I just returned from a one-week visit to the stunning Cook Islands, and was fortunate to stay with Bill and his amazing family at Royale Takitumu.  

Arriving into Rarotonga for the first time in many years, it really did feel like visiting my long lost home. Something about this remarkable island makes me feel so comfortable and relaxed, and from the second I stepped off the plane, I remembered why I love this place so much.

Royale Takitumu was a phenomenal place.  I was very lucky to have stayed in their Honeymoon Beachfront Villa.  A huge villa with one of the best views in all of the South Pacific.  My villa had a large bedroom (with air-conditioning that was never turned on), a huge bathroom with spa jacuzzi tub, a fully stocked kitchen (with a tropical breakfast basket waiting for me), an airy living room, and a large deck that opens onto the gorgeous white sand beach.  I could have sat on that deck for hours just admiring the beach and the turquoise lagoon - and I did!

What surprised me at Royale Takitumu was the amazing landscape. I didn't expect it to be so well done.  The walkways and paths, the small bridges over the lilly ponds, the large trees, the open lawn area adjacent to the swimming pool, and the perfectly manicured greenery fronting the beach - it was all so perfectly done.

Bill had arranged to get me a rental car so I could go out and explore.  I must have visited Raro 8 times in the past, and I have always been embarrassed to have never visited the Saturday morning market.  So, I immediately circled Saturday as my exploration day and I was not disappointed.  The market was great fun, with a lot of food (including tons of fresh fruit), some great shopping, and entertainment.  I am kicking myself for not having visited before, and I will always tell anyone visiting Raro that they absolutely need to go to the market. 

I was fortunate enough to enjoy some great meals at some of the nearby restaurants and cafes.  Not one disappointed.  Of particular note was the new Cook Islands cultural centre Te Vara Nui.  The dinner and show there was phenomenal - one of the best I have ever witnessed.

But even after being out exploring every single day, I was always thrilled to return to Royale Takitumu.  Listen, Raro is not a busy island by any stretch of the imagination.  There is no traffic (heck, I think they only have one Stop sign), and the pace is very relaxed.  But returning to Royale Takitumu was a reminder that I was so lucky to be staying at such a beautiful location.  EVERY single time I walked up the pathway to my Villa, it simply took my breath away.  While other locations around Raro may have some beautiful beaches, none of them compare to Royale Takitumu's beach.  It is not only stunning, with gorgeous white sand and a calm beautiful lagoon, it is extremely private.  Except for 1 or 2 locals very early on their morning walks, the only other people I saw on the beach were guests of Royale Takitumu.  I would guess that this is the closest you can come to having a private island experience on a large island.

How quiet and lovely is Royale Takitumu?  They don't even have a sign advertising their location.  The only way you know how to get here is to get directions from the staff.  It is an unassuming entrance from the street, but once you pull in, it is uniquely Cook Islands.  And, that description suits everything about this wonderful place.  A stay at Royale Takitumu is perhaps one of the most "Cook Islands" experiences you can ever have.

Bill and his entire family were so generous with their resort, and their time.  Bill even took me in his car to the airport for a truly 'locals' experience.  You see, the Rarotonga airport is not very large. In fact, because this island is so small, they had to place the runway to the airport directly to the edge of the island.  The round-island road is located directly by the end of the runway.  So, every night, when a plane is scheduled to arrive, a bunch of locals head to the airport, park nearby, and walk on the sidewalk by the runway.  In the distance, you can see a tiny light in the sky - the approaching plane.  The light gets closer and closer, reflected in the calm lagoon and ocean waters.  Soon, you start to hear a dull roar of the engines, and you notice that it is not one light, but several lights from the plane.  Then it happens.  The plane flies directly overhead, so close that you feel you can reach out and touch it.  The roar as it passes overhead is deafening, and the wind from the passing plane whooshes by you, as it very gently lands on the runway.  I am not sure why it took me so long to experience that (after so many visits to Raro), but I can tell you that during my next visit, I will be checking the schedule of incoming flights!

There was one bad side about my trip to Rarotonga and Royale Takitumu:  I had to depart and go home.  Until next time. . .