Because of Trip Advisor, Etu Moana had some extremely high expectations to live up to, and believe it or not, they surpassed all of them! Jim, Jo-Anne, and all the staff (and I do mean ALL the staff – from the girls at reception and breakfast, to the housekeepers and David, the very talented groundskeeper) just could not have been more friendly and helpful. After our ten days with them we felt like we were saying goodbye to family! Really, I can’t add any more to the already wonderful reviews they have received so far. Everything is true!

From the moment that we arrived on Aitutaki I was in my glory. My wife and I were greeted by Jo-Ann & Lovey at the airport who donned us with beautiful flower leis. From there we traveled back to the resort and had a very nice continental breakfast (great coffee and croissants!).

After breakfast our room was ready for us and it did not disappoint. Every villa in the resort has at least some view of the lagoon. We were in villa 8, which some people might think is the ghetto villa because it's the furthers away from the water, but really they are all amazingly beautiful! Nice bathroom, a quaint kitchen... and great accent lighting above the headrest of the bed. And the resort was lush and filled with very nicely colored flowers throughout.

While the hotel was nice, the thing I found most appealing about the whole experience was the service. I can be known to be a stickler for details and the gang at Etu Moana surpassed my high standards. I felt like I could ask any of the staff questions about excursions or dinner locations and they always had a good answer and a smile. Not only that but I never felt like I was bothering them by asking them questions or having them book something for me.

Ok so the resort was great, the water in the lagoon was amazing! So when am I packing up my bags and moving there, right? Well not so fast. The mosquitos on Aitutaki are INSANE! We were only on the island for 4 nights but I swear I lost at least a pint of blood. We had hard core deet spray... We had mosquito coils burning almost nonstop but they were relentless. While I really enjoyed my stay, I really don't think I'll be back until they start spraying again on the island. On one leg, from the knee down I counted 25 bites after 3 days. It was pretty crazy.

Ok so if you still are interested in going. Etu Moana has to be the best resort (for the price) on the island. We also stayed at Tamanu Beach resort and while it was $100 a night cheaper over there it wasn't wasn't anywhere half as nice. My wife I'm sure would say it was fine... but it you want a classy place for reasonable value I would go with Etu Moana.

If anyone has any questions about restaurants or excursions if you are going there let me know, I'd be happy to answer them.

Yellow Boat Tour - Killer! Highly recommended
Cafe Tapuna - Kinda pricey ~$30 per main course but worth every dollar
The Boat Shed - I'd pass on the place... my swordfish was cold. My wife like it though... so go at your own risk.
JK's - Killer burgers... I don't know what they put in them but they were fantastic! Burger for $10
Tauono's - Great meal but kinda pricey. Lunch was $25 for a main which kinda surprised us. Staff are really friendly! Say hi to Jasper and Banff (owners cats) for us.
Scooter Rental - $25 bucks per day. A must do! Watch out for the crabs on the back side of the island... they are everywhere! They are really cool though.
Te Vaka Restaurant - Ate there for dinner. ~$25-30 bucks for a main. Cafe Tapuna was better but Te Vaka was still not too bad.

Oh yeah if you fly back to Raro thinking that you'll spend the day there after you check out and fly back to LA on the midnight flight... heres a few tips for you.

1.) To store you bags at the Raro airport is $20... Coins only please. ugh!
2.) Everything (and I mean everything, shops, car/scooter rentals, etc.) closes on Saturday at 12:30 pm... So your odds of renting a scooter for a day are basically zero.
3.) There are no public showers anywhere... So if your thinking about hanging in the Muri Lagoon and having a nice shower before you hop on the plane to come home you might want to think again. Psst... here's a secret... head to the pacific resort and run up to the sailing club... start speaking about the wind in the lagoon and then waltz in to the shower there like you own the place. ;)
4.) A cab ride from the Raro airport to Muri beach will run you about $30. Take the bus.
5.) A cool hang out while your waiting for your bus back to the airport is the hostel on Muri beach. I can't remember the name of it but they have cheap internet that you can chill on while your waiting for your ride.

My husband and I stayed in villa 4 at Etu Moana at the beginning of April this year. We found this stunning hotel through trip advisor and booked because of the reviews we saw on here. They were not lying, if anything its better than the reviews.
The staff are lovely, the rooms are gorgeous, the beach is beautiful, it really is paradise.

Breakfast every morning is delicious and when we had to get up early to do a dive course they made sure that breakfast was ready for us, everything was so easy thanks to the fantastic staff.

I would highly recommend hiring a scooter and travelling that way, it’s much easier than catching a taxi and a lot more fun, you can hire them from reception for a small fee.

The pool was beautiful and the honesty bar works really well and is very reasonably priced.

Jim and Jo-Anne and lovely and have done a fantastic job running and managing the place.
I can’t think of anything else to rave about, I will end this by saying that we are saving up as quickly as possible to come back to this perfect island and stay for longer this time!

Etu Moana is a superb place to stay if you are on a honeymoon or a romantic getaway.

The staff and the owners are very helpful and professional; they volunteered information about Aitutaki and arranged activities for us at our every whim. Everything was done on time (pickups, airport transfers) and without any problems. The owners also volunteered to give us a ride to a local restaurant during the rainstorm sparing us from a scooter ride in torrential rain.

The accommodations and the grounds are immaculate. The villas are well designed and maintained and the garden is just fantastic. The local chickens, Myna birds and cats provide instant entertainment and fill the garden with life. Any villa you get will be fine – they are all close to the beach, so there is no need to be too picky about them. The beach is well maintained (cleaned daily) and is the entry point to amazing snorkelling. The little pool is clean and just the right thing to have once you are done with the beach or hiking the mountains.

Etu Moana provides scooters to rent. Rent them – they are the best way to see the island. They also sell Mosquito spray – buy it. Mosquitoes are about the only bad thing I can say about the entire island. Good defensive measures against them will go long way towards ensuring a nice stay. So take the long pants to dinners, light mosquito coils and spray your legs, feet and arms. Do the same before going to bed. Believe us – you will need it.