Cook Islands

[FurnaceFace]

Anyone been? We're going in October and are looking at self catering options on Rarotonga in the South (mostly east) side and West side for accomodations. Anyone have a favourite place they stayed that isn't insanely priced? Same goes for a favourite dive shop if anyone has one.

[surferguy]

I've been - was backpacking at the time so my accommodations are not what your looking for. The island is beautiful. It's a jewel in the South Pacific.

[Muffins]

I've been there multiple times and stayed at the Avana Marina Condo's (east side). Not sure what the pricing is like nowadays as it's been 15 years since I've been there.
It's a pretty cool little spot looking out onto the lagoon.

[Northendzone]

sounds to me like the type of place you would want to go if your are a fully licensed and trained bikini inspector.

have you thought about fernie, bc at all?

[driveway]

I went there 20+ years ago when I was a kid. Highly recommend doing a cross-island hike. The view from the top is my clearest memory of that place and it was stunning.

[greyshep]

Spent Christmas there a few years ago. Amazing place!

Did all my dives with the dive center (the big fish)... http://www.thedivecentre-rarotonga.com/

They were great to us and as a bonus, I could walk there easily from where we were staying.

We stayed at Lagoon Breeze villas which was also fantastic.

http://www.lagoonbreezevillas.com/

We self catered and it was setup perfectly for that. They provided a light breakfast each morning but other than that meals were up to us.

Be warned that groceries are pretty pricey there though!

I am so jealous of your upcoming trip, I am really hoping to get back there again. Its awesome!

[greyshep]

Got me reminiscing about that trip figured I would add a couple photos...

Cool starfish which we came across all around the island...



One of these colorful buggers bit me on my wrist (trigger fish). Apparently they spawn in the sandy shallows in Dec/Jan.



So many beautiful things to see and do there.

[FurnaceFace]

Thanks everyone, and especially Shep for the recent info. We've been to Moorea and Tahiti before and know island prices. The rule is just buy what you want and ignore the cost. The best thing about having a kitchen is you can ignore the restaurant prices for most of the trip.

[Northendzone]

wow, first time I have ever seen a blue starfish - I did not realize they came in any other color than tan/brown

Originally Posted by greyshep

Got me reminiscing about that trip figured I would add a couple photos...

Cool starfish which we came across all around the island...



One of these colorful buggers bit me on my wrist (trigger fish). Apparently they spawn in the sandy shallows in Dec/Jan.



So many beautiful things to see and do there.

[FireGilbert]

I love the Cook Islands. We were looking into French Polynesia but decided on Rarotonga instead as it looked to be a similar pacific paradise at half the price. We stayed at the Nautilus resort in Muri beach which featured all the resort amenities and had a fridge, microwave, and toaster in the villa that was great for small meals and keeping the beer cold. We definitely want to go back although are thinking of splurging for Aitutaki next time.

A few other tips:

-Tranport around the island is easy. Rental cars are cheap (petrol is not though), there are buses that circle the island, or just ride a bike.
-One of my highlights was a 4 wheel drive tour to the top of the island. You can also do the hike if you are up for it.
-Matatu beer is delicious!
-They absolutely love rugby league. Try to check out a game if you are there during the season.
-Religion is very important and many shops will be closed on Sundays. If you are looking for a free meal though some churches put on a roast chicken meal for tourists after the service.
-We had a great night at the Shipwreck Bar watching the sunset and listening to live music. The food and drink prices were very cheap compared to other island bars.
-The Maire Nui gardens are gorgeous and worth a visit. It also has a nice cafe featuring an amazing cheesecake with local fruits.

Also, funny story, when we landed I noticed a very confused lady at the airport and she ended up sitting beside us on the bus. She started asking me questions like what money is used here and mentioned she was surprised the locals didn't speak French. I think she thought she was going to Tahiti haha.

Have fun!

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

wow, first time I have ever seen a blue starfish - I did not realize they came in any other color than tan/brown

They also come in pink:

[InglewoodFan]

I only spent a couple of days on Rarotonga, mostly scootering around. The driving test is pretty easy and a Cook Islands driver's license is a good souvenir. Be smart, lots of tourists seemed to overestimate their scootering abilities and took a tumble.

I did spend a week on Aitutaki, and would highly recommend even for a quick side trip. It is amazingly beautiful and the snorkeling in the lagoon is world class. You can see giant clams, which is right up there on my list of coolest things I've done. I don't dive, so can't offer much advice on that.

A caution is there is very little to do, it is very quiet. But that was just what I was looking for and had a great time just chilling on the beach. I stayed at Samade on the Beach, which is now Aitutaki Village. Tidy little bungalows, nothing fancy but pretty affordable. There are some places on the island that are eye wateringly expensive. My stay had breakfast included, and I ate at the bar most nights. Lots of fresh caught fish.

[Scrambler]

The Cooks are awesome!

I have been twice, 2004 and again in 2012. Love it there. Have done both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

It's surprisingly cheap compared to Tahiti and Fiji. One reason for that is that they use NZD$ a currency that struggles the same way that the CAD$ does. In other words, you get pretty decent bang for your buck compared to going to somewhere like Hawaii. Costs are also low in comparison when you compare everything from how much it costs to get there, places to stay and the stuff you pay for there like food, the latter of which is on the pricier side, but it's all relative.

I can also note that I work for a company that has good prices for the Cooks, specifically in regard to Air New Zealand airfares from Canadian gateways to Rarotonga (and Aitutaki) via LA and hotels/resorts. So if you are keen to get some ideas on pricing, etc feel free to send me a PM.