A bit of advice on were to stay for backpackers/Rarotonga

Having stayted in both for 2 weeks Rarotonga backpackers (Beachside as i did not stay Hillside) and Vara's(beachside)i just wanted to pass on some information on were i think is the better place to stay for a backpacker on a budget.

My personal selection and winning on all accounts bar the losing out the beach is Rarotongas Backpackers by a mile, my reasons below.

1. Swimming Pool/hot showers in Raro's NOT available in Vara. (Quite annoying when you come out of the sea looking for a clean swin/hot shower. Raro runs on GAS 24 hour piping hot water. Lucky to get any hot water in Vara's on solar panel.

2. Entertainment when its raining and you dont want to spend another night drinking beer. Raro's has Pool Table/TV DVD/great book exchange/Loads of films to chose from/boardgames/great social area/7 or more hammocks covered from rain/faster internet while Vara's offer absoululty NONE of this so if its raining and you dont want to drink be prepared for boredom.

3. Owners in Raro really you feel care about you and want to make sure you know all about the best ways to save money. Vara i felt are just set up to take your money. This is all my personal opinion by the way.

4.In Raro on many occasion from hearing around from others staying there and happend to me aswell. the owners will upgraded you to a better room if its not booked and available for the same price as your original booking. So if you booked a double but the doubble ensuite is available they will move you to the ensuite for a double room price. Small things like this dont go unnoticed by guests.

5. Even though the beach at Vara is much nicer you can go snorklling at a really good spot 8 mins walk from Raro's to a beach resort so you still have good access to snorkling with plenty more fish to be seen. Although the Lagoon at Vara is fantastic to swim out too and relax. But a hiring of a bike and you can do this no matter were you stay.

I probably sound really biased but i just wanted to pass this on as i found my experience much more fullfilling in the FAMILY/FUN atmosphere in Rara's other then the down right boring, mechanical, make money, no care feeling i got in Vara's. Showing a small bit of care about your guests goes along way in my opinion.

If you got any questions at all on either place just ask OR if you disagree i completely understand but i just wanted to pass this on. Bye the way i'm a 30 year old travelling with girlfriend who loves to party (to excess sometimes) and chill out etc,etc at the same time in case your wondering...
Cheers.

OH my god I stayed in VAra's beachhouse and you are right that its a bloody kip, we were treated like troublemakers from literally the day we got there, actually hounded around the island by the security guard as after 11pm we were told not to make noise. This included even talking ON THE BEACH, not even in the hostel. Signs up everywhere 'Vara's beachhouse is NOT a party house'. Yeah but how about a few drinks and a chat type house? Apparently not allowed.

And it rained the whole time which didnt improve matters as we were stuck in the hostel far too much, couldnt swim in the sea as it was full of mud flowing down from the volcanoe and while we were there an NZ woman had stood on a stonefish in the water and when she went to the hospital, they told her they'd have to amputate!!!! Luckily for her, she was a midwife, said no way and the swelling went down a few days later, I kid you not. I never stayed anywhere else on the island, but to anyone going, avoid VARA'S like the plague, they aint friendly folk.

