Sands Villas

Kia Orana,

As fellow global travellers we believe we have found "heaven on earth" in the Cook Islands.

Welcome to our "slice of heaven".

We have created these villas ourselves escaping a stressed world. It works for us. We invite you to enjoy our island homes and be part of our Cook Islands family. Rongo and her team will look after you superbly.

Pround finalists

"It appears that everyone has a delightful stay. But be warned... Staying at the Sands Villas is contagious. You will want to return time and again."



Kia Manuia,
Jim, Eve, Jill, Rongo, Peter & Jolene.




About Rarotonga

Rarotonga is the largest and most populated island of the Cook Islands.

With a population of around 13,000, it is the commercial, political and administration centre for the Cooks. The main township of Avarua is located on the north coast of the island, adjacent to the airport and main harbour. There you will find the banks, post office, police headquarters, government departments and bigger shops and stores.

Rarotonga has the feel of being one big holiday island. The atmosphere is relaxed and everything seems to happen in 'Cook Islands time'. The island is only 32 kms (about 20 miles) in circumference and a journey along the main road (Ara Tapu) is easy going with a maximum speed limit of 50kms/hr.

Never far from the crystal blue lagoons, a journey around the island is a pleasant experience that takes less than an hour by rental; scooter, car or public bus. Cyclists take around four hours at a leisurely pace with breaks.

Inland, the volcanic peaks rise to 653 metres (2142ft) providing a picturesque backdrop covered in lush tropical vegetation. Rarotonga's densely forested interior is mainly uninhabited and hilly with most of the population living near the coast. For hikers, there are exhilarating escorted cross-island treks, and also climbs to some of the island's peaks.

The many activities on Rarotonga include snorkelling in the pristine lagoons, scuba diving, kite surfing, paddle boarding, mountain bike riding, game fishing, quad tours, trekking , glass bottom boat tours, flight seeing, sailing, souvenir shopping, beach fitness and, at certain times of the year, whale watching.

Nightlife is abundant and varied; there are numerous restaurants, cafés and bars around the island in every township and village, in the hotels and resorts, and in other attractive locations.

Island Shows are on just about every night of the week. They are lots of fun, colourful and entertaining, and combined with a buffet-style feast, they are good value for money.

Due to the hilly interior, there is no road crossing the island, but Rarotonga has regular bus routes around the island. The buses are clearly marked: 'Clockwise' and 'Anti-Clockwise'. There are official bus stops, but the buses will pick up and set down just about anywhere.



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Also available

The adjacent “Vaka Cottage” self-contained studio sleeps an additional two guests. Contact us for rates and availability of Vaka Cottage.