Cook Islands vs. Fiji

Hi there-

I looked up info on this forum Fiji vs. Cooks, but all of the posts looked like they were 5-10 years old.....so I will ask the question again. Cooks vs. Fiji?????

My fiance and I would like to take a month long honeymoon in the South Pacific. We have epicurean tastes, so French Polynesia was our first obvious interest. We are easily impressed by the best haha! But when we started researching it we saw that it would just be too outrageous in cost for an entire month (we are american so our dollar sucks right now!). This is our honeymoon, and we want to be able to live freely and not have to penny pinch and strategize for every last purchase. Thus we are considering the cooks and fiji. Please tell me if i am wrong here....Tahiti just seems insane cost wise.

From my reading online, it is hard to understand what the main differences are between fiji and the cooks. These are our criteria:
-We would like luxury accommodation for a few nights after our wedding, but then for the rest of the month we don't need anything too fancy. Just comfortable.
-We want to dive
-We want to snorkel lots
-We want to hike
-We want jungles and waterfalls
-Surf would be great but not a necessity
-We want beauty, picturesque landscapes
-We want to be in an island dream fantasy!
-Awesome, kick ass beaches are a must and plenty!
-Incredible blue water is a must
-Food is not that important to us, as long as it's decent
-We are explorer types so wherever we go, we will want to see a variety of islands. We'd like interisland travel to be affordable and possible.
-We would like to be able to spend about $9,000 to $12,000 USD for a month.

So......there it is....the ultimate list. Not too much to ask, is it? hahaha

Where can this be found? Which will more easily satisfy these desires, Fiji or Cooks? Or elsewhere, I am open minded to other suggestions?

Thanks so much, especially to those who have actually BEEN TO BOTH and can give a good comparison. Thanks!

Fiji, much more variety on offer.

Key Words-Yasawas, Taveuni, Kadavu.

I've been to both.

I prefer the Cooks, but based on your list, Fiji might be the better fit.

The Cooks are short on waterfalls, scuba diving and awesome KA beaches. But they have many secluded quiet little beaches away from the crowds, lots of freedom to hike where and when you want and lots of interesting places to see. Many, including me, think it is a very romantic destination.

For $12,000 you could spend 5-7 days on Aitutaki at the Etu Moana or similar then on to Aitu, stay at Marshal Humphry's place then maybe Okiva on Mauke or the Swede's place on Mangaia. Marshal and the Birdman can show you around Aitu, Jon and Tere' on Mangai and Ta and Teata will take care of you on Mauke.

But a word of caution... within two weeks of returning home, you'll be planning your next visit to the Cooks. It's extremely addictive.

If you decide to go to Fiji you'll find lots of help. It's a very popular place.

It also depends if you want to be with Melanesians or Polynesians. I prefer the Polynesians.

kia orana robe,

i can't give you advice on fiji but i am living in rarotonga since 3,5 years and i absolutlly love this island. and we've been to aitutaki as well, which is one of the most beautiful places i've been so far. it's perfect for honeymooner and if you want a luxury and outstanding resort book the pacific resort aitutaki.... the lagoon over there is great and you can do lagoon tours (i would suggest a private one (f e wet & wild) which is way better than the big cruises.
but in general the people here in the cooks are amazing friendly. everything is laid back but still organized. rarotonga has great walks and wonderful beaches. and the diving and snorkeling is very good as well.
we get a lot of customers who been to fiji and after they have been to the cooks they come back to us!!
especially if you have 4 weeks...that is great..
if you need any other specific information please ask
kia manuia
sabine

Thanks everyone for the advice, it's a big decision. And I'm sure that either choice would be awesome. But it's really hard to tell from just looking at photos and reading online, what are the main differences in these places? How/why are the beaches different? How is the water and reefs different? How are the landscapes different?

Have been to both. There are a lot more choices of islands in Fiji.
If you take just the main island in the Cook's and the Mamanuca's in Fiji the main differences for snorkeling will be that Rarotonga has a fringing reef that has reasonably shallow water inside the reef and it is usually too rough and too shallow to swim over to get outside the reef to snorkel on the outer edge.
In the Mamanuca's you can usually swim along the reef edge where most of the fish life can be seen.
You are much more likely to see sharks in Fiji.
Both will have warm water and you can snorkel for hours.
In Fiji we invariably snorkel right around the smaller islands or do larger islands in stages.
Usually within minutes of coming out of the water you can find some footware to walk back to your start point if it is a rocky shore rather than a beach.
It is generally easier and quicker to get to offshore islands in Fiji rather than the Cook's where they are spread out over a larger area.

