Te Vara Nui Village

Te Vara Nui Village

Te Vara Nui Village
4.5
About
Te Vara Nui Village is the Cultural Centre of the Cook Islands offering 3 amazing products: a 2.5 hour VILLAGE TOUR offering a full authentic journey into our past, a Stunning Over-Water Night Show and first class Island/Western fusion buffet dinning experience on floating and fixed stages set in botanical gardens surrounded by rock gardens and waterfalls, and our COMBO PACKAGE offering both Village Tour and Over-Water Night Show and Buffet dinner in one night. Your ultimate cultural experience not to be missed!!!!
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  • Mrs Smith
    Sydney, Australia44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A very enjoyable evening
    Very very enjoyable. We usually avoid ‘tourist shows’ but the website looked interesting so we went, and had a great time. We chose the show and dinner package. The food was delicious and there was plenty on offer. The show was slick, the performers young, energetic and the story was informative.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 4 April 2024
  • Andrea
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spectacular
    We did the Village tour, dinner, show combo. I was worried that it would be too commercial. But, no way. It was awesome. The guide was very knowledgeable and a true descendant ot Rarotongan origin, the food was plentiful, acknowledging local traditions,and the performers looked as if they enjoyed showing off their skills. Loved it.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 April 2024
  • Happy Browser
    Auckland, New Zealand4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Evening Spectacular!
    The excellent buffet dinner was very tasty, with a large variety of dishes offered. With three restaurants around the pool/stage area, everyone got a wonderful view of the simply great show that followed dinner. The drumming and dancing was terrific!
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 July 2024
  • Jocelyn L
    Carmel, California138 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    World Class Polynesian Show
    We did the Te Vara Nui Combo Extravaganza with the Village tour, Dinner and Show -all worthwhile. The Village tour was very informative and we learned a lot about Rarotonga history, flora & fauna, fishing and village life. The woman running the tour certainly wore a lot of hats as she was doing all talks, then later announcing the performers for the show. She definitely could have used some help! The dinner featured many traditional Polynesian dishes including the purple potato salad (yum!), pork, barbecue chicken, rice and various salads and many desserts. As is the Cook Island tradition children are served first, then the ladies, then the men. Anyone with a birthday, anniversary or special occasion was recognized. The show was really quite well done. We have traveled through Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji but this was one of the best we've seen. Perhaps on par or slightly better than the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. The dancers on the rafts in the water was a nice touch as was the fire show. Everyone seemed to have a good view from their seats in the pavilions. I get the feeling this is a relatively new venue for Rarotonga but hopefully one that will stick around for a long time! Bravo!
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 August 2024
  • joegnaniah
    Auckland, New Zealand9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    An experience not to be missed if you are visiting Raro
    This was by far the highlight of our trip to Rarotonga. The entire evening from 5.45 pm to late was one of the best experiences and memories we could take home with us. The show itself was spectacular and that includes the MC, drumming, costumes, dances, and choreography. Added to this the atmosphere of the entire venue was superb. Great buffet with abundant choice of entre, mains, dessert and more was excellent. Although, the drinks were not included in the ticket price, all drinks were very reasonably priced.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 August 2024
  • susielou67
    44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Book the combo !
    We purchased the Te Vara Nui combo - and glad we did. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour prior to dinner. It was very informative.. and gave us history of the islands, the people, travel via sea, and the use of the popular coconut in the islands. So much information imparted by Ruth. This was followed by a buffet meal, before the amazing show. The setting around the “lake” was just beautiful, and gave everyone a great opportunity to-view the show. It’s the only show we are going to on our holiday here. It was totally professional run business.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 September 2024
  • Barry H
    Murrieta, California823 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    History of the Cook Islands 🇨🇰
    This was the last of our excursions, and it was a wonderful presentation. The history of the Cook Islands brought to life on stage. Dancers, music, and an understanding of how the settlement of the area occurred long before the missionaries landed. Oh, and the food was delicious 😋
    Visited October 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 October 2024
  • gordyandlece
    Dunedin, New Zealand14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Great Family Night Out
    Our Family went to the fabulous Te Vara Nui Village. We were spellbound by the show, it was truly amazing. So much energy. The compere was wonderful and the performers fantastic. The food and drinks were wonderful and you could always go back for more food if you wanted too. We highly recommend a visit to this wonderful show. Get your photo taken at the end, it's a real treat. We enjoyed ourselves from start to finish. Fantastic Staff also, very friendly and welcoming.
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 18 December 2024
  • Darryl C
    Brisbane, Australia74 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Evening entertainment Muri Beach
    The venue is right next door to Muri Beach Club Hotel. The evening starts with an intro into local culture, then an excellent buffet meal. Service is good with very pleasant staff. Follows is a live cultural show with traditional dancing. Quite stupendous!
