Your South Pacific honeymoon destination ...

Sokala Villas are set in the picturesque bay of Muri Lagoon, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The beach front villas come with their own facilities and many with their own pool. You´ll be just a few steps from the  tranquil turquoise lagoon  where you can snorkel by day and relax with a drink at sunset ...

Sokala Villas is sited at Muri Lagoon on Rarotonga within the Cook Islands.
We are on a beautiful little island in the South Pacific Ocean close to Tahiti and south of Hawaii.

There is approx. 15,000 people living in the Cook Islands. The capital town Avarua is on Rarotonga, where approx. 8,000 people live. The Cook Islands
are a self-governing country, in free association with New Zealand.

Rarotonga is approx. 5,390 km east-northeast from Sydney and 3,015 km east-northeast from Auckland. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the islands stay a bioparadise. - Birds distance from Hamburg to Rarotonga app. 16.500 km.

The Cook Islands enjoy a pleasantly warm and sunny climate all year round. There is always a nice breeze caused by the steady south east trade winds.

June to August are the cooler months, whilst November to March marks the warmer season, with some occasional tropical showers / winds expected.

The drier months from April to November have an average temperature of about 26°C, whilst the warmer, more humid season runs from December to March. During this season the average temperature ranges between 22°C (min) and 28°C (max). The tropical sun can be very intense down here. But you'll like it.

Rarotonga is a green island. A bioparadise that receives an amount of 2040 mm rain per year. An occasional tropical shower doesn't hurt you in a climate with an average temperature of 23,9 °C. You might need sun protection lotion, but Raro is not under the ozone hole. - It is the huge Pacific Ocean around these islands that makes our climate. - Come over and enjoy it ...

There’s great snorkeling in the lagoon. We have complimentary snorkeling gear for you. It comprises of 1 net bag, 1 snorkel, 1 mask and 1 pair of fins.
We also provide reef shoes in different sizes for guests that got no trekking sandals. Equipment is provided as a free service for Sokala Villas guests.

The lagoon in front of Sokala Villas and about 500 metres on both sides is one of five protected marine areas on Rarotonga, where fishing is prohibited. When you have finished snorkeling, please don’t leave the snorkeling gear in direct sunlight.

Another good place for snorkelling is directly off motu Taakoka on the seaward side of this small island at the right hand side of Muri lagoon, and also an area known as Coral Gardens. This is in the next village from us opposite the Fruits of Rarotonga. If the shop is open they will also look after your belongings if you have any. You can feed the fish there, so take some bread grumbs with you.

Always wear protective footwear in the lagoon and on the reef. Feel free to walk along the beach, as it is public property up to the average high water mark. Across the main road at the entrance to Sokala Villas is Pacific Divers, which operates ocean dives daily at 9am and 2pm, as well as run a dive certification course.

We have 6 sit on paddle boats that you may borrow anytime, the paddles are kept under the office stairs. We recommend that you paddle to the right keeping on this side of the little islands. Its very nice to take a picnic lunch and paddle across to the Motu Koromiri which is the islet right across from the Pacific Resort.

After using the canoes please ensure that you pull them right back up on the beach, well away from the water mark and return the paddles under the stairs. Thank you. Meitaki maata

Buses - The yellow island buses operate twice hourly during Monday to Saturday. The buses pass our main road entrance heading to the left (clockwise route) starting at 7.14am (this is the one to catch if you’re going deep-sea fishing from Avatiu Harbour at 8am) then hourly at 14 past the hour.

But the shortest route to town is the bus travelling to the right (anti-clockwise route) starting at 9.06am and hourly at 6 minutes past the hour. The best bus to catch in Avarua when returning to the villas is the clockwise service that leaves Avarua on the hour.

Buses run from 7am to 4pm (clockwise) Monday to Saturday. - Anti-clockwise bus starts from 8.25am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday and but on Saturdays only from 8.25am to 12.30pm. - On Sundays the buses operate every hour going only clockwise starting at 8am to 12pm and again at 2pm to 4pm.

Entering the bus for the first time you can ask the busdriver for a timetable.

Local calls can be made from your villa by dialling the number directly, for a fee.

If you would like to send or check your emails or go surfing on the net, there is a green Internet Café about 70 metres from Sokala Villas towards the main road. They also offer a USB cable to connect data sticks or your labtop directly.

If you are not going to the Post Office close to the roundabout in town we can post your mail for you, just bring it up to the Sokala office. Your letters will be dropped off in the afternoon. Or at the airport there’s a small red letterbox on the right of the international / domestic check-in terminal, if you want to drop it off there just before you take off.

