary throughout the year but look out between 6 to 6.50pm from March to October, and from 7 to 7.30pm during the longer summer months of November to February. Be sure and take your camera to capture some dazzling sunset images to show your friends and family back home! Actually, being in the Cook Islands any time between November to February is especially rewarding because it means you get to enjoy longer days, gorgeous balmy tropical weather, frangipanis in bloom and ripe mangoes as well – perfect!
SURFING
There is surfing here on Rarotonga but most of it is boogie boarding as there are no shore breaks, the island being almost completely surrounded by coral reef. There are a couple of passages in the reef which surfers use; otherwise the surf breaks very close to the reef.
Most of the locals paddle out, and only one of the surfing spots is far enough to warrant taking a boat out. If you’re unfamiliar with the conditions (which can be treacherous even to experienced locals), we would advise that we get you in touch with one of the local surfers to show you the spots. Contact the Activities Hut on 8061 for further information.
