Last minute accommodations in Roratonga?

Hi all - we found last-minute flights to Roratonga for cheap ($800 round trip from Los Angeles) and are leaving in 2 weeks. We like the way Aremango Guesthouse looks but they only had an availability for the first night. Muri Beach Cottage also looks great, and I'm waiting to hear back from them, but am not very hopeful given how few units they have.

We usually like having a reservation for just the first night and then figuring out the rest on the fly, but it sounds like that might not be the best strategy in Roratonga? Our top priority will be easy access to snorkeling, so I think we'd like to stay in Tikioki if possible. We'd like to stay under 120 USD per night but could bump it up a little for something we love. We will only be there for 5 nights, and most of the villas I've looked at require a 7 night minimum stay.

Thank you!

You may want to rent a car or scooter for a couple of days. Raro is fun to explore and with transportation you won't have to stay right where you snorkel. With such a tight schedule you might want to book all 5 nights. Lagoon and some others on this forum have a better handle on Raro accommodation than I.

I know it sounds silly if you're on a tight budget, but consider splurging $375 ea for a day trip to Aitutaki, you won't regret it. When you come back, you'll want to go to Aitutaki for a week or two.....

Thanks H2ooh - we lucked out and were able to get the Pole House at Muri Beach Cottage for the remaining nights.

Good to know you think Aitutaki is worth the splurge - thanks! Do people usually arrange it themselves, or do it through an agency?

You could check with Islandhopper or others but I think you'll probably do just as well setting it up with Air Raro online. They include airport transfers, an island tour and a lagoon cruise, snorkel gear and lunch in the deal. There's probably not a lot of room for an agent to make any money at a discounted price.

Check out Aitutaki on Google Maps or Earth and you'll get an idea of what it looks like.