For a quieter stay away from the beach, conscious travellers would be well advised to bed down at Ikurangi Eco Retreat in Rarotonga’s lush interior. Original, soulful and just a little quirky, this tented camp immerses you in mother nature like nowhere else on the island.
While ‘eco’ and ‘retreat’ both sound like music to our ears, ‘Ikurangi’ wasn’t exactly a term we’d come by prior to our stay at this hidden-away property. The name, it turns out, translates to ‘tail of the sky’ and it’s an homage to the nearby mountain of Ikurangi, one of Rarotonga’s four most prominent peaks. It couldn’t be more fitting either, for views of the island’s rugged Takitumu mountain range greeted us each morning of our stay, as we emerged from our tent with a cup of coffee in hand and at least one of the property’s pets at our feet (usually, this was Molly, the cheerful dog who makes a point of welcoming each and every guest).
But Ikurangi Eco Retreat has more to offer than tail-wagging pets. Founded by Kiwi couple Vicki and Alan, who fell in love with Rarotonga while holidaying in the Cook Islands years ago, the tented camp is likely the first of its kind here, with green credentials that go beyond the usual. There are the composting toilets, for one, which will take some travellers some getting used to, or the water refill stations, that make sure no guest has to rely on buying plastic bottles from a store.
Accommodation-wise, each tent comes with a spacious front porch offering comfort and shade for lazy days spent reading a book (or scrolling through your Instagram feed). Certain amenities have been added to turn this place from camp to ‘glamp’: wooden floors, colourful rugs, waffle dressing gowns, a much-needed fan, a branded tote bag to pick up groceries, twin basins in the open-air bathroom, full-size toiletries by Ashley & Co as well as Eco Fresh. Guests are also equipped with everything from toasters to cutlery and serving trays, should you want to self-cater — only our safe was to small to fit our laptop, and we felt a little queasy about leaving it in our tent while out exploring.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Escapist | RAR | GMT -10 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Head down to Te Vara Nui Village for a night of feasting and entertainment. The ‘village’ offers a real spectacle of a show – think fire, grass skirts, slit drums – and an extensive buffet that we were glad to see offered some good options for those with dietary requirements. The show itself is a little touristy, but we didn’t mind: its energy and the wonderful charisma of the dancers is nothing short of infectious. |
While it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, we really enjoyed how close to nature we felt in our tent. From falling asleep to the sound of tropical rain to roosters waking us up the very moment the sun first rose above the sea, and a tiny lizard crawling across our mirror as we brushed our teeth, the sights and sounds of Rarotonga’s rich eco-system served us sublime island idyll on a silver platter. A simple but made-with-love breakfast, too, was served to us each morning by camp co-owner Alan, and we appreciated that Ikurangi Eco Retreat made an effort to surprise us with a variety of foods, from avocado toast with fresh fruits and a smoothie to a chia seed bowl made with coconut milk and fresh vanilla.
There’s no on-site restaurant, though should you feel hungry during the day and can’t quite motivate yourself to head into ‘town’ (and by that, we mean village), you’re welcome to help yourself to avocados and citrus fruits from the many trees that make Ikurangi’s grounds as beautiful as they are. We spent a fair bit of our stay in the gardens, lounging by the organic-shaped pool fringed by shrubs and palm trees, or practising yoga in the shade of a tree. Group yoga classes are available in a purpose-built pavilion, too, and should you be so inclined, a massage can be arranged on your private deck, though we didn’t get to try this.
Ikurangi Eco Retreat is also home to a few traditional ‘Ares’ (‘homes’), but we found these a lot less special, and if you choose to stay at a tented camp as opposed to a regular hotel — of which there are plenty by the beach — we’d argue you’re much better off going for a tent equipped with so many of the creature comforts you’d appreciate in a place like this, while still getting to fully immerse yourself in the Cook Islands’ wonderful natural environment. It’s the best of both worlds!
Photography courtesy of Ikurangi Eco Retreat
