Living on Aitutaki

Hi there,

My husband and I have the possibility of moving to, and working on, Aitutaki. Here's the deal, we have done this once before - moved from our home in BC, Canada to work on a (very) small island in the Bahamas - and, as much as possible, I'd like to avoid making the same mistakes we did then. So, in order to go into this with eyes (very) wide open, I'd like to hear anything negative about Aitutaki or the Cook Islands in general. From mosquitoes to weather to cost of living, I want to hear the worst!

If you have lived on Aitutaki, even better. I would LOVE to hear from you.

Just as a starting point, here are some things that are important to me:
- friendly locals
- groceries that don't cost an arm and other body parts (some selection would also be nice)
- stuff to do (we are water babies & dive-a-holics)
- internet (I'm a writer - must have reliable internet)
- decent dental and medical access (if that means hopping to Raratonga, I'm OK with that)

Thanks in advance. My husband developed a severe case of "Paradise-itis" over our long, snowy winter and I need to keep him grounded (i.e. paradise is not always so paradisaical).

Cheers,
Kristene

Hi Kristene

I hope you don't mind, but I would like to ask some questions that I think are important before I answer some of yours.

1) Why did your move to the Bahamas fail? Tell us your experience there please... What you did right and wrong and why you left. What did you take from that experience?

2) Is this a permanant move? Or are you just escaping the cold, Canuck winter?

3) If you are moving long term, what is/was the process of immigration through the Cook Islands goverment?

4) How was your experience dealing with the Cook Islands government in securing your immigration? What hurdles did you have? Red tape, if any?

5) What employment opportunities did you get on Aitutaki?

6) How long have you been researching Aitutaki and the Cook Islands?

Here is a little blurp I found on the internet. It doesn't tell much, but it's a start.

I know you are not wanting to move to a deserted tropical island, but

this book is a good read.

And if you haven't already found this resource, on the web, I will be surprised.

There is also a book I read in Samoa... It was all about moving and living on tropical islands. I cannot remember the author's name nor can I find it on the web. I do believe it was called "Moving to a Tropical Island". I am sure your research will turn it up.

It sounds like you need to do alot of research before asking things here like "What is there to do for entertainment, etc." You will probably want to get the logistics of Aitutaki first.

Good luck with your dream.. It sounds like a profound lifestyle change.

Just as an add-on, I spent a week as a tourist on Aitutaki in 2005. Here's what I experienced...

The Cook islands are SMACK dab in the middle of the South Pacific cyclone/hurricane belt... I got to experience 3 cyclones... You are going to want to make sure you find a solid home not on the water. I am from Saskatchewan, so a little wind didn't bother me but seeing a bathtub fly by was a bit much.

Nice place with friendly locals... At least friendly to me. I never saw anyone get murdered if that's what you mean. I have no idea how ex-pats are treated but most looked to be intact with all their teeth, limbs and digits. Learn to like beer.

Stuff to do? Don't plan on being too active. Nothing really to see in terms of "sites". The lagoon is spectacular for water activities, but for the average tourist these activites were expensive because: (a) one needs their own boat and know all the nautical "boat stuff" (b) You need to know someone with a boat that doesn't leak or list or (c) Take one of the many glossy, expensive lagoon tours and hope you really like The Eagles and Bob Marley.

Aitutaki is a very quiet place. Nothing really in the line of shopping, haute cuisine or night clubs. A few bars to wet your whistle. For God sakes, bring a year's supply of antiperspirant/sunscreen and I hope you like raw fish.

Groceries: EXTREMELY expensive. Didn't see, surprisingly, a lot of local fruit... You and the old ladies will be fighting over that one hand of bananas or single Papaya that MAY show up at the Saturday morning market... Bring combat gear and a sense of humour.

Internet access: What's that? Maybe things have changed in 2 years. (yes, folks on Aitutaki have access to internet.... very slow, very expensive). For example, downloading websites usually entails the same amount of time as a meal preperation. I found I could get the Lonely Planet site loaded in the same amount of time as it takes to make Spaghetti Bolognaise so now I know why Cook Islanders keep their computers in their kitchens.

Dental Service: I heard one of the local chiefs will pull a molar for a flat of Lion Red. Not alot of grown ups with a full set of teeth.

Health Care: I think there was a clinic or something on Aitutaki and not much else... I don't even know if there was (is) a physician on the island at all. (?)
I had an (unfortunate) opportunity to visit the hospital in Raro. Personally, I don't think you would want to be spending much time there if you were seriously ill. Dogs seemed to be also welcome in the treatment rooms. Air-vac to NZ is the option for life-threatening conditions.

We have some posters on here who have lived or are living in the Cook Islands right now. Hopefully they'll chirp up and offer much more than I can.

Good luck.