Yes i did not want to jump to heavilly on Vara's and sound completley biased but yes there are many more problems with the palce i could also outline but your point on the Nazi regime also happened to us. After four nights of going to bed at 8pm to read out of boredom one night ourselves and a couple sat down in the front indoor area for a chat at 11pm this fat guard in a yellow builders jacket stormed in and said in now uncertain words "GO TO BED" can you belive it 30 years of age just drank 3 beers talking at a normal universal speaking decimal level and being told "GO TO BED NOW"....of course i said "NO I DID NOT WANT TO REALLY GO TO BED SIR" so he says get out side to the pool side decking if you want to TALK THEN which i understoood and agreed for any noise to be made even though for a young backpackers at 11 seemed early but understood that talking inside could be annoying to some at that time...so we did and talked again outside and then 20mins later he comes over and says wait for it........ "LIGHTS OUT BEDTIME" at 11.20pm we were talking having a conversation at not even laughing and being told to either get of the property or go to bed i could not belive what i was hearing and asked him to call the police or the mangment on which the managment arrived and told we could sit outside but only were allowed to wisper until 12pm. So NEXT DAY no surprise we and alot of others went looking for another place to stay. This place VARA'S is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE backpackers i cant stress how bad it is, they think they are a resort (ITS A DUMP) but yet treat there guests like children. office closes at 4pm and you have to pay for local calls unlike Rarotongas Backpackers were it FREE for local calls, i cant stress it enough if your a backpacker on a budget and want to be treated like a human being go to Rarotonga Backpackers an absoulute GEM of a place were the owners make you feel like your a valued person and make your experience a good one....i could so many more reasons why i think this and here is another the onwer Paul from Raro's one beautiful day and he passes me by and goes "every been Harpoon fishing"....and just throwes me a spear gun teaches me the basics a sudenley i'm out in the sea spearing fish...amazing experience all made speacial by the owners who care....when its raining he just always throws in a couple of Free DVD's for all the guests top watch together i could go on all night....Vara is a complete hell hole so please advoid at all costs...

Hi Joe
I stayed in Vara's hillside apartments and had a great time last october. As i was on the hillside I never experienced some of your problems, and we usually went to town at night anyway.
Your post reads almost like an advert for the other place that you mentioned., and thorn tree aint about advertsing. I am Irish and 29 and traveled with the better half and also like to party however I think you are being very harse on Varas, If you have just started your rtw trip I can promise you you will have far worst experiences then that in the cook islands. I would prefer to be back in the cook's then going to work in the morning even if I stayed in poor accommodation.

Enjoy your trip, Adh mor

Just to clarify a bit on the general Vara's situation:
For many yrs Vara's has been the source of lots of noise complaints from those of us who are (were) living near it at Muri Beach. Backpackers (mostly younger 18-21 or so) were partying all night, on the beach, and it spread a few hundred meters in each direction. It woke everyone up a few times each week. Guests at nearby Muri Beachcomber, Muri Beach Hideaway, and even Pacific Resort had their vacations marred by this noisy behavior, which included backpakcers even breaking glass bottles on the beach and in the lagoon!

Vara's was under the gun to stop the compalints, so they put in tighter security at the beach. It sounds like they have gone a bit too far in that direction, but that is probably the genesis of the recent crackdown on late night noise.

Vara's up the hill---no complaints ever about people making noise there, and it never developed into a party place anyway.

No its not a advert for the other backpackers on the island as far as i know i have no shares invested in them. I just wanted to point out to young backpackers wanting to have more enjoyable and cheaper stay on the island i found the other backpackers much more enjoyable and friendly and made my stay on the Cooks far far better. The main problem with Vara's is the call themselves Low Budget accmomdation which is fine but they want the best of both worlds of the market so the offer cheap fully contained huts usually rented by older age couples who want to watch the pennies which are right beside the 5 bed dorm/triple rooms and double rooms which are usually or always filled with young male and female 18 - 30 year olds mostly single and you know whats gonna happen when this is combined lots of excitment and showing off. What i'm trying to say is that Vara could easily change there style of accomodation and offer just double rooms rooms at cheap price remove the dorms or triple rooms and this while cut down on young backpackers a little and then they wont need to force people to bed at night. No they seem to prefer to blame the guests that they reel in with cheap dorm rooms then take there money upfront on the first day i also did not mention unlike other places you pay at the end with a bit trust in place. No refund in vara i'm affaid if you want to leave mid stay. Its just my opionin and your welcome to yours if you had a great stay in the hillside thats great then start a topic like mine praysing it and advising people to go there just like i have offered my bit of advice. Although i will say many a person who stayed on the hillside were more than quick to try and leave or move to the beach side out of boredom, most normal backpackers cant afford town everynight due to lack of money. Also for the record i've travelled 3 months in South America through the worst and best hostels going and i dont see how this would have aything to do with my bit of advise for the cook islands which is all it is.