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 December 2024
  • Saffy3
    32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Extremely well run and fantastic experience
    An extremely well run experience. What a wonderful way to spend New years Eve. The buffet was excellent and the show wonderful. Excellent performers. The transport to and from the village was perfect. Thank you
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 January 2025
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,327 reviews
Excellent
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483
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137
Poor
25
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Bborell
Manurewa, New Zealand7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
Pretty good night out. The setting is pretty special and a key feature of the experience. Guests are seated on raised platforms on either side of a shallow lagoon with an elevated stage in the middle. The buffet meal was quite nice, not the best we’ve had but def not the worst. Well presented and good variety of local delicacies. The show is the real cornerstone of the village experience and is quite special. Well choreographed story that makes great use of the stage and lagoon space to tell the story of how Rarotonga was settled. Great music dancing and singing. If you’re new to the island and it’s culture this would be a great introduction. The matriarch of the village and its namesake was in the audience for our show so that was very special. Prices are $140 per adult which is pretty standard for these shows.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Han Pearl
Christchurch, New Zealand7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
We were recommended this tour by the boys from Captain Tama's Lagoon Cruises, who also happen to dance at this show. We were not disappointed! The music, the dancing, the food, all of it was fantastic. This is one of the more pricey cultural shows but for us it was worth it. The food was beautiful, and the venue staff made sure everyone was looked after including making sure everyone had a seat for the show.
The show itself is spectacular, although we did have a little trouble hearing the story itself, the music and the dancing was just incredible. Rarotonga is passionate about sharing their culture and this evening did exactly that! As someone who is careful about wanting to experience authentic culture rather than touristy gimicks, this felt genuine and the passion of the performers for their culture was obvious. Definitely recommend for a wonderful night shared with friends or family, and the shared tables means you might even come away with new friends!
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Orana You have written a lovely review and for that... we sincerely thank you. Yes a lot of Capt Tamas (and Koka Lagoon) cruise boys are part of our Entertainment team and their energy and enthusiasm (even after a day on the cruise boats) is pretty amazing! You mention the performers passion and we cannot agree more... we are privileged to see them perform each of our operating nights and that passion is genuine and they show it every single night! Meitaki (thank you ) and we hope to see you again one day soon - take care!
Written 14 November 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mjoy93
49 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
We went to both the village tour and the island night.

During the village tour, we were given an overview of Polynesian migration, weapons used in the cook islands and a demonstration of different plants and their uses (including different ways to use a coconut). Ruth was a very engaging and enthusiastic host.

During the island night, we had a buffet of excellent food that was mostly Polynesian cuisine, and all dietary requirements listed. Drink service was good but best to order before the show starts. There are two restaurants that face each other across a pond with the stage in the middle. The show includes dancers on a moving raft and there was one performance with fire dancing which was amazing. The dancers are quite far away compared to other shows and it was hard to follow the story (but it is written on the back of the toilet doors!).
Written 10 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Buck K
3 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Solo
What a disappointment!!!! I have never experienced such a bored and unfriendly guide. She ran through everything quickly and monotonously, hardly leaving any room for questions. What irritated me most was the inner distance from the local history and culture, as if she herself found it all terribly boring and insignificant. You would think that in a cultural village the local culture would be presented to you with love and passion. But it was obviously all about the money. I had only booked the village tour, without the subsequent island night with dancing and dinner. At the end of the tour the guide escorted me off the site so quickly and coldly that I almost felt dizzy. No, I can only advise against Te Vara Nui Village. This is tourist rip-off of the worst kind. You can find out much more about the history and culture of the Cook Islands by talking to the locals at the market, in the shops, cafes or restaurants. Or/and you can get the local newspaper every day. There is a lot of interesting stuff in there too.
Google
Written 29 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Greekspecial
Warrington35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We were picked up from our accommodation and taken to the Te Vara Nui Village and we were greet with a glass of champagne. The village is amazing in giving an insight to the history of the people and lifestyle of Rarotonga. The interactive programme includes a knowledge guide who gave us the information about each section of the village which covered the lifestyle of the people over the years, the models and artefacts are very well presented, including the audience participation in the dancing!. After the tour of the village we had a buffet meal which was amazing, plenty of choice and lots off it, they cater for all dietary requirements too. You can buy drinks which are brought to your table and you pay at the end of the evening, the prices are very reasonable. After the main course we sat and watch the over water show, it was very professional, very colourful and very entertaining, all the staff on the site were friendly and the dancers intermingled with the audience at the end of the evening. The host for the evening was both knowledgeable and amusing, ensuring everyone had a good time. When the show had finished we were treat to dessert, there was a large selection and you could help yourself as many times as you wanted. The whole experience was amazing and I would highly recommend it for everyone, great value for money.
