We stayed for 5 nights in Plantation Villa #4 at the beginning of our month long honeymoon. From pick up at the airport to drop off (both in the very early morning), everything was very professional. After we had a nap and settled in, Charlie sat down with us to provide an island overview, discuss activities, places to eat, etc. Charlie and Deb are great resources and will book whatever you need.

Our villa was enormous and fully equipped with all the amenities the previous reviews have mentioned. There was a view to the ocean from the back patio. Also, there was a huge closet area with plenty of room to lay your suitcases on the shelves and plenty of room to hang things up. There are free DVDs to borrow from the office (large selection), as well as snorkels, reef shoes, bikes, kayaks, etc. They even gave us an iPod stereo so that we could plug in our iPods to listen to music! In our welcome basket, there was champagne, snacks, cereals, even a sarong! I have a few very minor nits, which would not affect my decision to stay here again, but I found the lighting in the bathroom to be too dim. It would be good to either have a standalone makeup mirror with brighter lights, or just have higher wattage bulbs in certain of the fixtures. Also, there was no standard plug in the bathroom (for a hairdryer etc.). Because there weren't any other mirrors in the villa, it was a bit of a bother for hair drying. As I mentioned, they are just very small. Overall, Sea Change is a beautiful property and is good value (especially compared to the resorts).

Our package came with a scooter rental, which we upgraded to a convertible car. The price difference was not too much and we were glad to have a car when it was raining! We didn't have any trouble getting the driver's license. There was maybe a 10 minute wait. I would definitely recommend hiring a car as it's not too expensive and much more convenient than the bus/biking/walking.

Activities:
It was a bit windy with short rainy periods during our stay so we didn't get to do too many water activities. We were so glad to have our villa though because we had a lot of room to spread out and watch DVDs or read. It would have been stuffy in a small hotel room! We went to the Highland Paradise Island Night, which was excellent. The food was good and so was the show. They made me go up and dance =) There was a large group of us from Sea Change, which made it fun. We also did the Raro Tours Safari (fun way to get an island history and see the interior, good bbq, bring mozzie repellent). We had booked for Captain Tama's Lagoon Cruise, but it was cancelled due to wind =( And our package included a champagne breakfast in our room, which was very large and very good. These are catered by a local deli. We also spent time at the beach (beautiful white sand, blue water, and quite empty), lounging by our pool, and exploring the island and the main town (Avarua). Another couple we met had an in-room massage and they said it was wonderful.

Restaurants:
We did not have a bad meal in Rarotonga. All of Charlie and Deb's recommended restaurants were excellent. Make sure you ask which ones have a water view if that's important to you. Also, in June the sun sets quite early, so if you want to watch the sun go down, you have to get there by 6 for dinner. I was a bit disappointed at the WindJammer because there wasn't a view. It was my fault that I didn't ask. We ate at Sails, the Paw Paw Patch, Trader Jacks, Tamarind House, Deli-licious, and WindJammer.

If I think of anything else, I'll add it. Overall we had a beautiful stay. Rarotonga is a nice small friendly island. Totally manageable. A slice of paradise!

My husband and I found that our holiday at Sea Change Villas was just the escape from our stressful lives we needed, allowing us to wind down, do very little, and enjoy spending time in each others' company. The beachfront accomodation provided the privacy, space and luxurious surrounds that guaranteed us a great time. The beachfront villa certainly made for spectacular views, but all accomodation seemed to be well appointed. There really isn't much else to say - it all seems to have been said before in the numerous positive reviews on this website. The owners have excellent 'hospitality instincts' providing guests with plenty of helpful information on where to eat, what to do, how to get the best rental car deal etc, but we also felt that we had plenty of 'space' and privacy (something a resort just can't offer).

We stayed 9 nights and found it very hard leaving. It is such a fabulous location and the best accomodation we have ever stayed in. to have our own private deck and pool was just out of this world. The owners and staff just could not have given more.

We travelled to the Cook Islands for our recent Honeymoon and spent 10 days at the Sea Change Villas along with 2 nights at Aitutaki. We were really impressed when we arrived at Sea Change as everything was so beautifully presented and the setting of the Plantation villa was lovely as we were still able to see the water through the gorgeous gardens.
We found the villa to be very spacious which is important when you are staying for a longer period and the plunge pool just fantastic. The pool area was completely private and was a great area to sit and enjoy cocktails in the late afternoon (we were very impressed that the villa had a blender !)
The villa had many nice touches to make it a great couples destination. From the double shower to candles on the bedside tables - it really made a difference compared to staying at a normal hotel.
The hosts, Deb and Charlie were fantastic and provided lots of really useful information when we checked in. Their restaurant suggestions were nearly all tried and tested - and we were very happy with them all.
We highly recommend Sea Change and promise that you will not be dissapointed if you stay at this lovely destination.
Cameron and Alicia