Hi Joe

I agree you made some valid points, yes Vara's is trying to be everything to all types, I guess that's part of the problem. And I agree they could redesign the style of the place as you suggested, and forcing people to bed early is awlful and will surely cause further problems.

However:
"take there money upfront on the first day "

Must places I have stayed in take money upfront or scan your card, I cant remember a hostel ever that has ever allowed me to stay without either paying or scanning my card, and very few hostels give refunds (I have tried on a few occasions, I did get part of my money back once) Are you sugesting Varas is untrustworthly for taking payment on arrival, its the norm

"most normal backpackers cant afford town everynight due to lack of money"

Every backpacker is different I guess, I prefered to spend 6 months travelling without money affecting the quality of the trip, wheras travelling for a year would have been different for me. Their is no such thing as a normal backpacker, we are all different.

"Although i will say many a person who stayed on the hillside were more than quick to try and leave or move to the beach side out of boredom"

Again every backpacker is different

Some of your advise and text you have writen are below. I feel you have been too strong in your use of language and in your opinions. Its not your bit of advice ; its you TELLING people whats right and wrong. Nothing wrong with opinions and advice, but we all dont fit in the same box.

"Nazi regime"
"This place VARA'S is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE backpackers i cant stress how bad it is"
"they think they are a resort (ITS A DUMP) "
"Vara is a complete hell hole so please advoid at all costs"

I wish you all the best for the rest of your trip

Mick, you hit it on the head! I know the owners quite well, and for a couple of years I've been telling Vara and Moana to do ONE thing and do it well. They have the moderate level self-contained units, mainly booked by couples, which are around NZ$100/night. I told them those guests would NOT put up with backpacker noise, guitar playing, etc., to the wee hours of the morning. So, what happened, lots of the couples stayed one night, then checked out, rather than stay for the next 3, 4, 5 etc nights. so, they were losing a lot of $$$.

Now they will be losing $$ from backpackers and others on a tighter budget, due to the very restrictive noise rules!

With that location they should really make it into a mid-to-upscale place, and keep the hill area for backpackers. Problem is, different family members actually own different buildings in the complex, so it is tough to change things.

Anyway, Vara's former reputation as a "party" place is obviously changing, at least for a while.

Ok i will agree my use of words were pretty harsh but maybe that shows the difference in quality i felt between both places.

(Firstly this is about Vara's beachside i did not stay on hillside but i did see it).

1.Nazi Regime. Not sure how else you could put it. Being told to go to bed is out of line no matter how i say it.

2. Horrible, Horrible place. Yes i will take back these words as i have seen alot worse and they dont deserve to be described as horrible as its quiet a clean place overall.

3. They think they are a resort (ITS A DUMP). Unfortunatly they do do see themselves a low budget resort in a lot of ways. A dump, No again harsh words but to act like a resort but still take the cheap accmodation line its a lot worse off than the other resorts.

4. Hell Hole and Avoid at all cost. Hell hole is completly wrong use of words as i have never seen hell and none of them had horns. Its not a bad place overall it was just my fustration boiling over at the time. Avoid at all costs was just my opioion as it probably suits an awful lot of people as we are all different i just like being made feel part of place and made feel welcome thats all and i did not get that feeling here, people will make up there own minds.

Just to update the facilities of offer on there website.

On Site Cafe (lovely food, very expensive)
Souvenir Shop (expensive)
Pharmacy (handy, expensive)
Beach Hut (not sure what this means, did not see any hut on beach owned by Vara's)
Beach Volleyball (Yes, good fun)
Internet facilities (Diall up $6 a hour, very very slow)
Fully equipped kitchens (Yes too very good kitchens)
Hot Water Showers - All Showers are solar heated exept for studios. (Absoulute LIES, Luke Warm at best between 1pm and 4pm which means no HOT morning showers or evening showers, hillside has gas heated showers so HOT water there. NO HOT water on beachside FULLSTOP.
BBQ area (Yes there is a BBQ but its NEVER used, No GAS)
Washing Machine (NO its a laudry service takes a day (overnite) very expensive $14 for a small bag.
Fans in every room (Yes)
Large common areas Sitting areas for socializing & playing games (Common area untill 11pm NO GAMES)
Rentals Mountain Bike available for hire at the office (Yes normal price really applies across island)
Free baggage storage (NO $5 per person to store bags for day while wait for departure)
Free Safe (Yes)
International Fax Send and Receive
local phone calls use the phones available for local calls to organize your activities (Yes But you have to pay to make them)

