We have just spent 6 nights at Paparei Bungalows and loved every moment. We chose Paparei through being lucky enough to have seen it while on a previous holiday to Aitutaki, thought it looked just right for us, and were determined to stay there next time. We certainly weren't disappointed! The 2 bungalows are located only metres from the beautiful beach, each with a verandah, tables and chairs and sun loungers at your disposal. The bungalow is spotlessly clean, with a very well-equipped kitchen, dining seating and couch in the front room, a lovely comfortable firm bed with feather pillows, and a sunny, shining clean bathroom. Everything looks just like you would want it to at home, and it works like that too - the plumbing, hot water, fixtures etc are in top shape and the units are obviously maintained to the highest standard. All the windows and doors are screened and we had no bugs or mosquitos inside at all, and the unit had mosquito coils for our use on the verandah in the evening although we actually didn't have any mosquito problems outside either. (The weather was lovely at this time of year, warm with gentle breezes but little humidity and was so nice). Loved the high ceilings, lined with macrocarpa wood milled from Vicki and Peters farm in New Zealand...
The hospitality shown to us by Vicki was fantastic, she is such a natural hostess. She had provided a huge bowlful of fresh fruit and her now-famous baking on our arrival, including home made jam and chutney, and kept on popping in with more goodies during the week. I needed some reef shoes, she found me some, It showered one day and she appeared with raincoats and umbrellas in case we wanted to go for a walk, offered us books to read and gave us good advice about beaches, attractions and other useful information. Nothing was too much trouble. Fresh towels, including beach towels were available every day if required and the unit was cleaned every day, yet all of this was done without any fuss.
We watched the sunset every night and were also very fortunate to see whales passing by just beyond the reef one evening. The beach was almost empty every day, apart from the occasional fisherman, the local heron and ourselves. Swimming is not possible here as it is too shallow but it is a fantastic spot for rest and relaxation.
A bonus of the location was the proximity to local shops, and Rino's car and bike rental over the road. (We hired a good motorbike for $20 per day.)
Enough said - thank you Vicki and Peter, it really was a perfect place.
