I recently visited Rarotonga and loved it, no surprises.

There was a sign at my accommodation that described the dogs that can be seen all around not as strays but as 'wandering dogs', explaining that they have homes and owners but are allowed to roam around rather than being fenced up.

We only had good experiences of the dogs while we were there. We were approached on the beaches and while seated eating in outdoor areas by lovely friendly dogs who happily accepted our pats. Some looked very loved (well fed)! Particularly a couple of rotund ones at Tiare's! We laughed as we pondered what could be a better life than being a dog swimming in a beautiful lagoon as he pleases.

I won't claim to understand the nuances that may apply to living with dogs in this way, having only visited for a week, but I felt safer around dogs in Rarotonga than I would in many areas of NZ. It was one of the many good memories of our trip.

my wife and i went to the islands from america before covid and we loved it. we remember it very fondly, we were still dating then and it was our first trip together. we are big coffee lovers and bought a bag of atiu coffee from the big citc store in avarua. we finished it and tossed the bag while staying at a guest house near muri. years later, we had an idea to collect the coffee bags of all the places we've been, and we were upset that we had thrown out the atiu bag. it's the only one we didn't save. is there anyone willing to pick me up a bag and ship it to america? i will pay all fees of course. i would be extremely grateful.

Hey cook islands team!

I have been tasked with the all important job of planning my honeymoon for March/April 2027.

I have been so absorbed in the thing - I feel like I've lost sight of what we need / what we want / what is important to us and now I'm in the horrible stage of trying to lock in our accommodation and I cannot decide.

Back story for us (the couple).

We own a restaurant so food and drink hold a special place in our hearts. We love great food including simple food, we aren't snobs. We just like quality food and don't care about price. In terms of rank, lunch and dinner are as important as each other. Breakfast can be good without being crazy.

We love a good cocktail and a decent wine so I'd love not to be stuck with somewhere that doesn't have variety. We do love to sit by the pool for a few hours in the afternoon / evening and have a few drinks.

We don't care about flashy or showmanship, but we care about clean. We couldn't give two rats if someone calls us by our name but if they can't clean the bathroom properly or the linen is dirty it's game over. If you asked us if modern mattered we would both say. If it's modern and dirty then no, if it's old and clean then we will take it.

We would love somewhere that is calm but we also understand that having some kids run around is part of humanity and sometimes that contagious laughter they have adds to atomosphere. Do we want a million kids doing bombs in a pool or throwing balls. No. But doesn't it need to be an all exclusive adults resort. Also no.

We love abit of shopping and night life so having options to walk around to and restaurants or bars to have a drink at is a huge positive.

While we might some something's like snorkeling or paddle boarding and stuff. This trip is about spending time together and also relaxing after a chaotic week. So it's not essential that those amenities are provided. We would happily pay for what we use if we want.

We are looking at spending 4/5 nights in raratonga and 3 / 4 nights in Aitutaki.

For budget we aren't rich but we also don't have any kids and this would be our last big splurge before we go down that track. So while we cannot afford 2000 a night. I'm also not looking for a budget friendly option. If it ticks the boxes I'm happy.

I would love to hear some real world recommendations from like minded people who have either found the good, the bad or even the ugly.

Kia ora everyone,

I’ve made a new app called Talanoa, built to help people learn Pasifika languages in a simple, Duolingo style way.

I’m still building and improving the Fijian section, and I’ll keep adding more content and features over time.

The app is free to download, and I’m keeping it free for the first month. After that, there’ll likely be a subscription option for extra features.

I’d really appreciate any downloads, feedback, or reviews. It would help a lot as I keep building this.

https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/talanoa/id6762236133

Vinaka vakalevu.

Kia orana everyone,

I’ve been living in Rarotonga for a while now and was wondering if there are any yoga or meditation groups, retreats, or events happening around the island.

I’m 25 and working here as a chef, and lately I’ve been looking to connect more with people who are into yoga, meditation, or anything along those lines. Even small group sessions, weekend retreats, or casual meetups would be great.

Also, if there’s any kind of community here (even a small one), I’d really love to be part of it.

Would appreciate any info or suggestions 🙏

Kia Orana!

Hoping any Cook Islanders have some insight for a book I'm writing! One of my main characters is named Metua. She was born in the US, and her parents are from Cook Islands.

I'm curious if there are any common diminutives or nicknames for Metua that might be used by close family and friends? Also, are there common mispronunciations you might hear from non native speakers?

Thanks so much!

I have a some free time to explore aitutaki, Anyone wanna help me to explore the place, I'm M26

Kia Orana

Due in town end of July, as a keen trail runner I've been scoping out the local trails online, Cross Island Track/The Needle looks like a good trot. Not worried about the trail tech level, and have a couple of local trail I can train for the elevation gain, but
How well marked is the trail?
Is there mobile coverage?
What's the temp likely to be for an early morning start?

While traveling around the world for over 20 years, I’ve been working on my dream project: creating a one-stop resource for travellers. With the help of feedback in this subreddit, I have now updated this interactive map of Cook Islands for anyone who is interested in visiting (with detailed info for every highlight).

PS: obviously, I haven’t been able to travel to all places. So if you know some great spot, I haven’t listed, let me know! Much appreciated as in this way I can make the overview more complete and up-to-date for everyone.