You can send books or parcels by airfreight in a few days to New Zealand and Australia. Parcels to Europe take a few days more. - If your parcel is not urgent at all you can send it by seafreight and make it travel for a couple of month ;-)

Remember, you are on Rarotonga. We usually don´t rush things here. Living a bit slower is one of the qualitys this island offers ;-)

These are our recommended ‘must do’ activities while you are here on Raro – Takitumu Conservation walk – Kake Rori, Pa's Cross Island Trek, Capt. Tama's Lagoon Cruise, Cultural Village and Highland Paradise.

We can book either one of these activities for you or you can do so from your phone in your room. Or you can relax in your villa or on your deck.

The amount of possible activities apart from from honeymooning are :

Snorkeling, Diving, Horseriding, Microflight Adventures, Scooter Cruising, Beachwalks, Sunbathing, Gift Shopping, Eating Out, Cinema, Golfing, Tropical Garden, Island Night Clubbing, Jetblasting, Paddling, Game Fishing, Coconut Experiencing, Swimming, Wading, Bathing, Cycling, Running, Bussing, Gallery Hopping, Getting Married, Taking Photos, Going to the Cultural Market on Saturdays, Sundaychurch, Having Coffee in Street Cafes, Shopping, Surfing, Windsurfing, Outer Island Daytour, Planting, Island nights, Sun-worshipping or enjoing a relaxing Polynesian Massage ...

You´ll have fun on Rarotonga, but remember we are a Christian country.

Budget and a few local rentals here in our area rent out cars, motor bikes, scooters and bicycles. You will be charged from the day you take the vehicles out till the day you bring it back.

For those who want to rent a car or Suzuki jeep, Mazda sports car or economy vehicle. Budget rent a car (phone 20895) provides a pick-up and return service into town. For insurance cover to be in place, drivers of all vehicles require a Cook Islands driver’s licence, which can be obtained from the Police Station in town between 8am and 3pm Monday to Friday and up to 12 noon on Saturdays . Make sure to take your overseas licence with you.

If you’re hiring a motorcycle and have this class of vehicle on your overseas licence, you don’t need to take a practical riding test. If not, you’ll have to take the test, which involves riding your scooter around the block in town with a policeman following on his motorbike. For those of you from North America and Europe - don’t forget to   KEEP TO THE LEFT ! (nationwide speed limit 60 km/h, in towns and villages 40 km/h)

A tip for motorbike passengers: climb on and off the scooter from the left side to avoid touching the muffler, which can become very hot and could leave a nasty memento of your stay which the locals refer to as ‘Honda rash”. Please don’t ride motorbikes on the motel footpaths - you can leave them in the parking area at the front of the villas.

Sails Restaurant Muri Lagoon during Vaka Eiva 05

Rarotonga’s first award-winning Flame Tree Restaurant is right next door. To get there, just walk up to the main road, turn left and take the next road back towards the beach. The restaurant offers good value for money. The food served is very nice and tasty. Most dishes are served with rice and a complimentary salad. The prompt local staff members Shannon and Paul can recommend you various dishes and drinks, and know what children like to eat. - The Flame Tree´s wine menu shows taste and experience. They offer a full range of 62 wines plus aperetifs, beers, cocktails and champagne. You can sit indoors or on their roofed terrace. Flame Tree staff play nice local island music CDs and evergreens.
It´s a place where our visitor couples really like to go for dinner. They enjoy eating in their calm and relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with handprinted fabric art with a smooth light coming from behind, showing African and Polynesian themes. The Flame Tree was chosen Restaurant of the Year in 1989 by Cuisine NZ during Sue´s ownership. The new owners are specialists in exotic cuisine from around the world and run the restaurant in a very professional manner. After dining you can move to a separate area and enjoy a smoke and a cocktail while sitting on comfortable rattan furniture, with nice green plants around you. - Price range for mains : 19.00 NZD to 37.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted
• Open daily from 6pm  

Stefano´s Italian Cuisine is located on the main road in Muri. You can sit on their wooden deck under a roof and enjoy fresh pasta, salad and wine. Authentic Italian food. If you´ve never tasted real fresh pasta before, it´s an amazing experience you should not miss. (please have a look at the first photo on the left) Stefano´s Italian Cuisine is owned and operated by Roberta Lugli and Stefano Manelli from Italy, who are very nice and friendly people. They are very flexible and showed the best performance during the restaurant test page writing. A typical Italian family restaurant that also provides some nice magazines if you want to read while you listen to music from southern Europe ;-) Enjoy your meals there, it is a very nice place to go.
Price range for mains : 17.50 NZD to 23.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted.
• Open for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday from 05:30 pm, Monday closed. 

