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Cook Islands


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We maybe going to Rarotonga and Aitutaki.

Anyone had any travel experiences / advice on things to do and just general knowledge.

Probably 5 nights in Raro and 4 nights in Aitutaki.

Thanks for any and all input, Jeff:)

 

Yes I went about 4 years ago . Will catch up this week and get some mirror blades

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Aussie Arcade

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Hi Jeff

 

My wife and I went for a wedding in Raro about 6 years ago and we had a great time. Aitutaki was spectacular! There's a cruise around the lagoon which takes most of the day which you can't miss. I learnt to snorkel on that trip and the underwater coral, giant clams and fish were amazing. As the lagoon is an old volcano, it keeps out the sharks etc so it's really safe. The water was warm and pristine as were the sandy beaches.

 

We found that there was limited things to do in Raro though. Most hotels have activities during the day to keep you a bit interested but they repeat often. You can sometimes go to adjacent hotels as they may have a show on in the evening but it's not free.

 

You can either get your Raro scooter license so you can hire a scooter otherwise you have to take the bus. As the island is round, you can catch the Clockwise bus or the Anti-Clockwise bus. Cheap as and from memory it takes just less than an hour to go all the way around.

 

There is a local brewery on the island and the brew is fantastic (on tap at most hotels). The ale was cold and tasty. My wife asked for a pineapple juice expecting a fresh pineapple to be crushed but ended up coming out of a tetra pak. None of the juices were fresh, even orange juice came out of the pak.

 

Four days is about right in Aitutaki but five days seems a bit long in Raro.

 

Cheers

Yee.

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I am assuming Cook Islands are similar to Samoa. I enjoyed a week in Samoa immensely. You probably run out of things to do after a week, and if you do not have a car then you are stuck where you booked in. No public transport except for an irregular a always packed bus service. Fun to do it once buy you would not want to be relying on it at all. People are awesome overall and respond well to a friendly attitude.

 

First time in a while I could walk around and not be one of the biggest bloke in the area at any given time :)

 

I say do it. A mix of resort class and island exploring was a great holiday for the wife and me.

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It really depends what you want to do. Yee & Dave sum it up well. Have a mix. Aitutaki is a dream and very relaxing from all accounts. I plan to visit next year for the first time - my mothers birth place and where half the family are laid to rest (other half in Tahiti).

 

All Pacific Islands do have their individual charm but as always get out of the main cities. All cities are the same - polluted, crowded and dirty (Rarotonga not nearly as bad). Meet the real people.

 

Have a look at other accommodation not limited to resorts ie, Guest houses, beach huts run by families. You'll get the the real feel of the island and stuff you will never learn in the resort.

 

Have a think about how many days in each - I would swap around if you like to chill. No matter what you do you'll enjoy both. You may find 9 nights a bit much as Yee said , but it depends what you're into.

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I've done Fiji twice & the one thing tourists do wrong is using up all their time there doing tours. My biggest memories are laying on the beach/pool, swimming & drinking the beer and talking with the locals. Much better than seeing stuff you wont remember. IMO
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True Doug but I'm chasing input on the Cook Islands specifically. Not Samoa or Fiji or even Vanuatu. Just after places and things well worth doing. For example we would really like to do the snorkelling at Aitutaki and go to one foot island or great eateries the locals use. That sort of thing.
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True Doug but I'm chasing input on the Cook Islands specifically. Not Samoa or Fiji or even Vanuatu. Just after places and things well worth doing. For example we would really like to do the snorkelling at Aitutaki and go to one foot island or great eateries the locals use. That sort of thing.

 

We went to One Foot Island as part of the boat tour. If you take your passport, you can get a visitor's stamp. There were two boats but they basically do the same thing because we met up with the other boat at key places. Both boats stop at the lagoon where the giant clams grow over a meter long and people can opt to go snorkelling for about an hour.

 

The great eateries will be inside the hotel premises because the locals can't afford to eat there on a regular basis. The shops were mainly mini-supermarket stores and a few tourist knick knack stores. I never saw any Maccas or fast food places as they don't really have to population to sustain it.

 

They had a bank robbery before we got there. Someone had broken into the bank and stole some money. The mayor of Aituaki said it must have been tourists as locals are religious and law-abiding citizens and wouldn't do it. As far as I know, they never caught the thief.

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