Food is better in Fiji, not just indigenous Fijian but Indian, Chinese and other Asian cuisines influence what's on offer.

I agree with the Yasawas in Fiji.

Another option, with great food thrown in is the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia - especially including the Isle of Pines.

I would say Fiji is much more commercial and also more expensive...

Looking at your list - after reading it I say Fiji for sure! I have been to Fiji 3 times and spent almost a few weeks in the Cook Islands (also have done a bit of New Caledonia too) I think Fiji has everything you are looking for for sure. There are a lot of beautiful high end resorts for the first part of honeymoon. Since you have the time, I would suggest heading out towards Tavenui for the lush green tropical islands and some amazing diving and beaches. You can also visit some great waterfalls (where some of Return to Blue Lagoon was filmed many years ago!). The area is lush, green and beautiful.

After perhaps a week or 10 days out there, then you can head to the Yasawa island which are much drier and not as lush, but with that perfect blue water, some amazing beaches, snorkelling and of course more diving. There is also the opportunity to surf here too in a few places (more for intermediate and advanced surfers). If you are more of a beginner surfer, then stop on the main island for a few days in the Sigatoka area where you can do some good surfing. Walking, and hiking is everyone with killer views from tops of the islands.

When you are in the Yasawas, you can definitely island hop and there is some great budget accommodations that are clean and friendly, good but not gourmet food and all offerring you a slightly different experience from the next.

Cook Islands I really enjoyed as well - but believe you will have much better diving and snorkelling in Fiji and a lot more options of things to see and do as there are so many different islands to visit. Fiji has a greater diversity in landscapes if you travel more than just the Yasawas.

If you want to see some of my pictures from one of my trips to Fiji and the Cook Islands you can find them at
http://www.tpiworldwide.com/carlhenderson/livingadream-journal/home43-0.html

Good luck in deciding and let us know what you choose!!
Carl

Wow....this is turning out to be nearly a draw! Thus like I said before....I know either would be fabulous. Carl: my concern with Fiji is that there are more islands to see, thus maybe the inter island traveling is going to really jack up the price? Rather than the cooks, where there are less islands to see? Any opinions on that?

my concern with Fiji is that there are more islands to see, thus maybe the inter island traveling is going to really jack up the price? Rather than the cooks, where there are less islands to see? Any opinions on that?

There are more islands in Fiji, but you are not obliged to visit them all!! Visit as many places on Fiji as you would for the Cooks, and it all comes out the same in the end. So there is no reason why you have to worry about prices. Just pick the number of islands you want to visit which fit your interests and budget.

As said above, the big advantage of Fiji is the variety (and only some small corners are "commercial"). The dry Yasawas for some snorkelling and relaxing,Taveuni for the jungles and diving. Ovalau island is a good, smaller option to Taveuni, and also with some local/historical culture in the old capitol town of Levuka. Ovalau is closer to Viti Levu (and Yasawas) so travel costs will be that much less.

So: a Yasawa island, Viti levu, Taveuni or Ovalau -- you have three highly varied islands which will give you a lot to do.

Great, thanks everyone for the input. I am reading up on the various island groups in Fiji - does anyone have any comments on the Manamuca group? What is there, what is it like?

Also, I've read a lot of forum posts that encourage people to get the hell off of Viti Levu island once you land there.....why? Just because there is better stuff to be seen and experienced elsewhere?

Don't bother with the Mamanucas-everything is better in the Yasawas.

" lot of forum posts that encourage people to get the hell off of Viti Levu island once you land there.....why? "
the islands are everyone's image of pacific paradise. that said, much of the Coral Coast is very pleasant (Shangri La Fijian is my pick) and Denerau (near Nadi) is luxurious but fake - think large international resorts (Sofitel, Hilton, Sheraton etc)

Well, you were easily persuaded Robe. I agree that once you've been to Fiji, you'll enjoy the Cook Islands more. Our tourism strategy is for quality tourism, not quantity, in paradise.

Robe0488 post #11

Fiji or the Cooks, like most things... it depends

It depends on what you are looking for. I like the Cooks because they offer a Polynesian culture and generally are much less touristy than Fiji. It's also a much smaller country, less well-known, quieter, low-key and more laid-back. The people are the most friendly folks that I've ever come across and most are eager to extend genuine hospitality to visitors. I feel less like a tourist in the Cooks than in any other tropical destination I've been to with the possible exception of the villages of Puertocitos, Mulege and Bahia de Los Angeles in the mid Baja Peninsula back in the early 1960s.

