Cooks Is in March

We would like to plan an 8 day trip to the Cook Is in March (spring break) with our 15 yr old daughter. Coming from the US
I understand it's the rainy month so my question is ...is there a side of Rorotonga that gets less rain ? or is there another island such as Aitutaki that would be better. Can we do both in that amount of time ? Love any suggestions on places to stay too.
Shell51

Rarotonga's only 6 miles across, so there is no dry and wet side. The rain usually comes from the east, but it just heads over the hills and then hits the west side about five minutes later.
Aitutaki gets pretty much the same systems, more or less. But in March it will be a little hotter on Aitutaki, it's 140 miles N (closer to the equator).

But it rarely rains all day, usually an hour or two a few days a week, then sunny, etc.

You can do maybe 3 days on RAR, then fly to Aitutaki (except on Sundays), do three days there, then come back so you are on RAR for your flight back (again, no flights back on Suandays).

If you hate humidity, then you should consider staying at a place with air-con. The website www.ck has a lot of good info.

Hi Shelley,

Raro has pretty much given you the lay of the land and the rain story. I echo the same sentiments, but urge you not to worry much about the rain, it rarely affects your activities in the Cooks.

I urge you to visit Aitutaki, to travel from the states and not visit is unthinkable. As beautiful as Rarotonga is, Aitutaki is that much more spectacular. I think two days in itutaki would be sufficent, but it is your call.

If you give me some ides what your budget is, I will be happy to suggest lodging choices on both islands.

Air conditioning is one area Raro and I disagree, I am fine with a fan, especially when the cost difference will buy me dinner?

Have a great trip!

Papa Mike
Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook

Mike--I agree with you, air-con is not mandatory. What I said was: "If you hate humidity, then you should consider staying at a place with air-con."
So, if humidity is not bothersome to a visitor, then a fan is fine, and most places do have them.

[And the cost difference for air-con will buy you three meals, not just one!---so, if not needed, don;t pay for it.]

Thanks for the info on weather and splitting our time between the two islands.
Papa Mike...our budget for hotel is US $300. +/- a night. Having a teen means a little more activity would be nice.
Is the week of Easter a busy time ?

Shell51

For US$300/night you can afford 99% of the places on Rarotonga. Check out Sokala Villas.

Easter can be busy if the NZ school holidays are at the same time. Check via Google to see when they are, as many places will fill up for those two weeks. It is usually around Easter, but changes a little each year.

Shelly,

As Raro pointed out, your budget allows an almost unlimited selection. While Sokala Villas are beautiful, I think something like Muri Beachcomber might allow your teen more opportunities to meet fellow teens. Sokala has a lot of honeymooners, where as Muri Beachcomber has more families. Pacific Resort is very nice also and has lots of activities. I think you want to be in the Muri Lagoon area, with restaurants within walking distance and watersport rentals close by. A happy teen will make your trip a helll of a lot easier, I traveled with teenagers throughout the Caribbean, some great times and some tough times. The Cooks are quite safe and the lagoon is calm, have a great trip.

Raro, sorry for the misunderstanding, but it sounds like we are on the same page on air conditioning. The reason air-conditioning is so expensive in the South Pacific is that electricity is expensive. Rarotonga has diesel generated electricity, those of us concerned with the ecology of the islands should keep in mind that there is a lot less electricity used to run a fan than used to run an air conditioner. Thus the fan equals less polution, enough said.

Papa Mike
www.mikehollywood.com<BR><BR>

Hi Mike--
Yes, you are right, electricity in the Cooks costs about 5 times what it costs in NZ or the US.
I have had many guests at my place (former Shangri-La) who moved over during the summer months from other accommodations that did not have AC, just to be able to have AC. They were so uncomfortable with the humidity from Dec to March in particular, that their vacations were more ordeals than anything else w/o the AC.
Again, if one does not mind humidity, I agree that a fan is fine. But lots of people find the humidity in the Cooks very uncomfortable during those months. I lived there for 12 yrs, and I had the AC on almost every day from Dec to March---and I was used to the humidity, to some extent. Mnay locals even chose to take their vacations in Jan and Feb to get away from the humidity, and head to NZ or Australia.
If one is ecologically-minded, but hates humidity, it's best to travel during the cooler and less humid months of May to October, when AC is not needed.

PS--I agree with Mike that Muri Beachcomber or Pacific Resort might be better with a teenager. There are a few teens at Sokala on occasion, but many more would be at the other two places, which are much larger, esp. Pacific Resort.

Shelly - I sent you a private message yesterday.

Papa Mike

I can't really add anymore to what Raro and PapMike have said!

But, I can tell you how my hubby and I found Rarotonga in March this year. We were only there for 7 nights and apart from the odd shower, the weather was lovely. We stayed in a rented beach house (Torea Muri Beach House - through Heritage rentals), which had ceiling fans but no air conditioning - it did get pretty humid, but we managed fine with the fans. One feature that we were glad of was fly screens on all of the windows, which meant we could leave windows open and not risk a swarm of mosquitos coming in - that also provided a nice cooling breeze.

We did a day trip to Aitutaki and so wished that we'd been able to spend a couple of nights there. You absolutely have to go. Aitutaki is beautiful. The lagoon is amazing. You can see some of our photos at 25 Thousand Miles

Great photos Diane. Are you a professional photographer? I sent you a private message about your pictures, look for it.

I guess it's official now. Don't go to Rarotonga without visiting Aitutaki, even if it is only on a day trip. This is especially true if you are coming from any long distance location. If you are in the region, i.e. a Kiwi or an Aussie you will likely return, but if you are from Europe or North America you may nor get a second chance. That is why I show it as the #1 thing to do in my book.

Kia Orana to All

Papa Mike
Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook
www.mikehollywood.com

Hi PapaMike,

You have a PM.

DizzyDi