I understand the importance of writing good, honest, and accurate reviews. I 100% agree with most of the reviews placed on here that speak in glowing terms of just how good Ikurangi Eco Retreat really is. I was a little skeptical about booking my stay here as it looked a little bit off the beaten track, but worry not its just 5 minutes away from the main road and once there its only a 5-10 minute bike ride to several cafes which serve great coffee (Yes you have access to free push bikes and helmets too!). I would recommend hiring either a scooter or a car if you are staying here it helps you to get around the entire island and gives you that added flexibility to do just that.

When I arrived I was made to feel welcome from the moment I arrived. Ive stopped at hotels, resorts and AirBnB properties in some 30 different countries, often feeling that im an individual with no name and a room number assigned. Vicki and Alan took the time to greet me, pass on their local knowledge of where to go and what to do. They also made sure that I had everything I needed when I arrived at my room. I was a "person" to the owners which is a refreshing change to the often one line of "heres your room key off you go" How many times have I heard that before!

The room was clean, tidy and immaculately presented throughout. Theres tea, coffee and fresh milk along with plenty of fresh bottled water. One of the real bonuses of staying at this resort is that they deliver healthy breakfasts each morning which are different each day. Each breakfast was definately fresh,tasty and wholesome food that is sourced locally. If you like coffee Neil Dearlove's place is just a 10 minute cycle away; Neil is considered as Rarotonga's Mr Coffee as he roasts his own coffee beans on site, I visited each day and it didnt dissapoint, in fact the standard of coffee is good around the island.

If you want to spend time away from a highly populated resort for some peace, quiet and tranquility this retreat is your place. The grounds are also immaculately presented as is the on site swimming pool.

The Ikurangi Eco Retreat is most definately recommended, thank you for such a hassle free stay. I will come back when I next stay at Rarotonga.

Ka Kite kōrua👍

This was one of our most relaxing vacations we have ever taken and it was large in part due to our stay at Ikurangi! The devil is in the details and this place takes that to heart. Some of the details that we loved:

-We arrived early before the reception office opened and were led to our room by our shuttle driver. We were given a warm welcome by Possum the cat!

-After a short nap (with new cat friend) to recover from the long flight, we were greeted with a beautiful tropical healthy breakfast and met Vicky and Alan, the friendly owners of the property.

-Daily healthy and delicious breakfasts varied for all 7 days we were there.

-Free bikes to explore the island added so much fun to our trip! We rode to the needle, all around the circumference of the island, and explored off the beaten path!

-Wonderfully spacious and clean rooms serviced every day (except Sundays)

-Lovely smelling natural shampoo and conditioner

-Fresh flowers placed on the patio table and inside the room

-Environmentally conscious hosts and business model

-Excellent coffee (trust me this can be hard to find on this Island)

-Incredible view of the mountains

-Our cat friend named Possum who visited us every day but was such a smart cat that he was conscious of other guests who may not appreciate visits ;)

-Our amazing hosts Vicky and Alan who went above and beyond to make our stay as relaxing as possible. They were extremely considerate in all ways, offering us a ride into town on multiple occasions when we needed to pick up something. Or just free to chat about anything that comes to mind. By the end of your trip, they will be your friends :)

We had such a wonderful time here that we were sad when we moved to a rental on the beach! HA! It was lovely too but Ikurangi makes you feel like you're home. We can't wait to go back.

My Partner and I recently stayed in one of the tents at Ikurangi for 4 nights and absolutely loved it.
Beautiful and quiet setting with a beautiful garden and a wonderful view. The owner Vicki and Alen are so friendly and helpful whether you just want to have some tips or actually need help to book restaurants, events or transportations, both are very knowledgeable about the island. We loved the breakfast every morning which was so lovely prepared and very tasty. One night we ordered a platter for dinner which was served on our terrace and it was absolutely fantastic!!!! It was too much food but we nearly finished everything and stored some leftover in the fridge, you don’t want to waste this:-). Good quality and tasty Coffee in the room as well as Bikes and snorkelling equipment are complimentary and it is easy to get around the Island. We felt very well looked after but still enjoyed our own time!
Highly recommend! We definitely would come back.

Thank you Vicki and Alen, we still talk about our stay in Ikurangi.

Note: I did not realised and considered 20hrs time difference when I booked my stay on the Cook Islands. Luckily Vicki helped me to adjust the bookings.
In addition, we had some Visa problems at the airport in Rarotonga on our way back. We are foreign pass holders and apparently, in October, New Zealand had a change in transit visa requirements . We and some other guests did not know this and had issues to check in, as we booked our flights back in September. Worth mentioning it was midnight and we had no internet access. If you fly via New Zealand make sure you have a transit visa. Anyway the staff at the airport where extremely helpful and at the end we all could board.