A group of 17 of us, from grandparents to little ones, virtually took over Avana Waterfront Apartments, occupying 4 of the 8 units for a week, and loved it.

The apartments are well appointed, each with a slightly different layout, depending on the number of bedrooms (2 or 3) and floorplan. The master bedroom upstairs facing the lagoon is wonderful with plenty of space and a great view over the palm trees and water. A bathroom upstairs and downstairs as well as an outside shower and foot tap, meant it was easy to rinse off after a dip in the sea. There is also a washing machine and line for drying. The apartment complex has a pool, but we never used it, preferring the sea.

The well-equipped kitchen (sink, stove tops, oven, microwave, extensive utensils) made food preparation easy, which was lucky for us, as we catered both for children and an adult's party on the final night, with too much food as always! We did strike a problem with one kitchen in that when there was a lot of water lying around on the bench, the sink was live! We asked for it to be fixed and the staff were concerned, but unable to get an electrician out in the remaining 3 days we were there. I assume it's been fixed subsequently.

The staff were very pleasant to deal with and looked after the place well, replenishing with fresh linen and giving it a good clean every 3 days (bar Sundays) while we were out. There are kayaks and lifejackets available free, or more sophisticated kayaks for hire. We used the free ones, which were fine, to paddle down to Muri Beach, 2-3 kilometres (1.5-2 miles).

There is a wharf in front of the apartments and it's possible to swim on the lagoon (vs the ocean) side, but the best swimming is down at Muri Beach, a 5 minute drive or 20-30 minute walk, with snorkelling a couple of kilometres further down at the southern end of the beach or round at Fruits of Rarotonga. Muri Beach also has a range of cafes, bars, restaurants and other shopping & rental outlets, second only to the main town of Avarua, although neither is large.

Other attractions are the Saturday markets in Avarua (on the northern side of the island near the airport), and the cross-island walk, which starts out of Avarua and ends up on the south coast. Check the bus timetables or organise to be picked up - we didn't and were lucky to meet other friends just as we emerged from the track, who scootered us back, another popular way of getting round on the island. We did the walk unguided - if you're confident going into the bush and following a marked trail, you should be fine, but that's on your head, not mine!

Overall a wonderful place to stay, both in terms of the accommodation and the location. You're not right on the main beach, but near enough if you like walking or have a vehicle.

Our family had a great holiday at Avana Watefront Apartments. The location is great. Relaxing, quiet, aqnd private. The kids had fantastic fun swimming and jumping off the jetty and loved the bonfires on the beach. Our hosts Desiree, Randy, Mark, and Reuben were very welcoming and looked after us extremeley well. Nothing was too much trouble. The accomodation is spacious and kept very clean and tidy. A great setup for families or groups. We have been to Rarotonga 4 times now and this was one of the best places we have stayed at. We would not hesitate to recommend Avana Waterfront Apartments to you.

We have just had a great holiday with our extanded family at AWA and are delighted with our choice of location and accomodation. Great place to stay for a family holiday, easy access to beach and safe swimming and the grandchildren just loved getting out of bed each day to dash along the jetty to feed the beautiful tropical fish with bread. The pool option provided an opportunity to just kick back in the evening, have a drink and Barbie while keeping an eye on the kids still playing. Fantastic place for total rest and recreation. thanks to you all for making our stay with you such a wonderful and positive experience.

Our family stayed for a week, along with friends & their children, from NZ. We had a very relaxing family holiday. The BBQ at night by the pool was great. Location is good - not far from town by scooter and close to the good snorkeling spots. The kids enjoyed the kayaks and snorkeling just out from the jetty. Jumping off the jetty was great fun also. The Moorings just across the water from the Apartments is a great place for lunch. Desiree & Randy were great hosts ensuring everything was OK. Thanks also to Mark for the bonfire on the beach for the kids and the "short" walk up the hill for view of Muri - it was worth the effort! Rueben is a good snorkeling guide and his local knowledge of the area was interesting. We had a great time and wouldn't hesitate to go back.