Cook Islands - 10 days (mid March)

Hi All -

I am thinking about going to the cook islands for about 10 days in mid-march. I will just be coming off completing (well hopefully) Ironman New Zealand, and looking for a good place to relax and rest my bones. Not looking for total caos, but also not looking for total isolation. I will be travelling solo (35 yo male) and just want a good mix of everything. Relaxation is key though. Will probably only want to go to two different places (5 days each?)

Any suggestions for an intinerary or where to go? Budget wise would be mid range. Not the bottom of the barrel, but also not top of the line either.

Also, does anyone know if there are any yoga retreats located on the islands? Also, any kite-surfing schools?

I know this post seems to be vary vague, but thanks for your help. The main purpose of my trip is the race and that is my focus. The 10 days afterwards are the reward!

Blasky

Hi there Blasky!

First of all, good luck with the Ironman! My girlfriend has done the Penticton Ironman in Canada three times. She's a machine.

I live on Aitutaki and I don't know much about Raro but I know you'll love the Cooks. For relaxation, Aitutaki is the best bet, for nightlife and fun, go to Raro (though, it will be limited compared to NZ). There are no yoga retreats or kite surfing schools here but you can rent a kayak from Samade on the Beach and paddle to the motu, which is always challenging.

Check out this website for info on Aitutaki and then if you have any specific questions I'll be happy to answer them!
www.aitutaki-accommodations.com</a>

Cheers,
Kristene

kia orana blasky,
i tried already a couple of times to reply to your question, but i had problems with this system.. i hope that it will work now.
i am sure you will enjoy your reward. i am living on rarotonga and i love the island... it's the people here who make live different. but now to your questions. first decision you have to make is: east side in muri beach or west side in arorangi with possibility of a sunset. muri has a wonderful beach and little islands to walk to.. a little main street were you can get some food or rent a car.. the rest are accommodations.. you can walk on the beach or just relax... the other side is well known for great sunsets and aroa marine reserve for great snorkelling (if you want to have a look go to (if you want to have a look go to YouTube and look for Aroa lagoon – heaps of fish). (but on the east side you have fruits of rarotonga which is good as well. )
next decision is your place to stay... if you need a restaurant, then you have to stay in the slightly bigger resorts.(like the edgewater, rarotongan resort, club raro or pacific resort). But most of the places are self contained. from backpackers up to luxus villas. if you want something in between have a look at puaikura logdges. They are located on the west side of this island where you can watch the sun go down. Sue and tom the owners are doing triathlons as well, there is a club on the island. Have a look at their homepage http://www.puaikura.co.ck/index.html

or the aroa beach side in with jim an jan which are really nice as well
http://www.aroabeachsideinn.co.ck/ this is based direct on the beach… too on the west side.

on the muri side I would recommend the muri beach resort owned by paul and jane who are looking more than well after their guests…

http://www.muribeachresort.com/

if you want a backpacker which have good rooms as well you might want to have a look at rarotonga backpackers. Located at the beach and they have a hill side facility as well. There you always meet lots of young people to talk to.
http://www.rarotongabackpackers.com/

for kite surfing you can ask the sailing club.. I have seen kite surfer there but I don’t know if they do lessons …
but if you need any other help, just ask… or if this places are not the right place for you to stay..
all the best for your event
from Sabine

I'm hoping to go in July for a 'chillax' week. Is the weather good then? Also, does anyone know what the Etu Bungalows are like? They seem quite good on their website:- http://www.etubungalows.com/Index.html but the Rarotonga Backpackers also look good (thanks to thebigfish for posting) - http://www.rarotongabackpackers.com/ Is the Rarotonga Backpackers too noisy for someone who wants peace and quiet? Are these places open in July.
Thanks in advance :-)

I'd do maybe the first three days on Rarotonga, then three or so on Aitutaki. Stay longer if you can handle the slow pace. If not, go back to RAR for the last few days.

Singles in their 30's might like the Paradise Inn in town, on RAR. The small resorts are also nice. I built and owned (to 2007) what is now Muri Beach Resort. It's on a great spot, so check it out, as suggested above.

I like the Muri Beach area better than the west side (Arorangi, Aroa, etc). Lagoon on the west can get very shallow at low tide.

Check out the FAQ's at the top of this section, lots of info on the Cooks.

For reviews of places to stay, check out Tripadvisor.com .

For general info on the Cooks, go to www.ck .

For naughtyminx---all places are open all year. Weather is a little cooler in July Aug, mainly at night, but still warm enough to swim during the day.

Thanks Raro, will look into accomm when my flights are confirmed. :-)

Just wanted to thank bigfish as have booked with the Raratonga Backpackers for next summer - they're very courteous on emails and always replied to me quickly. Really looking forward to it.