I’ve always wanted to go. I keep seeing everybody else’s travel photos and get Insta FOMO. Sitting by my heater in a bikini sipping a cuppa tea and pretending it was a pina colada wasn’t really cutting it any longer so I had my first ever trip to Rarotonga and Aitutaki in March this year and absolutely loved it. Here are some highlights in photos, as well as some recommendations and travel tips – with prices as that’s always useful – below. Are you planning a trip yourself? If so I hope you find it helpful and if not, I hope you are warm and have a drink of your choice handy and can enjoy the sunshine and warm, warm water vicariously.
RAROTONGA
At Edgewater Resort Rarotonga. I underestimated a) how burny the sun is and b) how sharp the coral is, so do wear aqua sock shoes.
Island dancers perform at Edgewater.
A suite at the Edgewater Resort Rarotonga, about $185 on booking.com and various sites.
I just loved the friendly island dogs everywhere that were super friendly, tame, and happy to get pats.
Hiding the knee I scraped on coral. Thank you Moontide for the halter bikini and kimono.
Koka’s Cruises at Muri, Rarotonga was a must-do, with a BBQ lunch, fun entertainment, sarong tying, hermit crab racing, and snorkelling to see giant clams and trevally and coral reef tropical fishes off a glass bottom boat. NZ$79.
Nice cafe with cast concrete chairs that had vinyl records you could play and an art gallery adjacent, all in an old Spanish Mission type building – beautiful.
The creepy yet fascinating abandoned Sheraton mafia hotel on Rarotonga. Apparently it ran out of funds and got refused bail out by the Cook Islands government and the New Zealand government decades back and no-one will touch it as it’s owned by Italian Family money. There are 4 wheel drive tours and paintball games held there but you can walk through free of charge. Such a weird place.
AITUTAKI
Aitutaki summit, Cook Islands. In this pic you get a good idea of the coral reef around the island and the lighter turquoise colour. To get up here we took a scooter we had hired ($25 a day, takes 2 adults) or you can walk up the hill.
Pacific Resort Aitutaki – the prettiest entrance way of any lobby I’ve seen.
Can’t afford to stay at the premium resorts? No problem! Pretend you’re a millionaire tech owner for the day and have morning tea or lunch at one. We had a delicious lunch at the heavenly Pacific Resort Aitutaki, at their poolside Black Rock Cafe for a seafood lunch of iki mata raw fish and fish curry and mojito cocktails. Divine. It was NZ$61 for two.
Inanobeach Bungalows is the only hotel on this beautiful bay and had about 7 thatched bungalows. One is beachfront and costs more. Ours below, was NZ$390 for 3 nights, no breakfast, but has a kitchen in each and you can scooter (or walk 3kms) to a supermarket.
Camouflaged in tropical green, in front of my Inanobeach Bungalow.
I’m with Cheran Kimiora at her Aitutaki island hotel, Inanobeach Bungalows, in Cook Islands. Cheran left Auckland’s New Windsor to live and work at her family’s hotel in paradise. I highly recommend you visit, it’s heaven.
I’m ‘flat out’ at the Boat Shed restaurant on Aitutaki.
Swimming in paradise. Swimsuit by Moontide Swimwear, at Aitutaki lagoon’s One Foot Island.
A dangerous Stonefish on One Foot Island. A Rarotongan girl on our boat said her grandfather survived World War One, came back home, and stood on a Stonefish and had to get rushed to hospital! He was okay but they thought it was ironic after making it through war.
A huge blue starfish in Aitutaki, Cook Islands’ One Foot Island.
We took Bishops Cruises (NZ$95) from Aitutaki Cook Islands to One Foot Island for the BBQ lunch. It was an average cruise as the owner was not charming, so the Koka’s Cruises on Rarotonga was more fun. Above: One Foot Island Post Office is the world’s smallest Post Office perhaps? We sent a postcard ($1) to New Zealand and it got home about 10 days later – I did not expect to ever see it again!
TWITTER’S HOT TIPS
Recommendations for Rarotonga from Twitter in response to me tweeting about must-see things to do on the island…
Trader Jack’s was a great restaurant when we were there.
We did the BBQ lagoon cruise. Great day out with snorkelling, then some island entertainment that had us in hysterics and delicious lunch. Also the fish sandwich from the mooring. Only open certain days and times but worth it!
Go to Muri, kayak, snorkel, do the boat cruise out past the reef. It’s just such a chill island.
Go see the peeps at Kitesup Cook Islands – go do the fire on water night paddle tour it’s so fun and excellent guides etc we also did the swimming with turtles and 4wd safari … heaps to do!
Going in April for visit number 14 if you need more tips! But snorkelling (Aroa lagoon best), Trader Jacks for seafood (esp if cray is on the menu) – the sister restaurant Bamboo Jacks also great for Asian food but no sea view. Muri beach is great for lunches… Muri is lovely but better snorkelling at Aroa.
I enjoyed Beluga cafe and gift shop on the west coast for reasonable coffee (the best I had on raro), great food and quite a cool gift store.
CocoPut bar and mini golf do a mean buffet on Sunday nights with a local band and local cuisine. There’s also a brewery tour, they show you how they make the local fresh beer and you get to sample them all as well. And the best burgers are from the little shack near the harbour. You’ll see it on the harbour side of the road a little tin shack takeaway place. Villi’s burgers in Muri are pretty big and good too, you’ll need to make a reservation for Cocoput on Sunday night.
Walk up ‘The Needle’ if you’re up for it! Take your own snorkel set and walk up past Muri lagoon for a snorkel (the reef at Muri is pretty dead). Captain Tama’s lagoon cruise is crack-up. Hire a paddle board and paddle around the small islands.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Some of the beauty essentials I packed for my trip.
Island cat helping with my flat lei of my Ultraceuticals holiday essentials. NB ‘flat lei’ was the husband’s pun.
GOOD TO KNOW
DO NOT TAKE coral or clam shells back home as Customs will confiscate them as they are protected goods.
They use New Zealand money but have these really cool triangular coins that make for neat souvenirs.
There isn’t much to buy but the airport shop has coconut oil soaps at 3 for $7 which were wrapped in tapa cloth and really cute gifts.
If you’re planning to book on Airbnb and it’s useful for you, I have a $50 off your first stay coupon here https://www.airbnb.co.nz/c/meganr14770
Have a fabulous trip!
Megan Robinson
4th April 2019