Sokala Villas, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

One of my favorite medium-priced Rarotonga resorts is Sokala Villas. It's nicely situated right on the white sands of Muri Beach with the award-winning Flame Tree Restaurant just a few minutes walk away. Each of Sokala Villas' seven unique villas has a small kitchenette, and five have their own private swimming pools!

The nightly rates at Sokala Villas start at NZ$390 for the two lagoonview villas without pools and increase to NZ$690 for the beachfront pool villas. Substantial "earlybird" discounts are available if you book and pay at least two months in advance. Tapping into the "romantic tourism" market, Sokala Villas offers special wedding and "renewal of vows" packages which include licenses, photos, and flowers. Sokala's manager Lawrance Bailey (pictured here) and staff ensure that everything is just right.

If Sokala Villas is full for your dates in the Cook Islands or you're looking for something less expensive, Shangri-La Beach Cottages, run by my old buddy Elliot Smith, is recommended. Shangri-La's 12 private cottages (not duplexes!) start at NZ$250 double for a self-catering garden unit, reduced to NZ165 if you pay 30 days in advance and are willing to service your own room. It's also on Muri Beach, a 10-minute walk south of Sokala Villas. Need something cheaper? I usually stay at Atupa Orchid Units just outside the town of Avarua and pay NZ$40 for a single room with shared facilities.