going to Cooks ALONE for a week. good idea? bad idea? your ideas!

Hello fellow travelers, i am a 25 year old guy from the USA and planning a trip to the Cooks in 2011. It has always been a 'life to-do' experience on my list. It looks as though I may be doing it alone seeing as though none of my friends will be able to come with. Unfortunatly I only have about a week to travel. Would going to the Cook Islands for a week be worth it? too short? too long? just right? I plan on staying in Raro, but making a day trip to Aitutaki. Advice on this would be great! and if you have any suggestions on things to do in Raro I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks everyone!

I'd recommend staying one or two nights in Aitutaki. If you're like most people, one day is not enough.

One week is not enough time, flights are westbound on Friday night and eastbound on Saturday night, which effectively gives you six days on island, not enough time to explore both Rarotonga and Aitutaki. If you can manage it spend two weeks, the major expense is the airfare. Plenty of budget, backpacker or reasonable bungalow lodgings on Rarotonga. I would suggest you attend an "island night" performance and perhaps a safari tour. You will also want to visit the Saturday market in Avarua. Spend some time snorkeling or a day of fishing on one of the charter boats, kayak rentals in Muri lagoon or perhaps free depending on where you stay. Plenty of activities and nightlife in Avarua for a single of your age, enjoy your trip.

Papa Mike

We agree, too far to go and too expensive for just 5-6 days. Wait until you get more vacation days (weeks).

Agree, one week is too short. I would never do an Aitutaki day trip. The lagoon on Aitutaki is spectacularly beautiful. It would be heartbreaking to see it and then have to leave. (Two weeks is good, one on Rarotonga and one on Aitutaki.)

If you stay in the backpacker places - Vara's and Rarotonga Backpackers come to mind on Rarotonga and Tom's on Aitutaki (check out www.ck) you'll meet plenty of young people traveling by themselves. It's easy to make quick friends in places like that. You will also discover that many of them are in the Cooks as a stop on a year long trip around the world.

You'll meet many like-minded travellers. The Cook Islands is an exceptionally friendly place. Rarotonga and Aitutaki are small, so it's easy to get around and get to know people. Backpacker lodges and budget accomodators are best places to meet others. If you can only max your travel plans to one week, this is better than no visit to the Cook Islands.

I just (last weekend) got back from my 1 week trip (I live in L.A.) and although it was shorter than I would have liked (always is!), I fit in a TON of fun activies - here is my itinerary for your reference:

Day 1 (Air NZ arrives before 6am on Monday mornings) - check in early/vegetate by beach with drink/kayak/snorkel/Island Nights at the hotel with a huge buffet

Day 2 - Scuba intro and then Scuba Boat Dive - still was able to fit in a nap. Went to Trader's for dinner/drinks/fun. (Anti-clockwise bus stops running at night... just for future reference)

Day 3 - Massage, nice dinner at Windjamer, drinks and laziness...ahhhhh!

Day 4 - Fly Air Raro duing lightning and thunder (barf!) to Aituaki - arrived early and had the whole day to enjoy and do nothing, which was nice because it was pouring rain!

Day 5 - Aitutaki Boat Tour - One foot island, surrounding Motus, sunset dinner and drinks at hotel

Day 6 - Fly back early to Raro - Rented scooters, got lunch and ended up drinking at Trader's till it was time to fly home at 12am-ish.

I could have used more days, easy, but I thought it worked out fantastically! Can't wait to go back!!!

P

Thanks everyone for thier input and suggestions.

missperly-did you feel like it was too long of a distance to get to, to only stay a week? that itenerary sounds perfect, i want to spend more than one day on aitutaki.

If it's only 1 week visit, suggest you arrive Raro, then take a mid morning flight over to Aitutaki, stay for 2/3 nights, return on midday flight from Aitutaki to Raro, stay on the big isle several nights until your midnight departure.

If you're hell-bent on going - just go! Naturally, if you live in L.A. or somewhere on the West Coast, it's a bit easier to justify. And, as missperley so perfectly illustrated, you can pack a lot in if you try. Plus Raro is a small island so you can do as much or as little as you like. I do strongly suggest you spend at least 2 days in Aitutaki because the lagoon is amazing and there are plenty of wonderful characters to meet. I was there for 5 days and it was just enough time to cover some highlights (snorkelling, sailing, drinking, sunbathing, exploring the island on scooter) before leaving.

im heading to the cooks alone for a week as well on my way to new zealand in september. Looks like your not the only one!