The last thing i want to say on this topic is i was very harsh in my words regarding Vara's and overall its a clean place with a lovely beach and thats about it. The other place i stayed i found it offered everything it said it would offer and more. Maybe i felt in my prefered place i got a feel what the people and the island were about, in Vara's i just found it a little set up and inpersonal.

All the best,

And i wish all the best with the rest of your work, (Mick).

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>1.Nazi Regime. Not sure how else you could put it. Being told to go to bed is out of line no matter how i say it.<hr></blockquote>

You can put it anyway but the way you have. (How about like strict parents?)

Google Auschwitz. Then get a sense of proportion and decency. You were staying at a hotel while vacationing in paradise. The security guard told you to go to bed.

Hi Joe! I think I just missed you at Rarotonga Backpackers - I remember the English girls there saying I moved into your old room! I was also really happy with Rarotonga Backpackers. The owners have tried so hard to create a good atmosphere and it really shows. The rooms were all clean and comfortable, and it was great having hot water for the showers all day. We had 3 nights in the double room, then 2 nights in the beach hut and would happily return again :)

1. Wouldnt call rarotonga paradise by any means, well not when I was there anyway. It may have been better had it not rained the entire six days I was there (and am well aware you cant predict the weather), however as it did there was literally nothing to do in or around the hostel but sit and talk, have a few drinks or play cards being constantly hounded by the very rude security guard, like i said about the sea, would have had no problem swimming had it not been for zero visibility in the water and after what happened to the nz woman there was no way we could get in. Did do treks round the island which were ok, but I have to say, I didnt really find the locals all that friendly outside of the hostel either. Everything was quite expensive, really got the strong feeling it was just give us your money and do what we tell you, go to bed, stop talking altogether (even in a whisper). It was just outrageous. Have to agree with aisandjoe and am pretty sure we met the same security guard, who was an absolute prick, my friend left our room the last night we were there, with the key on the bed, and the door shut behind her but this time it locked itself behind her somehow. The security guard said he didnt have keys to the rooms????? so we spent our last night attempting sleep on the flimsy couches in the living area with people in and out (and mice scurrying around) all night. No refund offered for last night by reception either. The reception didnt open til 9 when we could get back into the room, which we were then kicked out of at 10, it was disgraceful. Having just come from what I consider proper paradise, Fiji, where the people were absolutely lovely and totally easygoing, and you felt free to do what you wanted (within reason as I am always polite and respectful to locals in every way), I wouldnt recommend Rarotonga to a soul.

Whiel the security guard had no excuse to be rude, it is true that most security guards do not have keys to the individual rooms at most small motels on Rarotonga.

And you are blaming Vara's for the error of your friend, leaving her key in her room and locking it when she closed the door when she left!!!!??? Maybe she should have checked the door lock BEFORE she closed it WITH THE KEY oN THE BED!!!

QUOTE:

"my friend left our room the last night we were there, with the key on the bed, and the door shut behind her but this time it locked itself behind her somehow. "

Doors don't have the brainpower to "lock themselves". Most doors I know have an IQ of less than 50. Apparently, however, that is still higher than that of your friend.

I'm also sure that most people in the Cooks will not miss you or your friend.

Gosh the Irish are making a name for themselves !!!
Raro.... what month do you think would be the most comfortable to visit Aitutaki?( Rain.. Temp... and mosquitoes!!) Our plans are for Last week in Aug. for a month... Thanks

Hollybell---If you hate humidity (as I do), it's best to travel to the Cooks from about May to October. July and August are perfect, esp. for Aitutaki, since it's 140 miles n. of RAR and a bit hotter than RAR.

