Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort-Adults Only

We stayed in the overwater bungalows — amazing! While the price was steep, it was worth every cent! The staff was very accommodating and welcoming, although there was construction which I believe was throwing things off a bit. Was a little strange that the tiki bar shut down if there was a “chance” of rain.

The resort grounds are beautiful and well-maintained. The rooms, on the other hand, are past their prime. The bed linens were rough, and worn thin in some spots- same with the towels. Room is large enough to include a dining table and desk, but furniture is old and mis-matched. The outdoor (and only) shower may seem romantic, but the winds off the lagoon, while a nice breeze during the day, with the addition of mosquitos, made for a difficult shower. The bed backs up to the window above the bathroom sinks, which means the mirrors are not above sinks, making shaving difficult. You can brush your teeth with the sink water safely, but it is salty- this goes for the shower water as well, and we had to rinse our snorkel masks and underwater camera with bottled water. I changed the digital room clock twice during our stay, as it was running fast- adding around 5 minutes per 2 days. Being in the tropics, I expected, and had, ants and lizards in the room, even without the presence of food or fresh flowers. The breakfast was underwhelming, consisting of fruit, cereal, bakery items, a yogurt, meats, pickles, tomatoes and hard cooked eggs, plus pancakes, with the option to purchase eggs to order and other hot items. My partner and I were both sick after the first 2 breakfasts, and went off the resort for the rest of the meals. Spa appointments are available with 24 hours notice. Wifi is available for purchase- 1.5 gigs for $30 or 3 gigs for $50- up to 4 devices. You can save $20/ day to not have housekeeping, which we used to pay for wifi.

What an absolutely beautiful place this is! We booked an overwater bungalow for five nights and it's a memory we will never forget. We stepped off our deck into the warm crystal clear blue water of the lagoon, snorkelled and swam to our heart's content. There are paddle boats, life vests, masks and fins and stand up paddle boards all available free of charge. The restaurant is excellent too. We had breakfast and dinner there each day and it was superb. Our villa was amazing and definitely 5 star. Pushbikes are located at each room for guest use. The whole experience was the most expensive holiday we've ever had, but it is one we'll always remember fondly.

The over the water bungalow was beautiful to walk into. Unfortunately the sliding glass doors and screens stuck and were hard to move the curtains were old. It was clean and the linens were fresh and white, the bed was large and comfortable but at over $1000aud a night it was highly overpriced. There was a TV in the room but no reception, staff said piece needed would be on the next boat! It would be nice to have some in house movies. The food was just ok. Only one yogurt at breakfast which was strawberry which we hate so one whole choice eliminated. Beautiful fresh leg ham. Goat curry at diner was delicious. Seafood platter was ridiculously overpriced for mashed food. Finally they reroofed the next door bungalow with banging and yelling and the fronds thrown in the beautiful clear water. We did receive some compensation but on reflection I think we were too reasonable. Overall way below par.

Although our 2 night stay was during an unusually windy week, the staff at the resort more than made up for the disappointing weather. The breakfasts were truly continental, fresh, well thought out and the team were on hand to assist with any special requirements. During our stay, I got very unwell and needed to go to the hospital across the lagoon in the wee hours of the morning. Jason Napa, Manager, arranged everything, from barge skipper to get across, ensuring transport to hospital and medical staff on site awaiting our arrival. 3 of the resort staff accompanied my husband and I and they do not get paid to do so out of hours. Eni, Lai and Jason (please forgive my spelling), my husband and I are forever grateful for the concern and care you provided. Would love to visit again. Xxxx

We enjoyed some lovely down time at this quiet resort last week. We stayed in the bungalows closest to the reception. You can walk around the little "motu" or "islet" the resort is on, in about 15 minutes. We loved the staff greeting us by name at the bar, restaurant and at the reception. It says a lot that they try to get to know you. Our room was clean and quiet. This would be a great retreat for honeymooners or anyone else wanting to re-connect with their partner. We loved the bikes outside each room and took a day where we rode around the island of Aitutaki and walked up the highest point on the island. It was a 28km round trip. We ate across the water at some other nearby restaurants and cafe, otherwise had all our meals at the resort. The downside is-this is not a "party place"-you make your own fun-but this suited us. Also the menu was limited by its remote island location and they did run out of the wine we liked and the dessert we selected. Snorkels, SUPs and kayaks are available and day trips can be booked. The resort is quite old but is charming. It survived a cyclone in 2010. Our room had been recently renovated and was very clean and comfortable..

This place is delightful and the over-the-water cabins are a great luxury. There is a free transfer to and from the airport (close by) and a little ferry that takes you across the little water way. Free bikes are available for each cabin as well as all the usual water based activities... the snorkeling under the cabins has an abundance of life! An all the staff are so friendly and helpful. However there were a few downsides which were disappointing... firstly there was no free pickup from other resorts on the island... and given the small size of the area but our hosts at Abera's where more than happy to take us. Also the restaurant, whilst the food was excellent and the servers charming, it was a bit dated and not romantically lit and the "lounge singer" playing "elevator music" was funny rather than good! They do have better entertain on other nights just not the one night we were there - so avoid sundays! Also you can only check-in after 3 and check out before 10 but they are happy for to you use the facilities during the day and have showers available.

Excellent stay. It's hard to come up with any negatives, but here are some things you should know: 1. I'm not sure an over-water bungalow is worth it. They are over the water and the view is great, but the current that runs under them is screaming! It's a great view, but you can't just jump in the water and float around any time you want. You can only do this on slack tide (rare). 2. This is not a good spot for snorkeling. There really is no snorkeling at all. The current runs so quickly through this area that it is not practical. Even if the current wasn't running there is really nothing to see. Ride a bike or get a ride to the lee side of the Aitutaki and go snorkeling off the beach there. 3. I'm a fisherman and I came for bonefish and giant trevally. There is a HUGE bonefish flat right across the channel from the resort. I saw HUNDREDS of bonefish, but neither I nor anyone else I spoke to was actually able to catch one. I would say do not come to Aitutaki for bonefish. The same goes for GTs. Go somewhere else. I hired a guide for two days and the fishing wasn't much better with them. 4. The other bungalows all face the water and are about 60 feet from the water. Very nice views. 5. What I like about this place is that they didn't nickel-and-dime us at all. There was snorkeling gear (see #3 above), paddle boards, kayaks, ping-pong, pool, bikes, etc. all available any time we wanted. Just grab a kayak and go. No extra charge. Each unit has 2 bikes dedicated to that until. We brought the bikes on the ferry (this is an island. You have to take a ferry across the channel. It takes 30 seconds) and rode the entire island exploring. 6. The food is outstanding. I am a vegetarian and they had a specific vegetarian meal for ever lunch and dinner. All were GREAT. 7. You have to pay for WiFi separately here. That's not great, but I can understand why. You can ask for no made service and save $20/day. We used that $20/day to pay for the WiFi. That's it. I see no reason why anyone would not want to stay here. The place is really beautiful, and the island itself is probably one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

This was our second visit to the resort after 11 years. The villas are clean and comfortable with a great view. The staff are very welcoming, friendly and professional. The food is great.The resort is quiet and very private. Its a place to relax, recharge, read a good book and snorkel!