The POINT Restaurant and Bar, part of Muri Beach Club Hotel, opened its doors in December 2005. You´ll find it only 250 metres down the beach to the right. It´s a very nice looking quality restaurant that offers a wide international menu to dine in an indulgent club atmosphere. - Very nice food they serve. Only two months after opening they have already set a new beachmark in dining with their Valentines Dinner, where the POINT was full of locals in their late 30s, enjoying a delicous 3 course menu. - Eating their you might listen to contemporary music with lots of soul. The restaurant´s kitchen has glas walls so you can have a close look how the chefs prepare and decorate the food. Diners must be 18 years and over. The UPSTAIRS lounge, equiped with comfortable sofas has opened recently. The Lounge has the best possible views and later will be suitable for functions, business meetings and even small conferences. You can also enter the POINT restaurant barefoot by the beach door. They have very nice local staff in TAV dresses ;-) The Club-Hotel´s decoration is exceptional and arty, find out yourself. Great views onto Muri Lagoon and the hotel´s swimming pool area. Price range for mains : from 15.50 NZD to 32.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted.
• The POINT Restaurant is open daily for breakfast from 07:00 until 10:30, for lunch 10:30 until 05:00 pm and dinner 06:00 pm until 09:30 pm.

About 500 metres to the right along the beach you’ll find the Pacific Resort’s Sandals Restaurant, and the Barefoot Bar overlooking Muri lagoon. The restaurant's menus show the huge experience they have gained over the years. Nice Polynesian food with local names, lots of fresh fish and also international meals. They are good with soups too. Recently the menu cards became more present and colourful. Sandals is very kid-friendly. Frequently a local serenader or a small stringband performs. Sandals Restaurant also offers an all-you-can-eat-breakfast buffet from 07:30am to 10:30am - Every friday night is island night at Sandals with live music and a drum dance performance starting just after dinner. Sandals and Barefoot Bar are also celebrating a so called "Pacific night" on all Monday evenings ;-)
The unique and relaxed atmosphere in the seperate Barefoot Bar is truly tropical, and during the day you´ll meet international travellers who make use of the Wifi Hotspot to communicate with the world by laptop computer while having a tropical cocktail. - The Pacific Resort began with only six Bungalows in 1988 and has grown successfully since then. The Resort has developed a Polynesian style that has become a model for the Cook Islands. You can eat indoors, on the small terrace or right on the beach where you can sit on their beach with your feet in the warm sand, overlooking Muri Lagoon while dining.
If it comes to a power blackout on the island, the Pacific Resort is the recommended place to eat. They operate a power generator. - kia manuia. Price range for mains : 15.00 NZD to 31.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted.
• Open daily for Breakfast from 7:30 am, Lunch from 11:00 am and Dinner from 6:00pm. - Happy hour from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

You will find Sails Restaurant and Bar just another 100 metres further down along the beach. Sails has a superb view across the lagoon. Their menu shows an amazing deepness and a wide knowledge in Polynesian cuisine. Very nice food served at Sails. They also offer a big variety of drinks from cocktails to wines and a good range of affordable sparkling wines too.
The menu also cares for kids needs and contents some useful written visitor information ;-) Sails is also hosting the annual Muri Sprints / Vaka Eiva Paddling and managed to organize very nice and popular new year´s eve parties. As long as we know them, Sails staff always played the coolest contemporary music on Muri Beach. Enjoy your dinner in a tropical atmosphere on their deck or inside with candles, plants and indirect light. You´ll be well off to buy yourself a decent "Sails shirt" that prooves that you´ve made it to Muri Beach ;-) in the South Pacific.
As they are also the base of the Rarotonga Sailing Club, the history of this place goes back to 1940 ! - The new building you´ll be dining in, has been opend in 2000 and offers a very decent but also relaxed atmosphere. The special RSC club menu operates every saturday, it is designed to promote the Rarotonga Sailing Club and encourage visitors and locals to come down and enjoy the facility. - Price range for these special meals only : 7.50 NZD to 15.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted.
• Operating hours : 7 days a week, Lunch from 11:00 am, Dinner from 06:00 pm. - Sunday brunch from 10:30 am. Price range for mains : from 12.50 NZD to 28.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted.  

The Tamarind House is a very excellent restaurant located in upper Tupapa, a couple of kilometers before you reach the Avarau township on the beachside. International and polynesian meals on the menu. The food they serve is of an amazing quality ;-) To make it perfect, they also offer a huge variety in drinks, coffees, deserts and wine. (You can order a delicious fruit smoothie that is not on the menu.) The upper deck with the bar is just spacy enough to have big cocktail party functions where you stand, walk and talk.
A very good place to mingle with the locals. Many islanders go there. From the dining terrace you have an excellent view onto the surf, the ocean and the horizon line. A fine restaurant in a colonial building with traditions. The beautiful staff is competent and wears beautiful polynesian-indian dresses. Tamarind is owner operated. Sue is mostly present and if you buy the Tropical Garden Cookbook she wrote, you can get it signed personaly. - Price range for mains : 15.50 NZD to 33.50 NZD/CID, cash and creditcards accepted
• Tamarind House Restaurant is open Mo-Sat for breakfast from 10:00, for lunch from 11:30 until 2:30 pm and for dinner from 06:00 pm on. - Happy hour 4:30 pm to 6:00pm.  