In Fiji I feel like an average tourist visiting a beautiful tropical destination. There are things available and lots of things to do. But they were arranged for the tourists. It was a nice experience but I didn't feel close to the locals and always felt that I was be catered to because I was a tourist. It's the same in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii and Tahiti.

There are probably lots of place like the Cook Islands. I just haven't found them. The Cook Islands is a beautiful, friendly, unassuming and unpretentious place.

Edited by: H2ooh

Edited by: H2ooh

"There are things available and lots of things to do. But they were arranged for the tourists. It was a nice experience but I didn't feel close to the locals and always felt that I was be catered to because I was a tourist."

Then you went to the wrong places-which is easy to do since most of what a person reads about Fiji tells them to get on the well trodden tourist track and stay on it.

It's the same where I live in Beautiful BC-people go where 'everyone else goes' and have little interest in trying anything new.

Ditto most of the Caribbean (with the exception of mainland read Colombia and Trinidad)+ & Mexico +(with the exception of the Gulf Coast outside of Veracruz)

Then you went to the wrong places-which is easy to do since most of what a person reads about Fiji tells them to get on the well trodden tourist track and stay on it.

What places in Fiji would you compare to Mauke, Mangia, Aitu and Miitiaro?

Or to Raro and Aitutaki?

"What places in Fiji would you compare to Mauke, Mangia, Aitu and Miitiaro? "

Take the time to read several dozen older posts & the FAQs on Fiji it's-all there.

Take the time to read several dozen older posts & the FAQs on Fiji it's-all there.

Can we assume then, that you have not been to the Cooks' outer islands?

hahahahaha......I always wanted to start a thread that would end in some good old fashioned name calling......!!

Actually in response to Turou, I have not yet been persuaded! I am still very much undecided and I have gotten some great insider information from everyone that has posted. Thanks to all. I was just asking a few more specific questions about Fiji as long as I was on here.

Although my original post listed some very specific criteria and it seems that we would want to be very active, my main concern is always with beauty and quality, and if that's what the Cooks offer in a less-touristy setting, then that may be the right choice for us. I have read that the diving and snorkeling are not as vivid in the cooks, or that there are less beaches that are good for swimming, but I don't know if these things are necessarily true. And there may be other attributes that are more important than those things.

Thanks again everyone for great info! I am going to keep reading up, and maybe get some videos to continue towards choosing a honeymoon destination.

By the way, is it possible to buy an air pass in the cook islands, some kind of package deal with Air Rarotonga that will allow you to visit several islands? I can't find anything like this on their website.

Maybe the new airline starting up in the Cooks shortly would suit your needs Kia Orana Air

No info other than the news link though.

Oops!

Just read through the link-sounds like another South Pacific Flash-in-the-pan.

Not unique to the Cooks either believe me.

I don't think Air Raro offers an air pass or volume discount to non-residents. I've heard it's possible to get cheap last-minute tickets to Aitutaki but I wouldn't depend on it.

I think its probably best to bite the bullet and get the cheapest fares you can. It's a small airline with small airplanes. A family reunion or a govenrment meeting on and outlying island can wipe out a week's flights to Mauke, Mangaia or Mitiaro. Also Christmas time results in chaos as CI expats come back for the holidays. Air Raro tries to accommodate the rush by providing extra flights if they have the planes and the passengers to fill them.

Unless you have lots of time to be very flexible I'd recommend you plan 3-4 months out.

Air Rarotonga www.airrarotonga.com or Island Hopper Vacations for a 2/3/4 island experience for airfare only or airfares and accommodation. Several beautiful properties on Aitutaki including Pacific Resort, Etu Moana and Rumours of Romance. Little Polynesian and Rumours/Reflections, and Te Manava, and Sea Change on Rarotonga. USA dollar to NZ dollar is offering very good value at present. Far better than Fiji conversion anyway. Atiu island has very high water visibiilty, and easy access to the reefline from shore. Garden Cove is a good spot on that island. Caves and underground freshwater passages to the reef on Atiu, Mangaia and Mitiaro. Mangaia's beauty is haunting.

Exactly what turou said!
Cooks has my vote.

Hi robe0488 did you ever go on this trip? My fiance and I are looking at the same places! Which did you choose? Thanks!