Aitutaki Escape

I have two sides of my review today and while on a very expensive holiday which is also our honeymoon it’s something you absolutely don’t or did not want to deal with!! (No one would want this) I will start with the positive though as I’m always going to be honest and reflect my own personal thoughts and will never just go in for the kill as that’s not who I am unless it’s for good reason. So firstly Aitutaki Escape consist of 3 villas and we were in the middle villa number 2 which is a single bedroom villa. Upon arriving we were taken back by the massive villa we were going to be having all to ourselves (with a private little plunge pool too) and some of the features were beautiful. Our favourite of course was the deck leading to the beach which on a sunny day was stunning to sit and relax and eat your breakfast. Breakfast is a large portion of fruit, granola with yoghurt, boiled eggs, bread, tomato, cucumber, lettuce and a danish or croissant. Also you get meat which for us most days was sliced ham and salami but one day we got sausages and our last day salmon. This should definitely tie you over for the day or at least the morning with some snacks left over. The staff, we thought the staff were lovely and like anywhere we stay we treat everyone with kindness and respect no matter who they are or what they do. Helen and Rachel were awesome and we had a great chat with them when we first arrived. The lagoon/beach it’s picture perfect but there are a heap of sea cucumbers (or slugs if you prefer) so take some reef shoes but if they don’t bother you then enjoy as they do keep the water clean and striving. Ok the hardest part of our review :( and yes it’s long but I feel it does need to be explained properly as in all honesty it was handled correctly but we did feel horrible (even though we shouldn’t feel that way) and then as though we were liars or made to feel guilty (might not of been purposely but it’s actually how we felt). This is 100% something NO ONE wants to deal with while on holiday and especially us as it ruined our entire holiday (along with the weather sadly but we did our best with that as you can’t change Mother Nature). So, before leaving Rarotonga to go to Aitutaki we counted our money we leave in our travel wallet and topped up our spending one. We had $2250 left to spend and enjoy (wedding gift money) and locked it away in our bag which stays with us the entire trip! Ok so now we get to Aitutaki Escape and decide to be extra safe and would put it into the room safe which we get to choose our own personal code (like any hotel) rather than carry it around or leave in our suitcase. We don’t go into the safe during this time until 3 days in where on the Thursday we wanted to check our spending and add it all up (from the start we noted down our spending thankfully) and randomly we are down $600 and we start to think did we over pay somewhere? Did we drop it? Like what happened because it’s been in a safe! So we recount a

Aitutaki Escape Villas we’re stunning, the buildings themselves were spacious, unique, private and luxurious. Thomas, Lizzy and the team were friendly, helpful, informative and generous hosts. The location and activities available from Aitutaki and the villas were perfectly suited to people who enjoy a relaxed holiday whilst making the most of the natural beauty and water based experiences. Highly recommended for a 4 day stay. Breakfast, delivered to the villas were extremely generous and delicious. Thank you Thomas, Lizzy and the Aitutaki Escape Team.

When we walked into the entrance, we stopped and stood with amazement. A beautiful pool and lovely outdoor space that was just perfect for really relaxing and winding down. We walked up to the front entrance of the villa and as the door opened we were again taken back with the space our villa had and the view out to the water, past the second outdoor space. We appreciated the attention that had been taken by the staff to prepare our villa and welcome us. Immaculate, clean. Just so perfect. This must be the best place to stay on the island and is close by some lovely places to eat. The questions below don't apply at this resort. It's small, totally private and boutique.

A delightful villa which really did feel like your own slice of paradise. I have to say the accommodation was first class and had the added bonus of the private pool to cool off in if the tide wasn't favourable. The staff were exceptional and this comes from the head, Thomas n his wife Lizzie who would go out of their way to source anything that we so desired. Our lovely housekeepers were so friendly and also would assist us with any request we had. By the end of our stay they felt like family. The whole villa was constructed with coral walls which look unique and a thatched roof which staff suggested represented a canoe travelling over the coral towards the lagoon. The marble flooring was ideal to keep the villa cool, and of course air con in both the lounge and bedroom, if there wasn't enough through breeze. On our last night we had Thomas' renowned 'dinner under the stars' which was an absolute stunning feast of mammoth proportions and with every morsel so delicious it was hard to resist. It included a seafood extravaganza of tuna sashimi, lightly crumbed crab claws, prawns and scallops followed by our main of rib eye fillet and lamb rack. I had seen on previous reviews of Thomas' ability as a chef and he did not disappoint! The continental breakfast they provided daily was always a treat and some of it we would keep for a light lunch or nibble in the late afternoon. There were a few things that were a bit tired as the property is 12 years old but with the difficulty of getting materials and their full occupancy they had been put on hold. Our overall experience was fantastic and we would love to come back and stay again. There are kayaks to freely use. I would recommend bringing your own snorkel and flippers as there are some easy snorkels on the point that you can kayak to. Strongly recommend a car or scooter which they can organise for you, however do it before you arrive as these were limited. Thomas kindly did a stock up of things we requested for the fridge but we chose to dine out at many lovely restaurants around the island for both lunch and dinner. The blue tooth speaker was a great asset, as was their selection of movies if we felt like watching something. There are only three villas in this complex so it really is a great Aituaki Escape!