Cook Islands Things to Do Tips by FletteMette

The Cook Islands have the whitest, finest beaches you'll ever see - and you might even get a loooong stretch of beautiful beach all to yourself.

On Rarotonga, the busiest - and possibly the loveliest - beach is Muri Beach on the south-eastern coast of the island. There are four small, deserted islands in the shallow lagoon just off the beach, you can wade across to some of them. There are lots of watersports opportunities and other activities at Muri - you can rent outrigger canoes, kayaks, go on glass-bottom boat trips, snorkel, take windsurfing lessons... or just slumber in the shade of a palm tree... :o)

Beaches along the southern and western coast of Raro are much more quiet. On the west coast there are several nice stretches of beach, but not all of them are good for swimming, as the coral reef is quite close to the shore. The west-coast beaches have some truly stunning sunsets, though...! The south coast have beautiful beaches, and great swimming & snorkelling. (See my snorkelling tip for more info)

If you go to Aitutaki, you'll really come to beach heaven - both the main island and of course all the tiny motus (coral islets) in the lagoon have fantastic white beaches.

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Website: http://www.cook.islands-beaches.com/

You can't travel all the way to the Cook Islands without properly exploring the amazing lagoon - there's an abundance of colourful fish, and the water is crystal clear - especially Aitutaki has by far the best snorkelling I've ever done...

Rarotonga's best snorkelling spot is around Titikaveka on the south eastern part of the island, by the shop called Fruits of Rarotonga - just get off the bus near the shop, run down to the beach, jump into the water & say hello to hundreds of tropical fish!:-) The area is quite large, and it's a good idea to wear fins.

Snorkelling gear can be rented from most hotels and guesthouses, but the quality of the gear can be quite disappointing. If you want to buy your own snorkel & mask, the Dive Shop in Avarua has a wide selection and is open every day from 8:00am - 5:30pm.

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Directions: Rarotonga's lagoon..:-) Near Fruits of Rarotonga

Naturally, for a group of tiny islands in the middle of the South Pacific, in the Cook Islands it's all about the ocean. The water is nice and warm year-round, with temperatures between 23 and 32 C, and the visibility is just amazing - 100 to 200 feet.

The Cook Islands are great for both divers and snorkellers - and there's a wide range of diving sites - including caves, a variety of coral, the reef drop-off and some wrecks... There are several diving companies operating on Rarotonga, where you can of course get your desired PADI certificates:
Dive Rarotonga
The Dive Centre
Cook Islands Divers

Deep sea fishing is a very popular activity in both Rarotonga and Aitutaki, as well as sailing, windsurfing and surfing. Humpback whales on their migration route north from the Antarctic visit the Cook Islands approx. from July to October, and often come very close to Rarotonga's shoreline - they can sometimes even be viewed from land.

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Even if you're not religious, you should consider going to a Sunday morning service at one of the many churches on Rarotonga - the hymn singing is beautiful! Wandering around the churchyards is also quite interesting.

Around 70% of the Cook Islands population belong to the Cook Islands Christian Church, but several other churches are represented in the islands.

Visitors are very welcome at the church services - but wear a nice dress/pair of pants, as the islanders dress up to go to church - you'll notice that many of the women wear white 'rito' hats made of coconut fibre.

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Many tourists come to Aitutaki only on a day trip from Rarotonga - but I strongly recommend spending more than just a few hours on this beautiful island..! You'll find a wide range of accomodation options, both fine resorts and budget guesthouses.

A lagoon cruise is a must - Aitutaki's lagoon is huge (20 kilometres across at its widest point!), with scattered motus (coral islets) and white beaches, the snorkelling is magnificent, and the BBQ lunch we had on deserted One Foot Island was great - fresh tuna, breadfruit, mango salad... yum... :o)

There are fewer tourists than on Rarotonga, the atmosphere is very relaxed and the locals are welcoming and friendly. I want to go back, NOW...!:-)

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Website: http://www.ck/aitutaki/index.htm
Other Contact: http://www.aitutaki.com/

A cruise in the stunning lagoon of Aitutaki is the highlight of any trip, and really shouldn't be missed! You get to visit truly fantastic white beaches on some of the 12 motus (coral islets) in the lagoon, including beautiful One Foot Island, and you'll be taken to some great snorkelling spots (snorkelling gear is provided, but the quality might not be perfect, so if you've got your own, by all means bring it along!).

There are many cruise operators on the island, all pretty much the same - but you might want to ask how long they stay at the snorkelling spots, as some won't let you swim around for very long - and you won't want to leave as the snorkelling is amazing! It's also a good idea to ask how many participants there will be on the cruise, as some of the boats seemed a bit crowded. The cruises last all day, and a BBQ lunch is included.

If you bring your passport along, you can even get a cute "One Foot Island"-stamp in it for a few dollars..;-)

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Website: www.aitutaki.com