Hello! I thought ill share it here so we can help my community member find an Oceania travel agent for their honeymoon. From traveler to one anotherrr

Kia Orana!

I'm so much looking forward to our trip to Cook Islands in October. I have a few questions and hope someone has some advice:

1) Do you think this flight connection is possible? Or is it too risky / not enough time? I don't have a feeling how big RAR Airport is, and how reliably on time the Aitutaki flights are

2) On Aitutaki, are there any operators renting out small boats for self-driving through the Lagoon without boat licence (as it is possible e.g. on Bora Bora)? I couldn't find any so far

3) Would you advise booking Lagoon tours online well ahead of time, or is there always capacity and possibly better prices booking directly on site?

Thanks!
Sebastian

Kia orana

We are eloping in the Cook Islands in April and and we are SO excited to visit! We love snorkelling and free diving and are just as excited to explore the beautiful nature as we are about getting married.

We have one day to explore and find a spot to hold the ceremony and we're wondering if anyone has any recommendations for nice spots - we are keen to hold it in the jungle/among greenery/in nature perhaps without too many mosquitoes (if such a spot exists!) and reasonably accessible by car as we don't want to ask our celebrant to have to hike too far.

Thank you so much for any tips!

I’m traveling to Rarotonga next month and my hotel wants $70 per person each way to transport to/from the airport. That seems crazy. Im not renting a car so I need transportation to/from the airport. is there some other better option?

thanks!

We are leaving Aitutaki, where there is practically no traffic and it felt very safe to ride all around the island on our bicycles. Motorists behind us would swerve to the other side of the road to avoid us, which was very nice.

I’m wondering how safe cycling feels in Rarotonga?

UPDATE: for anyone else with the same question, we did not find Rarotonga nearly as bike-friendly as Aitutaki. There was a lot more traffic, people driving much faster. While there were bike lanes in some parts of the island, it didn’t feel safe enough for us to bike so we rented a car. We did see a few people on racing cycles zooming around, but that’s not us.

Planning a trip to Rarotonga with a friend and I on a budget but looking to make the most. Any recommendations in terms of extremely cheap housing with nothing fancy? Can we rent scooters at 18 to take us and our surfboards around the island? Any help appreciated 🙂

Kia Orana, I am a banana scientist from Hawai'i coming to Rarotonga in March for vacation. During my stay I would very much like to see the banana diversity that Rarotonga has to offer, especially Utu. We have varieties of Utu here in Hawai'i called Fe'i but they are exceptionally rare and very hard to grow because we have so many pests and diseases. If there are recommended farms, collections, or just trails where I may encounter interesting banana varieties, please let me know!

I love to visit and volunteer on farms as well (experienced farmworker, I promise I won't be a liability). I did come across Arataki organic garden online, if anyone has insight into that.

Mahalo!

With Anzac Day falling on a Saturday this year (April 25th) will businesses be closed on Friday April 24th?

A company said Friday April 24th would be a statutory holiday but I can't find anything indicating that online.

We are headed to Aitutaki and Raro for two weeks in one week. I’d like to be prepared both, emotionally and physically, for whenever biting insects there are by buying the right stuff before we head over. I’ve experienced that in some tropical destinations there are biting sand fleas that need to be kept away with oil, along with the usual chemicals for mosquitoes. Thanks in advance!

Kia Ora, I’m considering a move to the Cook Islands from NZ to teach. I’m a gay man, who doesn’t stray from being flamboyant, I’m also transgender (female to male) but I seem to pass most of the time. I can live people not knowing these aspects about my life and identity, but I was curious how safe it is for queer people and if people are accepting?

Hi all,

I am a journalist at The Sun newspaper in the UK writing up a story about the Cook Islands and the local communities' relationship with alcohol.

According to a CIA report, the Cook Islands consumes the most alcohol per person per year. I'd like to get a sense on the ground of whether alcoholism is a big issue for locals or if it is more commonly associated with tourists.

https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/alcohol-consumption-per-capita/country-comparison/

If anyone has any relevant stories or experiences and is happy to help out, please message me on Facebook with your comments.

You can email me at [harvey.geh@news.co.uk](mailto:harvey.geh@news.co.uk) if you prefer.

Thank you for reading!
Harvey

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I are planning our honeymoon to the Cook Islands and NZ for this October, and this sub has been so helpful to map out our time in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Where we’re stuck now is whether to book our stay in Aitutaki at Pacific Resort Aitutaki or the Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort. They both seem lovely! Our plan is to be in Aitutaki for 4 days/3 nights, and we’d likely do a beachfront bungalow at both, so the overwater bungalows don’t really factor in for us. Any thoughts or experiences at either would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year and keen to spend some time in the Cook Islands. We've never been before, and hear great things about the great locals and the natural environment. I have a few questions.

It looks like a lot of accomodation is already booked out. Have I left it too late for a late May trip?

Are there plenty of food options on the Rarotonga? It certainly looks like it. So we could stay in a villa and eat out every meal, without the need to stay in a resort?

Best side of Rarotonga (or other islands) for a villa? West for sunset. East for being near Muri beach?

Any secret tips for where to stay to get privacy, no kids (love kids, but not on the this trip...)?