Fare Oaoa Haapiti

The hosts were friendly and really helpful. The place is beautiful and conveniently located, and we loved having kayaks to use. The home and kitchen are well equipped. We’d definitely stay again.

The garden was so peaceful, and we got attached to Tiare the pup. The fiber internet is really fast, so we hope to return next year for a longer stay and work remotely. We had three perfect nights here after Kathy rescued us at the last minute when another booking across the island fell through. Don’t skip a morning kayak. We saw dolphins, a shark, a turtle, and rays, and the surf break was cool to watch. Breakfasts were fresh, delicious, and clearly thoughtful. Thank you, Kathy!

Ia Orana. It took me a while to write this because we wanted to keep an open mind. The hosts work hard and clearly care about the place. It’s a newer development, so I imagine getting everything settled takes time. There’s a lot to like: a comfortable bed, good accommodations, lovely decor, nice seating, a well-equipped kitchen inside and in the common area, and great water equipment. Parking is good, and having a store across the road is convenient. Breakfast is brought over the night before and was wonderful. The hosts were great, too. We love animals, so the dogs on site were no problem. Getting a few cuddles was relaxing. There were some drawbacks, though not dealbreakers. We saw full-grown cockroaches. I know island life comes with that, but the renovations seemed to aggravate an existing issue. The decks were being sanded and refinished, which left a lot of dust and made them sticky. There was already dust built up under the bed before the work began. We weren’t told about the renovations, and there was too much seating in front of the bungalows, taking away from the ocean view and privacy. A guest also walked into our bungalow, which was strange. Laundry was $5 a load, a little expensive when you also had to hang the clothes to dry.

The grocery store across the street was very handy, and the owners were welcoming and nice. Breakfast each morning was good and convenient, and the rest of the accommodation was pleasant and well maintained. During our family stay of 3 days, 4 nights, outdoor maintenance left dust on our shoes and inside the bungalow. They were sanding the wooden floor and surrounding areas, and with the windows open for ventilation, the dust came in that afternoon. We hadn’t been told the work was happening. I have severe dust mite allergies and made the mistake of using the little blankets, then had trouble breathing. I understand now they may not be used often and had collected dust. Asking for different blankets wouldn’t have helped after the health incident, so I put the old ones outside once I realized they were causing the problem.