Usually you can just walk into these restaurants and wait to be seated, but it is recommended to book in advance. For groups and special occasions it is highly recommended to make a reservation by phone. Your early reservation enables the restaurants to reserve you a nice, interesting table and to plan and purchase fresh food for the next days ...

A small grocery store is about 100 metres to the left along the main road. This is open 7 days a week from 6am to 11pm (closed between 9am – 12 noon on Sundays). The stores in ‘downtown’ Avarua open between 8am - 4pm Monday to Friday and 8am - 12 noon on Saturdays. Foodland Supermarket closes 2 hours later.

Please help yourself to the complimentary fresh fruit bowl and sparkling wine in your room on your arrival. There is also some juice, tea, coffee, sugar, milk and cereals provided at your arrival to give you a good start into your first day on Rarotonga.

Small shops usually have a limited range of fresh fruit such as pawpaws and oranges. Good places to buy fruit are at the market just past the Avarua centre, Foodland in Avarua and at the CITC Foodcentre opposite Avatiu wharf in town.

Wigmore’s Superstore is about 500 metres this side of the outside the village of Titikaveka. Wigmore’s opens on Sundays from 6am - 9am, and again from 2pm - 9pm.

It’s highly recommended when holidaying in the tropics to boil your drinking water. (Your stomach is not used to local waters)

Rarotonga’s water supply comes straight from the mountains and doesn’t have any chemicals added to it, but some people may suffer an upset stomach by drinking it unboiled. After boiling a kettle of water please let it cool down before pouring it into a clean bottle and put into the refrigerator.

Botteled water is affordable and provided by local suppliers. Remember that it is recommended to drink up to two liters per day in the tropics. You can always get yourself a coconut nu from the trees around you. One of our staff can show you how to open it ;-)

For those from the Northern Hemisphere who want to see the Southern Cross, you can find it on a clear night fairly close to the southern horizon.

Oneroa, the small island opposite Sokala, is roughly due east, so if you wade out into the lagoon a few metres and look to the right between the next small island, Koromiri, and the mainland, you’re facing due south. Look for the two brightest stars in the constellation Centaurus, as they point towards the neighbouring four stars of the Southern Cross.

Visitors from bigger city´s might be astonished how much stars are visible.

Most church services are at 10am on Sundays. The nearest church to the villas is the Ngatangiia village branch of the Cook Islands Christian Church, one of the six London Missionary Society churches on Rarotonga.

This is the white limestone building opposite the Ngatangiia harbour entrance - it’s about a 12 to 20 minute walk to the right along the main road. The closest Catholic Church is in Matavera village, about 3.5km to the right. There is also the Seventh Day Adventist church, Bahai Faith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly known as Mormons).

A wake-up phone call into your villa can be arranged

Like most accommodation places on Rarotonga, our check-in time is 12 noon and check-out is at 10am. For those with flight departures later in the day, please confirm with the office to see if late check-out to 6pm has already been pre-arranged and booked for you.

A 6pm late checkout, when available, can be arranged at half the daily room rate. Before departing for the airport please leave your room keys on the dining table in your villa. If you still have your accommodation voucher, please leave this on the table too.

For those who are leaving us for an international flight, please come to the office and settle your account if any before 3pm. For those that are leaving on Saturday to early Monday morning, please come and settle your account before 3pm on Friday.

We are looking forward to your next visit. - Many guests come back. Some are coming back for 12 years now. They have their reasons. - Thank you.

Cook Islands coins and banknotes are only legal tender here and cannot be exchanged overseas, including New Zealand. Apart from those pieces you want to take home as souvenirs or gifts for collectors, you’re advised to exchange your Cook Islands currency at the airport bank before you depart. It’s usually open during international flight times . Normal banking hours for the three trading banks in Avarua are 9am - 3pm Monday to Friday. Westpac is open on saturday morning 9am -12 noon.

- All documents must be in english or translated into english
- Marriages in the Cook Islands are legally binding worldwide
- The Marriage Registrar needs a minimum of 3 working days to process the marriage documents, prior to the wedding day.
- Couples will need to apply their intent of marriage in person, at least 3 days prior to their wedding.
- Minimum age 21 year. If you are younger you need a trustworthy permission signed by your parents.

Having your wedding within the minimum required 3 days will incur an extra fee of NZ$ 45 to the Marriage Registrar.

Rates Include:

• Complimentary sparkling wine, fruit juice and a fruit basket on arrival

Room Configuration:

• Each villa has one bedroom with a four-poster king size bed.
• The two story villas have a queen size bed in the lounge.
• Maximum guest per villa 4
• Children under 12 years are not accommodated