The mosquitoes on Aitutaki are about 5 times worse than on RAR (i.e., not bad on RAR, very bad on AIT.) Especially bad in the hotter months of Nov to April, but a lot less of them in June to about Oct. July and August are the best in this regard.

I think you've picked the best time to go! Have fun!

Thanks ,I haven't forgotten to pass on your "Hellos"!!

You're welcome, and thanks for passing on the"hellos"!!

OK Barbarella, I concede you do have a valid point. If the door was always closing itself and could inadvertantly lock that way, either the guard should have had a key to that room, or Vara should have had it fixed. It sounds like Vara's has gone down quite abit in the last several months, which is a shame.

However, I am surprised that you found the people on RAR not to be that friendly. What impressed me most when I first visited in 1977 was exactly that, the friendliness of people to visitors. It continued through the years. I moved there full-time in 1995.

As I've indicated in some other posts, once one moves there it can become a different story, as there is a bit of racism and jealousy to foreigners, just below the surface. This usually does not come out when one visits casually.

The guests I had at my Shangri-La from 1997 until 2007 all talked about the friendliness of the locals. I rarely heard complaints about rude locals, though it did happen on occasion. Some do have money signs in their eyes----well, actually a lot of them do---but most are also pretty friendly to visitors as well, regardless of money.

It would be interesting to know from the TT'ers here if other visitors also experienced "low-grade hostility" while in the Cooks.

When I visited the Cooks two years ago I found the people to be the friendliest of any place I've ever been. I was walking everywhere and folks were continually stopping and offering me rides. People chatted with me on buses. After the Church service that I went to I was stunned to see the locals wait until their foreign guests filled their plates.

However, I did notice "backpacker burnout" at Mainas. They opened the guesthouse in 2000. They had the best of intentions. I think over the years (which weren't many) they experienced lots of bad backpacker behavior. If you hang around the TT long enough you can read it in the attitudes of many of the posters. They had fresh towels for the guests, they were stolen. When I was there they were under lock and key in the closet. Some drunken kid smashed the TV. People probably didn't clean after themselves and the rooms were no longer kept clean. Maianas was a quieter alternative to Vara's. I think that's why the people who where there during my stay chose it. But it was too late, I think his attitude was if you're going to behave like pigs then I won't treat you much better.

How many times do we see young Brits (especially) say the Cook Islands are expensive. $20NZD for a dorm bed and the UK minimum wage is 5.50 pounds per hour. Isn't it a shame that the Cook Islanders aren't so desperately poor that they can't rent a room for a $1? It's the young princes and princesses of entitlement that have $ signs in their eyes.

I really think that the people have remarkable patience. Not in the Cooks but in French Polynesia (Moorea) I was on the Le Truck with a bunch of locals. Two Scandinavian (?) backpackers got on. They were putting up a fuss about the 300 cfp fare. They couldn't afford it (they were on vacation in Tahiti). They said that they were students. They looked about 30 and it was September so they should have been back in school. Fortunately for them a local woman whose car was blocked because they were holding up the bus offered to drive them to their destination. Lucky for them because I was a second away from expressing some New York style hostility (Pay the &%^ing fare you cheap $%3's!).

I hate to say it, but Silvanocat has hit upon one of the few nerves that people in the Cooks get mad about. It's the 18-21 yr old backpackers who have never been away from home, and act like jerks most of the time. And, as it turns out, most of them are British. Everyone in the Cooks knows this, but few openly talk about it.

That is not to say that most Brits are brats, 90% of them are very nice people. But it's the other 10% that has given them a very bad reputation in the Cooks, and possibly other places in the S. Pacific.

Vara knows this, Mano at Maina knows this, as do all the other backpacker hostel owners and managers. That is why there is a certain distrust of backpackers, and it has gotten much stronger over the past few years.

As I indicated somewhere else, the backpackers at Vara's were getting out of control, partying to 4am on the beach, waking up everyone at Muri Beach who either lived there (like me) or was a tourist staying there, breaking glass bottles on the beach, and much worse, in the lagoon as well. It was so bad and so many complaints were filed, that Vara's could possibly have been shut down if the problems weren't lessened. She may have gone overboard in the other direction, however.

