ETU MOANA BOUTIQUE BEACH VILLAS
Our Resort Report
OUR Thoughts on Etu Moana Boutique Beach Villas, Aitutaki
Etu Moana is a really wonderful, high-quality place to stay on Aitutaki. It has a perfect location on a beautuful Aitutaki beach facing the outer lagoon and the ocean while being only minutes from the airport, the village and many of Aitutaki’s special little cafes & restaurants. Etu Moana has 8 individual Villas, so the on-site management couple can (and do) provide personal attention to all guests as required.
The Resort is set in some of the most beautiful tropical gardens you will ever experience. It seems that every plant, bush and tree flowers all year and the plantings throughout the resort and especially around the swimming pool and on the beach frontage areas are very attractive. The deck area around the pool which contains the Pool House and thatched gazebos (where the tropical breakfasts, included in the tariff are served). The Pool Hut includes a well-stocked bar, which is available to guests on an “honesty” system. From the several individual thatched pavilions around one side of the pool there is a view of Maunga Pu (the highest point on Aitutaki) or the lagoon which is framed by the main garden path at this point.
Special dinners are available on select nights.
Beautiful shade trees line the lagoon beach. The lagoon is fairly shallow outside Etu Moana and it is alive with interesting tropical fish, sea cucumbers, starfish etc. It’s great for snorkelling and swimming at high tide – at low tide there is an all-tide swimming hole just along the beach and a buoy around 250 metres off shore out front to which guests can paddle the (complimentary-use) kayaks or stand-up-paddle boards to moor and swim on any tide. Sunsets are spectacular from here too!
The beach is walkable at all tides and provides a great way to access nearby resorts and restaurants. It takes only a short walk to a local eatery. It’s only a 5-minute walk along the beach to the Tamanu Resort which has a full range of dining options and an excellent Island Night once a week. Fifteen minutes along the beach brings you to the Black Rock Café at The Pacific Resort.
Night falls quite quickly on Aitutaki, so Etu Moana provide their guests with torches for evening walks up and down the beach (or the road if you prefer) when visiting outside restaurants for evening meals/entertainment.
The verandas on each Villa at Etu Moana provide stunning views! Take in the surrounds of nature, enjoy a daytime nap, sip cocktails at sunset or simply relax and read a book.
Etu Moana is a private, adults only property and accepts bookings with a three night minimum; they do a wonderful wedding package (minimum 5 night stay). This is a unique resort which we know you’ll enjoy so we recommend you give yourself plenty of time here to enjoy everything Etu Moana and the island of Aitutaki has to offer.
Included in the Tariff at Etu Moana
● Island style Etu Moana greeting including Flower neck Ei Nui (coconut) drink
● Concierge Guest Service
● Continental Breakfast with tropical fruit, juice, a selection of teas, hot chocolate and plunger Coffee included.
● Filtered water in villas
● Kayaks, SUPs, snorkelling fins, yoga mats, mountain bikes & bike cruisers
● Audio Visual Entertainment system and small book library in each villa.
● Complimentary wifi available in lobby. Data packages available for purchase.
● Daily housekeeping with linen change every second day
Full Resort Charter
Etu Moana offers a Full Resort Charter for up to 16 guests.
Your Accommodation Options
The 8 Villas at Etu Moana are all the same size (60m2) and layout. The cost of a stay varies depending on the position of each villa relative to the beach. Each Villa is a stand-alone building with a view of the lagoon/ocean (the villas further back from the beach offer a filtered lagoon view) and none is more than a few steps away from the resort pool and the beach. The Villas at Etu Moana are a perfect design for a beach holiday in Aitutaki’s climate. They are air-conditioned, but we find that having the air-conditioning turned on is not always necessary simply due to the layout of the villas which have a high, vaulted ceiling and a thatched roof supplemented by the flow-through ventilation from the screened louvre windows and the ceiling fan which keeps the interior cool. Each Villa is raised slightly to provide a breezeway underneath. There are around 5 steps up to each veranda.
Every Villa features polished timber plank floors in the living area and ceramic tiled floors in the spacious bathroom. The timber plank flooring extends from the living area/bedroom out to what is the major feature of each Villa – the generous-sized veranda/outdoor living area on the front of the villa. The veranda is big enough to house a day-bed (ideal for an afternoon nap!) which takes up a half of the wall on one side, a dining table and 2 chairs as well as a sun-lounger, with plenty of space left over. The veranda is open to the view out front and has a wall for privacy down one side and another half way down the other side.
There is a full kitchen with a cook-top and sink, fridge with a freezer and filtered drinking water. For those guests wanting an oven and/or a microwave, these are available in the Pool Bar. The bathroom features a walk-in shower with rain-shower head and modern ceramic fittings. Outside the back of the bathroom there is a walled courtyard which has a convenient outdoor shower to complement the internal shower. There are many thoughtful little features about Etu Moana and one of these is the provision of an outdoor clothes line and pegs in the courtyard which is ideal for overnight drying out washed clothes/swimming togs and beach towels.
Room Categories (In ascending order of tariff)
Garden Villas & Lagoon View Villas:
Located closest to Reception.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 guests.
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed and a single Day Bed which can be converted to a night bed for a third occupant.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.
Pool & Lagoon View Villas:
Closest to the Resort Pool and Pool House.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 guests.
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed and a single Day Bed which can be converted to a night bed for a third occupant.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.
Absolute Beachfront Villas:
Right on the beach with the widest possible views.
Maximum Occupancy: 3 guests.
Existing Bedding: 1 King Bed and a single Day Bed which can be converted to a night bed for a third occupant.
Additional Bedding: No additional bedding accommodated.
Getting To and From Etu Moana
All guests are met at the Aitutaki Airport by a representative of Etu Moana with a flower neck Ei and a drinking coconut before being provided with a transfer by private vehicle to the resort. A return airport transfer will also be included in package arrangements.
In addition to the scheduled domestic flights between Rarotonga and Aitutaki, there is now a new on-demand Cessna Citation Business Jet charter service which is another option and good value for small groups of up to 7 passengers.
Kids’ Policy
This is an Adults-only Resort.
Guests aged over 16 years are welcome at Etu Moana.
Check-in/Check-out
Domestic flights between Rarotonga and Aitutaki are required and these will be included and costed in to package arrangements as required/agreed.
Standard check-in and check-out times:
Check in time is 2:00pm
Check out time is 10:00am
Guests arriving/departing on flights which do not coincide with these times will not have access to their villa before or after the standard check-in/check-out times unless early check-in and/or late check-out has been agreed to in advance and paid for.
Early check-in between 6:00am and 12 Noon when available will be at a flat rate cost of approximately 50% of the nightly accommodation grade reserved.
Late check-out between 10:00am and 6:30pm, when available will be at a flat rate cost of approximately 50% of the nightly accommodation grade reserved.
The information on this page is correct as at 03 October 2023 and is based on our supplier contracts which are valid for stays to 31 March 2025. All information shown is subject to change without notice.