Ultimate Guide: the Cook Islands
Why we loved it..
Safe! People here leave doors unlocked, keys in the ignition.. it’s very safe. Everyone’s happy.
Some of the best fish you’ll ever eat.
Snorkeling. Anywhere, anytime. And some of the best coral reefs I’ve personally seen!
Everything is reasonably priced. You don’t get scammed, you don’t get hustled.
The Cook’s are not a bustling developed tropical destination, it still has local influence and charm.
Here’s how I see the Cook Islands: it’s basically what travelers think Hawaii is like - their relaxed island life is contagious. One week is more than enough to soak up all the goodness, explore, and maybe even hop over to a nearby island. If you’ve already made the trip to Rarotonga, do yourself a favor and take a detour to Aitutaki, it will be the absolute highlight of your trip. Oh, and the seafood? Next level. Think some of the freshest, most delicious fish you will ever eat. I’ve split this guide into two parts – Rarotonga and Aitutaki – because trust me, you’ll want to savour every bit!
RAROTONGA
The must-do activities…
Hike from one side of the island to the other. Start the trail North and go South. The hike will take 3-4 hours and is 6kms in total. Great views of ‘The Needle’ and stop at Papua waterfall towards the end.
Lagoon Tour - Captain Tama’s includes a BBQ lunch and they’ll take you to great snorkelling spots just outside of the lagoon ($105NZD).
Kayak in the lagoon. From the kayak we saw turtles swimming alongside us, its magical.
Bike ride from beach to beach to snorkel & enjoy great food.
Where to eat?
Pacific Fish & Chip Shop - Classic fish n’ chip shop, huge menu and the fish is caught daily! The pineapple fritters were also a great dessert.
Love Cafe - A good pit stop cafe for lunch. Toasties and fresh smoothies!
Charlie’s - Famous for their fresh fish sandwiches! Huge menu, live music every night. Great place to sit during the day overlooking the beach.
Sandals Restaurant & Barefoot Bar - Located in the Pacific Resort, the food here is consistently good! Finer dining for the island, but still well priced.
My Cousins Place - In the Muri Lagoon area, a shipping container outdoor cafe with great coffee and delicious acai bowls.
Vili’s Burger Joint - If you’re looking for fast food vibes, we were pleasantly surprised at how good the burgers were here!
Where to stay?
The Edgewater Resort - a bit of a an institution. A 3 star hotel with breakfast included, a pool and restaurant, this place offers basic rooms at a good price. Very popular with families. A great spot for seeing whales, we saw whales here both times we stayed!
Ikurangi Eco Lodge - a comfortable ‘jungle stay’. Well-priced, with delicious breakfast in the mornings. Complimentary bikes and snorkle gear for your stay, plus an on site pool.
The Pacific Resort - If you’re looking for something special, this is one of the many great resorts on Rarotonga.
If you’re visiting another island, 3 - 4 nights in Rarotonga is perfect.
AITUTAKI
The must-do activities…
Lagoon Cruise & Day Trip. It’s really what you come to Aitutaki for. A day on the lagoon exploring 1 foot island. We went with Bishop Cruises ($150NZ pp)
Whale watching/swimming tour. We went with ‘Wet n Wild’ tours. We didn’t spot any whales, however we were taken to a beautiful snorkelling spot. ($170NZD pp)
Kayaking on the reef or lagoon. It’s the perfect thing to do at sunrise or sunset.
Snorkel as much as you can! The reef is the most lively I’ve seen. You can just walk off the beach, into the water and see all sorts of fish.
Where to eat?
Blue Lagoon Restaurant and Bar - everything on the menu here is delicious. The fish curry was a real highlight, freshly caught yellowfin tuna.. delish!
Avatea Cafe - a great lunch spot, THE best tropical smoothie I had all trip. Highlights were the fish tacos & wraps.
Rapae Bay Restaurant - located in the Pacific resort, this restaurant is a beautiful place to watch the sunset (and potentially spot a whale!). Everything on the menu was a 10/10 and it’s quite romantic.
Where to stay?
Paradise Cove - on the west side of the island. Everywhere on Aititaki is a short trip and there’s no bad locations.
The accommodation was basic inside but everything you need. Well priced for a bungalow on the beach.
Read more on Paradise Cove Lodge here.
Pacific Resort Aitutaki - If you want to spend a little more on a 5 star stay, this place is pretty special!
2 - 3 nights on Aitutaki is more than enough time to enjoy the tiny island.
TRANSPORT ON THE ISLANDS
Taxis are weirdly expensive. From the airport to your accommodation, no matter how far, 2km or 10km, the taxi ride will always be $25 per person.
The scooter hire in Aitutaki is very relaxed compared to Rarotonga. We didn’t need a license, helmet or to even sign a waiver for hire. In Rarotonga, you will need a motorbike license, or you can qualify for a Rarotonga license at the police station by sitting a written & practical test.
The bus is a great option to get around Rarotonga. There’s one road around the entire island and two buses (the clockwise and anti clockwise bus). You can catch them from wherever, just hail it down in a spot where there’s enough room for them to pull in. The bus fare is $5 per trip.
THINGS TO NOTE
They use the NZ dollar, ‘cash only’ is quite common. There’s plenty of well marked ATM’s in Rarotonga, including one at the airport, but note that Aitutaki only has 2 (one at the airport and one in town).
Drink bottled water. Not as contaminated as other places in the world but locals do advise filtered/bottled water is better. Some resorts and accomodations will provide filtered drinking water.
For the good restaurants, particularly on Aitutaki, they’re a big fan of reservations! And you may miss out if you don’t make one.
WiFi is few and far between. When you arrive, head to a Vodaphone shop (there’s one in Avarua) and buy a travel SIM. For $50 you’ll get 10GB and free calls on the island (which comes in handy when you need to call restaurants!).
Sunday is considered ‘Sabbath’. Alcohol isn’t typically sold and you’ll find most places are closed. If you’re in Rarotonga, stick to the Muri Lagoom area or stay in your resort. Anywhere more touristy and cafes/restaurants will remain open.
If you encounter unpredictable tropical rainy days - book yourself in for a spa day. Rarotonga has plenty of day spa’s.
Weather is so unpredictable and your weather apps are basically useless. In Rarotonga, if you can’t see the mountains, the weather is bad. If you can see the mountains, the weather is good…
GETTING TO THE COOK ISLANDS
From Australia, Jetstar now offer direct flights from Sydney (5hr) or you can fly via Auckland on Air New Zealand. Return flights sit around $1000-$1300.
If you then want to fly into one of the other islands (such as Aitutaki), factor in another $500-$650 return to Rarotonga via Air Rarotonga.
From the USA, flights to Rarotonga generally go via Honolulu, costing around $2000-$2500 (USD) return.