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brad
11 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The show itself and the dinner were both great. Unfortunately I think they oversell the venue which ruins the experience a bit. Because of the amount of tickets they sell to each show you are seated in random locations with random other guests, my wife and I were seated at a small round table of four with two guests from Eastern Europe who spoke little to no English which made the experience a bit awkward. Then as were were seated at the back for dinner, we were asked to sit on the ground up the front for the show, where there were young children constantly moving around and more interested in talking to their parents about the Eels in the water than the show.
Overall I think the simple fix is to sell less tickets and make the show more ‘intimate’ as such. The tickets are reasonably highly priced as is when compared to other attractions in Rarotonga. I wouldn’t recommend Te Vara Nui to people unless they have done every other activity Raro has to offer.
Written 21 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback and we are delighted you enjoyed our Overwater Night Show and also the buffet dinner. With our Rarotongan culture being very much about sharing (of food and experiences), we have opted for the “family style” dining, with guests mixing and being seated together. The seating allocation is based on numbers per booking, and while every care is taken, we agree that unfortunately not every allocation can be 100% successful, because we do not know in advance the likes, dislikes, ethnicity etc of our guests. Guests seated on the smaller tables (such as you were) are offered the opportunity to shift closer for viewing of the show… the “front row” (or ledge of the restaurant) is prime seating for a close-up view of the stage and dancers. Another option for you, could have been to be seated on a bar stool height chair behind the lower tables, for an elevated view. Most evenings Te Vara Nui is fully booked in all 3 restaurants, and despite pressure from some visitors to “just squeeze in a few more” we do have a limit on how many tickets we sell, with guest comfort being one of our primary concerns, along with ensuring we have ample food for the buffets. Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention and we will take this on board when looking at seating and guest numbers in future. We hope to see you again at Te Vara Nui
Written 31 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Irenke F
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
I did the buffet dinner and over the water night show at this beautiful village in Muri. Lots of delicious food, dances, fire twirling and more with a story that told the arrival of the Polynesians to the Cook Islands and the culture they brought with them. Highly recommend this experience.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Orana and MEITAKI (thank you) We are so pleased you enjoyed your night with us and not only had a good time, but also learned some of our culture and history! We hope to see you again one day! Ka Kite Te Vara Nui team
Written 18 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michelle T
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand26 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Definitely recommend doing this while visiting Rarotonga . Food, hospitality and show were all fabulous . Only lost one star as we were in the smaller restaurant and couldn’t hear the story telling of the show very well at all . I would suggest having a speaker in that room . Thank you for a wonderful night
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Orana and meitaki (thank you) We are so pleased that you enjoyed your night with us!! Thank you also for your feedback regarding the sound system... with 3 restaurants, the sound team strive to keep the sound consistent in all 3, however working with live entertainers (drummers + dancers) it can be difficult to keep the sound levels consistent... There are speakers in all 3 restaurants and we have passed your feedback onto the tech team so that the can make any necessary improvements. Thank you again and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your Rarotongan holiday! Take care Te Vara Nui team
Written 18 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ray T
Brisbane, Australia191 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
The cultural show was very good and we enjoyed it.
The dinner selection was very poor and was all cheapie foods, that was average at best. You couldn’t help yourself to the the ika mata it’s given to you in a tiny dish that maybe held 2 teaspoons at the most.
Due to the poor buffet we thought this show and dinner was simply excessively priced for what you receive.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia Orana Ron Thank you for taking the time to write a review and while we are pleased you enjoyed the Show, we are obviously disappointed that you did not enjoy your meal. Ika-mata (raw fish) is a dish that most tourists like to sample and unfortunately during the winter months, you will have noticed that all restaurants have difficulty receiving a decent supply of fish. Our local Rarotongan fish retailer has not had fish for sale for at least the past 6-8 weeks,.. When fish is scarce, and supplies are limited, yes we serve in small dishes... not only is this to avoid the fish sauces running all over your plate, but it is also a way of ensuring that ALL guests have the chance to try it. Guests are encouraged to return for 2nd/3rd helpings and can certainly have any ika-mata still remaining. Being a small island, supplies can be limited and as we cater for a large number of guests, we have to ensure that our buffet menu is varied enough for all.... Thank you again!
Written 18 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Doris2U
Wellington, New Zealand6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
We loved this! The dancers were so much fun! The fire dancers were amazing. The staff were helpful, especially bringing out chairs and making sure everyone could see the entertainment.
The drinks came quickly and were delish. The food was fabulous. And the people we met at our table were great too - a nice way to get to know others.
Written 11 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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TE VARA NUI VILLAGE (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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