We spent 10 days total in the Cook Islands, 5 on Rarotonga and 5 on Aitutaki. Cook Islands has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and for my 30th birthday I made it happen. This place is the perfect tropical getaway and one of the most beautiful place I’ve seen, literally what you see on postcards.

Prices are very similar to Australia and NZ.

• Currency: NZD + they issue their own banknotes and coins.
• Scooter Hire: $25-30/day
• Scooter Lisence: $20
• DATA/WIFI: $10 for 2.5gb
• $15 cocktails / $25 main meal
• Taxis from the airport: $20 per person (see tip below)

Tips:

• Hire/ride a scooter: you must hold a full motorcycle license in your country of residence (check here for more information). If you don’t hold one, you can get a visitor motorcycle license from the Police station which includes a theory and practical examination. Be aware that this does take a good chunk of the day if it is busy.
• Bring your own snorkelling gear.
• Make reservations for dinner: most of the time it will be fine but the popular restaurants to fill up quickly. It’s better to be safe than sorry and save the disappointment.
• Bring a water bottle: To reduce plastic and purchasing water bottles, there are water fill up stations around both Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
• If you are looking to save some coin, get a hire car/scooter near the airport. This way you can save $20 (per person) for the taxi.

Rarotonga is the main island and the largest of the Cook Islands. Jetstar has direct flights (6 hours) from Sydney to Rarotonga which makes coming to this tropical paradise easy. We flew in about 7am which was great because we had a full day to settle in and explore. On Raro, there are plenty of food options, hotels and beautiful spots to see. You can drive around the island in about 40min to an hour.

Things to do on Rarotonga:

• Explore Muri Lagoon: located on the eastern side of Rarotonga, it is the hub for all water activities. You can book a Sea scooter safari tour, kitesurfing, kayaks, paddle boards + other cruises.
• Muri Night Markets (Cash only) The market is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 5PM – 9PM. There is a variety of local food and other vendors.
• Punanga Nui Market: (Every Saturday) it’s a popular open-air market with food and tropical fruit vendors, local art and live music. Defiantly worth checking out if you’re in Raro on a Saturday.
• Go for hikes: There are so many beautiful places to explore and reconnect with nature on Rarotonga. Alex did the Cross Island Trek (Te Run Manga 413) which is 6km across the island.  
• Check out Papua Waterfall (Wigmores Waterfall): after some rain, it’s a beautiful spot to have a dip!

Best Snorkelling Spots:

• Black Rock
• Muri Lagoon
• Avaavaroa Passage (Don’t snorkel here without a guide)
• Aroa Lagoon Marine Reserve

Where to Eat:

🌺 Charlies – fish tacos and Ika Mata were so good here.
🌺 The Pacific Fish & Chip Shop
🌺 Palace burgers (Wednesday happy hour $3.50 Burgers) BEST BURGERS Ever..
🌺 Trader Jacks – Restaurant, bar, pizzas and live music! Awesome vibe near the water.
🌺 Vaiana’s bar and bistro – awesome vibe for an afternoon drink watching the whales
🌺 Castaways – great spot for sunset drinks and dinner
🌺 Shipwrecks – (pictured left) Seafood Chowder was incredible + garlic bread.

We we stayed:
Kiikii Inn & Suites which was a great budget option with everything we needed.

How to get to Aitutaki: Air Rarotonga offers a quick scenic 40min flight from Rarotonga (no flights on Sundays). Most people do an Aitutaki Day tour which departs Rarotonga at 8am and returns by 5:30pm. This includes flights, an island tour and The Vaka Cruise. I strongly recommend you book a few nights on the island to get the whole Aitutaki experience. Keep in mind, it’s a tropical destination and the weather can change quite quickly, you don’t want to miss out on that sunshine.

On arrival, we were greeted by Charles (our hotel manager) with a Ei Kaki (fresh flower garland).. it was so lovely. Before checking into our hotel, we  did a quick tour around the island to show us best places to go, etc. which took roughly 20 minutes. Charles honestly made our trip in Aititaki. He helped us with bookings, recommendations and anything we needed.

Tip: Everyone on the island knows each other so ask your hotel manager if you need help with any bookings, etc. They are more than happy to help! I highly recommend getting a scooter first thing when you arrive as they can book out quite quickly.

Things to do on Aitutaki:

• Cultural Night – a trip to the Cook Islands is not complete without experiencing a culture night. You can experience a show at the Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort, Aitutaki Village, Tavake Cafe & Tamanu Beach Resort.
• Relax and soak in the sun at the Aitutaki Lagoon.
• Hike Maunga Pu Peak (124m): the highest point in Aitutaki only takes about 20min one way. It is an easy hike, a little steep but it is worth doing, the views are amazing!
• Watch the sunset from the lagoon, it is magical. The palm tree pictured below is near Matriki Beach Huts
• Fishing Charters: I don’t know much about fishing but I do know Aitutaki is world renown for amazing bone fishing.
• Day trip to One Foot Island (see below)
• Swim with whales (July right through to October)

Fun Fact: There are no dogs on Aitutaki. They have actually been banned since the early 1900’s. There’s a few tales out there why they are banned, one is the locals feared dogs carried leprosy and the other reason is that a dog bit the child of an island chief.

Where to Eat:

🌺 Avatea Cafe – Breakfast and lunch here was amazing. The burger (+special sauce on the side) and their Ika Mata was SO good.
🌺 Koru Cafe – delicious fresh food + homemade goodies & amazing service. Love the crew that worked here.
🌺 Blue Lagoon – Best dinner spot – fish curry was the best thing I ate on the entire trip.
🌺 Bubbles Below – We found coffee pretty good everywhere but Bubbles Below up there.
🌺 Pacific Resort – If you’re feeling fancy, their dinner is quite nice. They also have a bar overlooking the lagoon.
🌺 Te Amu Resort – Vibey spot for drinks and dinner

Where we stayed:
Kuru Club

One Foot Island is insanely beautiful! The island has a feeling that can’t be described, only felt. This beach was actually ranked #5 best in the world and I totally understand why! The white sandy beaches and glassy turquoise waters.. I’d have to agree. This place is absolute paradise.

We booked a Full Day Lagoon Cruise (10-4) with Bishops which included a BBQ lunch under our Hideaway Hut on Onefoot Island. We stopped at Honeymoon Island for only 10 minutes to check it out. It is beautiful but the mosquitoes are so bad, it is not worth staying. We then went snorkelling in the Lagoon which was some of the clearest water I’ve seen. We then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, swimming and soaking up the sun on One Foot Island.

Price: $140 (NZD) per adult

We loved One Foot Island so much we booked to go back the next day with a water taxi. I love this option because you are not on a time limit and you have the day to spend as much time as you want on One Foot. It’s a cheaper option, just bring your own food and relax! + you’re not stuck with a crowd of people.

Price: $70 (NZD) per adult

I am still crying from this real-life Avatar moment. Swimming with whales was the highlight of our trip. I’ve never cried underwater before. We travelled to Cook Islands in August and whales were everywhere. Everyday, we saw whales breaching about every 5-10 minutes (not over exaggerating)

We booked with Bubbles Below for $170 each for a 3 hour swim and the crew were incredible. We found this mama and calf within 10 minutes of being on the boat and they happily swam with us in their natural environment. It was such a beautiful moment that I will remember forever. You can see the video here 🙂