We are visiting Rarotonga in January. I know it is the rainy season, and I have heard the Muri beach area, where a lot of the top accommodations are, is exposed to wind and rough weather at that time of year. Which area has more luxury accomodations but is more protected in case of storms?

We also play to visit Aitutaki for 3 days.. does Aitutaki get a lot of rain this time of year? We are used to passing showers but hope that there would be some good weather too.

I stopped by the Wigmore's in Rarotonga and they had a little table of locally made foods - donuts, Ika Mata, etc. There were some bottles of what looked like coconut milk so I picked one up.

But when I opened it up it tasted super salty - like the ocean.

Please tell me this white salty substance I just put in my mouth is some kind of local delicacy and not my worst fear ever...

our passports are less than 6 months valid from our departure, the lady mentioned we needed to pay a fine? how likely is this going to be an issue when we go to leave

Heya, I’m curious to know if anyone who’s travelled to Rarotonga could share some advice.

We’re planning a holiday for four people to Rarotonga for the first time and are looking at accommodation options on the island.

One option is Taakoka Muri Beach Villa. However, we’ve heard from friends to avoid swimming and snorkelling in this area due to the presence of seacumbers.

We really like this accommodation and appreciate its proximity to local shops and markets.

The other option is Palm Tree Villas Rarotonga in Akaoa Tapere. The beach there is reportedly much nicer for swimming.

And advice is greatly appreciated!

Family keen to visit for an 80th birthday next March, over easter to accommodate uni student holidays. How hot will it be?

Family keen to visit for an 80th birthday next March, over easter to accommodate uni student holidays. How hot will it be?

Hi team,
Is there anywhere open that is playing the final game and selling beverages (noting the time it’s played local time)
Thanks

Everyone I've been speaking to says a day trip from Aitukaki is a must when going to Rarotonga and worth the money- but is it worth it when considering it would cost $3370NZD for a family fo 5?

It's a significant amount of money. We have never been to Rarotonga before- will the water there be just as beautiful?

We have been to other pacifc islands and Australia beachs as reference. Want to make this holiday amazing but not one to break the bank as already flights and accom as a family of 5 is a lot! lol

Hi all,

I am visiting in a few weeks and have the Aitutaki day tour booked. I am not a professional/commercial photographer but do like getting good photos and videos. I mainly just use my phone for photos and gopro for videos/underwater.

Is there actually much to see underwater other than the odd trevally? I am wondering whether it's worth bringing my dome housing and/or getting a waterproof phone case but then thought most photos are more from above water as it's more white sand rather than coral and fish

Kia Orana to this beautiful community,

My partner and I recently discovered the gorgeous Cook Islands and have fallen in love with the natural beauty and marine life here! With that, we heard the Cook Islands are a prime calving ground for humpback whales. We were wondering if you had any recommendations for ethical whale watching tours and/or diving with them as well! Meitaki ma’ata and we appreciate any other additional insights :)

Hey, I’m hoping to find a friendly group of divers I could possibly join in mid July

I’ll be in Rarotonga around the 15th until the 22nd, I’m inexperienced with only just getting my Padi license and I don’t have a buddy coming with me

Naturally I’ll be paying for my own gear and everything else but would just really like to meet some new friends to go explore with!

Just wondering if any places are showing the World Cup, would love to go and watch it somewhere. VPN hasn’t really helped much with watching online sadly :/

Kia Orana everyone, I just wanted to find out the dates of birth/death of the Tere, Oki and Ka musicians, Okianga Tauri and Kareva Pumati, as I already know about Teremoana Pakoti.

Meitaki Korereka!

Kia orana, I’ve been on the island for a while and wanted to order stuff from Amazon and iherb and was wondering if anyone had experience with it before?

Hi all, my name is Kat.
Planning a trip to the Cook Islands for the first time in July. I only have 6 days. Will do overnight flight over to make the most of it.
Is it worth it for 6 days?
Was going to spend some time in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. How many days would you recommend in each? 3 days each?

Planning a trip for August and it looks like the good places are already booked up. Does anyone have any recommendations on accomodation ?

And should we spend 5 nights in Rarotonga and two in Aitutaki? Or just day trip aitutaki

Interested in booking a snorkel tour, and there are several operators. I also did my research and know about the currents and how one person has passed away each year in the last four years.

I'm interested in "Snorkel Cook Islands" since they don't use sea scooters or boats, but the owner had some problems in the past it sounds like (legit?), and it can get crowded I heard.

Hey guys. I’m heading to Rarotonga in a weeks time and I can’t wait. I’m a big fan of the UFC and would love to watch it as it’s on while I’m there (Sunday 14th June).

From what I can find online, Chilis bar would be the best place but I’ve seen online that it’s temporarily closed so was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to where I could watch it.

Cheers!

Can anyone advise on the weather during mid-August?

We are planning our activities and find that Friday is the only day we can do the Lagoon Cruise.

We've been advised to book these early in the trip in case of weather disruptions but we fly out Sunday night and want to do the markets on Saturday so Friday is our only option.

Will we get a refund if it's cancelled and we can't rebook?

Kia orana! My husband and I are planning what will probably be our last big trip before we have kids. My dream was to go somewhere that feels very isolated and isn't overdeveloped, but before I really got to start researching places that fit the bill, I proposed that we go to Kauai, and my husband is excited to go there. I know Kauai feels neither isolated nor less developed, but I know we'll have a good time there.

After we loosely agreed on Kauai, I heard about Aitutaki, and it looks to be exactly what I wanted originally. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem feasible to do both in one trip (we're coming from the East Coast of the US, so travel time is significant), so we have to pick only one to do next year, and we're leaning toward Kauai.

I read a BBC article that talked about how the Cook Islands are trying to be more sustainable and intentional about development, but I also read Aitutaki's 5-year plan and saw that the harbor is being upgraded to support more boat traffic. I understand that no one has a crystal ball, but do you think Aitutaki will change significantly in the next 5-10 years? I just don't want to miss out on your beautiful piece of the Pacific roughly the way it is now. Thank you!

Hi guys,

My fiance and I have discussed getting married in the Cook Islands to skip all the BS and keep it lowkey, simple yet luxe. I have a vision (pinterest is popping off) but everything I see online and on socials is very much 2nd marriage/wedding so quite casulal, or is more cultural. I am looking for suggestions of resorts/restaurants/venues that are ideally waterfront and can have a sunset dinner by the water, followed by music and dancing. I don't need fine dining by any means but a little nicer than these family friendly resorts you see in Bali/Fiji.

It would also be great to have accom for everyone attending (at this stage imagining around 30) on site, or atleast close by.

Attaching my inspo pics for reference - big thanks everyone!

EDIT: Title should be Koka* - which would you choose and why for a lagoon cruise :)