I for one was kind of glad to see the RAR/Tahiti flights on Air NZ end, as hopefully it meant that less backpacker brats (the younger backpackers) would visit the Cooks. The same applies for the soon-to-be-gone RAR/Fiji route. If the Cooks are off the cheapo RTW-fare backpacker route---the one used by all those young brats--- I think it will be better for the country. Those who want to visit the Cooks can still do so via LAX or AKL, and hit Fiji or Tahiti on the way back to N. America, or pay extra and visit from PPT.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Yes can totally understand young backpackers ruining it for the rest of us, have seen it everywhere in my years of travel. Dunno why they just cant stay home and act like animals. But we were clearly feeling the backlash from this when we got there, quite unfairly and without any provocation on our part.

I was 31 when I visited last year so not a young backpacking brat, just wanted to chill on the island, sunbathe/swim and snorkel all day and continue the blissfull chillout we had enjoyed in Fiji, but was definitely treated like a troublemaker from day one which I found incredibly odd! But even at 21, or any age for that matter, I would have total respect for locals, for Gods sake its their home we're invading. I would suggest it be explained to tourists about neighbours complaining of noise levels (and I do remember vaguely hearing about this while I was there), but since we never made any noise in the first place, having the security guard hounding us around the island and ordering us to bed at 11pm at night, was very heavy-handed and unnecessary, he seemed to relish doing it a bit too much, I mean every 5 minutes he was over shining a torch in peoples faces!). Hopefully they get the balance right on the island for the future and dont let their bad experiences with previous tourists tar everyone with the same brush. Its sad that I had a bad experience in Rarotonga but it did leave a bad taste in my mouth and I cant say otherwise unfortunately.

Silvancat you have hit the nail on the head

I respect the different ways people like to travel, but I have never really understood why some backpackers travel for longer than they can afford. For example I met people in the Cook Islands that never went to a restaurant to try the local catch like Mia Mia or drink in a bar in the Cooks, they cooked their own and bought beer in the local shop, and could not afford to hire equipment ie scooters. Surely the quality of your holiday would suffer as a result. I also met a backpacker in Nadi with £35 left to his name????????

I dont like to give people advice, let people do it any way that makes them happy. I just find it hard to understand

And I found the Cook Islanders some of the friendliest about, well second to Fiji

Hi,
thank you for all the informative advice posted on this thread, i have found it very useful. I am hoping to travel to the cooks september next year on my way from Tahiti. I am a 19 year old British female on a rtw trip. I am now quite worried about the way people seem to view young backpackers, and hope i wont encounter any predjudice. We are definately not all the same, although i can see why people have these views, as a lot of young british people are absolutely disgustingly behaved in other countries. All i want to say is that we are not all like that, myself for example, i am going to the cook islands for the paradise setting, but also because i am fascinated by the rich culture and lifestyle of the pacific people, and definately do not want to encroach on them or be a nuisance. Really i would like to meet local people and be far away from British people as i can!. As for being spoilt, well thats not true, because i am working two jobs to pay for this, with absolutely no backing from my parents or otherwise who i havent lived with for two years. Also although i am poor by English standards, i still appreciate every day how lucky i am for what i have. But really what i wanted to say is any info on the cooks anyone has will be very much appreciated and i hope that if i ask questions, you might be able to answer them for me.

Well, first, not sure you will make it to the Cooks: "I am hoping to travel to the cooks september next year on my way from Tahiti"

There are flights from Tahiti to the Cooks, but they are NOT on any of the main carriers, so they are NOT included on your usual RTW ticket. you'll have to pay extra for that flight. and since you are on a very modest budget, I'm not sure you want to do that.

Aside from that, if you do go there, the first impression people will get is from you and how friendly and considerate you act towards them. There is a general distrust of British backpakcers, but it is not an automatice thing. If you are friendly and not demanding, and respect the local culture, your neighbours, etc., things should be fine.

There are a lot of posts here, use the "search" feature. Look at the FAQ at the top of this branch. Also, you can check the main website www.ck for more info.