I'm a little late in writing this, but better late than never. We stopped on Rarotonga in December on our way from the US to NZ. We thought a few nights in paradise before being bombarded with friends & relatives was a good thing.
Castaway was recommended to us by a couple who had spent their honeymoon there. We were quite pleased with the establishment except for a few small things.
Rooms:
We had a beachfront villa. It was a good size however didn't have much privacy. Since you are beachfront everyone walks by your room on the way to the beach. Careful when changing! The deck & view were amazing, but farther from the water than I thought when we intially booked them. There was no AC, and to be honest it was uncomfortable. It would get very hot & musky at night. And the mozzies! They were awful. I was so diligent to keep screens on the doors but they still got in and bothered me all night. I'd have to sleep with the sheet over my entire body & suffociate. A mozzie net might have helped or AC so we could keep the room shut up. Room was clean, but be careful with food, leaving even a small amount of food out will bring ants (same everywhere on the island).
Beach:
The beach was lovely - plenty of chairs. You could walk out at low tide & snorkel at high tide. Couldn't really see much use for the caneoes though. Gratis snorkely gear was much appreciated. A small swimming hole has been cleared and on hot days you'll find all the guests huddled in it to escape the heat.
Pool: Clean & warm. Didn't spend a whole lot of time there b/c the beaches are so spectacular, but it was nice to have a change once in a while.
Food: Breakfast was good enough. Toast, fresh fruit & cereal got you started for the day ahead. A couple little shops nearby to buy beans & toast if you need something heartier. Had two dinners at Castaway. The Sunday night roast was honestly a bit of a rip off, $$ given what you got. But the desert was divine. And one of the nice parts was getting to know the others guests. The beachfront BBQ was better, served family style & homemade feel to it. Dancing on the deck under the stars after won't soon be forgotten.
Staff: This is what makes the place. The owners are so nice. Our luggage didin't make it for a few days & one of owners, Cameron, literally gave my boyfriend the shift off his back & a pair of shorts to borrow. Then he rushed us to town so that we could buy a few essentials (Bathing suits, etc) before all the shops closed for 2 days. It is such a close knit community at Castaway that you feel like family by the end of your stay.
That being said, I don't believe we will be staying there again. Not b/c of the owners & the establishment, but the b/c of the location, weather & bugs. Have heard & experienced that the Muri Beach location is the best area. Still very close to town, stronger breeze relieves some of the heat & blows out the mozzies. Plus the Muri area has been cleared quite a bit more of the coral & is deeper so it's much easier to swim. The snorkeling isn't quite as good b/c there is less coral, but it is such a small island & you can be at the snorkeling areas within 10 minutes.
