Lodges in Avatoru

Judy Fields United States

Mana and her family could not have been more welcoming. From morning till night, they were there with smiling faces to help us with our every need. They felt like family by the end of our 7-day stay. We had booked a double room with a private bathroom. The bedroom was a good size for the two of us, and the bathroom was lovely and spacious. Breakfast (included) was very good. Everything was homemade, and the pancakes were delicious. When we had early excursions, they kindly served it to us at 7:00 AM instead of 7:30 AM. Our water bottles were refilled whenever we requested it, and we requested if a lot! You can not do laundry at the guesthouse, but the laundry thet Mana recommended was wonderful. For 2,590 xpf, they washed, dried, and folded a 5 kg bag of laundry and returned it the same day. The free bikes were invaluable. One day, we cycled to Avotura via the Pearl Farm (excellent explanation in both French and English), Ikimisho Pearl Shop (highly recommended), and Chez Rua (great lagoon-side food shack). Another day, we took the bikes on the ferry to Tiputa and cycled around there. Our favorite excursion by far was DD's drift snorkeling. We ended up doing it 3 times! It was an excellent value for 6,000 xpf. We drifted down the Tiputa Pass 2 or 3 times, snorkeled in the aquarium, and got to swim with dolphins (the highlight!) The Blue Lagoon trip was good, too, but you have to pay cash if Mana books it for you. If you book it online, you can pay by credit card. We under-estimated how much cash we would need and had to bike to the ATM at the airport for more! We ate well at both Puna and Chez Lili. Cards are accepted if you spend a minimum of 2,500 xpf at Puna and 3,000 xpf at Chez Lili. Our favorite restaurant, however, was Reira Lagon, where Mana made reservations for us twice.