Cook Islands?

Question

who has been there and what did you think, any advice??? going there just after xmas for 1-2 weeks...

looking for any tourist advice, shopping oportunities etc etc

Mitch and Laura

Answer 1

Dear Mitch and Laura
Here are some things that I enjoyed very much in Rarotonga.
The prices are what I paid 5 years ago so you may find that they are more expensive when you get there.

1) Do try horseback riding on the beach. Horseback riding on the beach is off-limits by law in the U.S. Depending on the tide, the guide will take you to places where you're sure you and your horse will drown. The water does something to the horses and you will have an experience you will never forget for the rest of your life. (About USD$60 per person)

2) Again depending on your fitness level, do go hiking trails to the mountain peaks. The challenge level is moderate but the trails are not marked, so try going in a group with an experienced guide. I went with this guy with long blond dreadlocks who picked us up in his white van. He was knowledgeable (his name escapes me, I think his business name was "Pa's Hiking Adventures" or something like that) and very fast! He also provided a luncheon of sandwiches by a secluded waterfall but the mosquitos kept making lunch of us. (USD 40.00 pp)

3) Do walk/wade across the Muri Lagoon from the South Eastern coast of the island to the little islet called Oneroa. You can see that islet on the pictures of Rarotonga (tan colored). The seawater is warm to the skin, and even at its midpoint in the water, it rises up to only about five feet. But remember, Oneroa is a private island unless you go there as a part of the escorted boat excursion, so don't stay too long or the guard chickens there will attack you. -Just kidding!-

4) Do look for crazy seashells on the western side of the island. There are a lot of those creepy crawfish living in them, so leave those alone if you decide to keep a few as souvenirs. You can also catch and release little crabs late at night on the beach.

5) I hate eating chicken, but do stop by at the food stands along the main road encircling the island and try the fried chicken dishes. I think they taste like no other chicken in the U.S. because they are free range and appear to be hormone free. But, resources are scarce and the restaurant will only give you one paper napkin each, those cheapskates. (USD$3.50)

6) On Sundays, there is an open market in Downtown Avarua. There are not too many things that's nice by U.S. standards, but here you can find inexpensive hand-made craft items like abalone shell hair pins, belts, and island edibles.

7) Do try climbing the Black Rock, the rock formations across the street from the golf course. It is believed that the spirits of the dead native people pass by this interesting landmark. When I heaved myself over a ledge here, I got a heart attack because at eye level, there was a monsterous red crab trying to poke my eyes out.

8) When checking in, try asking for the ground level garden view rooms. This allows you to feel like you're sitting in the backyard of your very own beachside bungalow.

9) Do get a driver's license at the DMV office in Avarua. The procedures are simple and the fee nominal. The line tends to get very long because of the number of tourists desiring these official souvenirs, so go early in the morning. It's a great souvenir.


Things to Avoid:

1) Unless you're a golf aficianado, the golf course a little west from the airport is a place to stay away. It's next to a rock quarry and I kept losing all my balls in the bushes. (You might tell me to be a better golfer, too.)

2) Remember that the t-shirts and other manufactured goods you buy are usually imported from somewhere else, like China. You can get a good selection of inexpensive to quality t-shirts at the T-Shirt Warehouse, a little east of Downtown Avarua, run by the only Korean woman (also very beautiful) on the island.

3) If you're honeymooning here, no matter how much your honey bunny flutters her eyelashes at you, don't buy any jewelry for your better half. This applies especially to the infamous black pearls, unless you personally know someone in the oyster cultivating business in Tahiti. These shops catering to tourists rip you off mercilessly. Ironically, I found better quality black pearls from black pearl wholesalers in downtown L.A. for a quarter of the cost they charge in the South Pacific. (A lusterous bead of black pearls I bought in Cook Islands for US$450 could have been bought domestically for $150.00, plus beading charges and the cost for the gold clasp in the local jewelry center.)

4)) Despite how wonderful it looks on the tour brochure, decline the overpriced overwater bungalows that cost upwards of $US400-500 per night. Not only they destroy the marine life beneath, but it also affects your breathing, like that feeling as if your lungs were drowning when you spent all day swimming in the pool when you were little. But if you're on honeymoon, heck, why not splurge for an experience of a lifetime? :-)

Have a great time, kids!

Answer 2

shopping is limited to shells products ,some whalebone carvings, stuff like that ..2 weeks is too long, combine other close by island nations into your trip