Hi
I'm currently living on Rarotonga and absolutely love it. Having said that, I have come in contact with many ex pats who have arrived with great ambitions and left shortly after. Whether or not you will enjoy living here, depends greatly on your personality and aspirations. To answer your specific questions:
1. Yes, people are very friendly here. However, you will always be considered a papaa (white/expat/not-quite-one-of-us). This can either really rankle, or you accept it. People will probably shoot me down for saying this, but generally we have found the Cook Islands to be quite a racist society - or maybe we are really noticing that the political correctness which our country is pushing through schools and communities at home is not so evident here. Among adults it can be quite subtle, but kids can be terrible. We haven't experienced many problems ourselves, but have seen many people leave due to their kids being bullied at school and constant "whitey" taunts. Humour goes a long way to helping things - when my son started playing rugby over here, it used to really upset me to hear people yell from the sideline "Kill the white boy!" He however, just got a cheeky smile on his face and called back to them, "they've got to catch me first!" The crowd would roar with laughter and he earned instant respect! What I'm saying is, racism is here, as it is in most countries. If it would be a major issue for you, then you need to know. In my opinion, though, many of the expats are deserving of the derision they attract!
2. Groceries can be expensive. We certainly find things more expensive than Australia, where we are from. Aitutaki is much more expensive than Rarotonga and the range of products is quite limited, especially if the supply boats are held up due to weather etc.
3. I haven't been bored for a second, since we arrived here 18 months ago. Being divers, you will find many places to explore. I am not a "sit around in cafes chatting" sort of person, so I don't miss any of the facilities in Australia. Many ex pats do. One of the resorts on Aitutaki is having a very, very difficult time finding people to work there (even though it is one of the most beautiful places on earth), due to "boredom" among the employees. Aitutaki is a quiet place. You would need to enjoy making your own entertainment to live there happily.
4. The internet access has come on in leaps and bounds since we first came here. Broadband (very, very slow in comparison to Australia) is now available on Rarotonga, affordably (we pay $59/mth for 1Gb total @256kbs/sec - speed varies greatly). You can check out the prices and plans at Oyster broadband Please note, though, these are prices and plans for Rarotonga. I imagine Aitutaki would be more expensive and I'm not sure whether broadband is available there yet.
5. For "decent" medical and dental care, you would probably need to travel to NZ. What we have here is basic and usually adequate for most minor conditions. Facilities are certainly not "first world" though. We haven't had any major medical dramas, personally, but if we did I would immediately fly out to NZ. The hospital here is just not resourced to deal with serious problems. Less so on Aitutaki. Ensure you have an adequate travel insurance as emergency flights out are not cheap.
6. Weather - hot, humid summers; warm, not quite so humid winters. We've had rain here on and off for the last three weeks. It's not uncommon to have long periods of rain. When the weather is gorgeous, though, you wonder how on earth you could ever leave. Aitutaki is warmer than Rarotonga, and generally doesn't get quite as much rain. Our temperatures average from about 22 C to about 32 C. The humidity is the killer, though and summer can be quite uncomfortable. I haven't experienced a cyclone here yet. We had a few hover nearby last summer, but no direct hits. I imagine it would be "interesting" to be here if one came through!
7. Aitutaki does have mosquitoes and sand flies. We have had dengue here for the last 12 months, although it seems to be on the wane at the moment. There is currently a mumps epidemic sweeping through the schools here, but that is a rarity. Apart from that, healthwise, it's a great place to live
8. You don't mention whether you have children. If so, education is a consideration. My honest opinion is that the education system here is less than adequate and needs to be urgently addressed. Too many people have to send their children away for a decent education, which is not right. Our son attends a local secondary school on Rarotonga. He is learning interesting traditional crafts, cultures etc and has fitted in really well, socially, however academically..... let's just say, we do a lot of extra work with him at home..

I've tried to be as honest as possible and highlight the possible negatives to living here. It depends so much on your personality and adaptability, as to how you will go here. As I said before, I absolutely love living here and hate the thought of leaving when the time comes.... I am happy to answer any other questions you may have. Good luck with the decision making. Feel free to PM me the potential employer's name and I can tell you what I know about them etc There are a few less than reputable employers here, as there are everywhere..

Hi Kristene,

Having spent several months in the Cooks, I would pretty much echo jeaniej's comments. The people are indeed friendly, I must say that I did not experience the level of racism expressed by jeaniej. Not to say that it didn't exist, I accepted that I was indeed papaa, known locally as Papa Mike, and I think for the most part affectionately. I have been to Aitutaki on three occasions, yes food items are expensive, but all goods are shipped in from New Zealand, for the most part through Rarotonga. I did find local fruit and fish to be fairly reasonable, both in Raro and to a lesser degree Aitutaki. If you are working on Aitutaki I am sure you will meet locals with boats and be able to enjoy water sports. Part of working with the locals should allow you to not be treated as a tourist, I feel based on my experiences you will be accepted by your fellow workers. The Internet will not be cheap in Aitutaki, write your E-mails off-line and them send them once you are online. Writing is free on your laptop, so that should not deter a writer myself included). The lagoon is far more detrimental to writing than lack of cheap internet connections. I must say that the medical care is barely adequate, by American or (I assume) Canadian standards. That being said, I received excellent care for my toe infection and general wear and tear while surviving cyclone Divi on the inter-island freighter. The clinic in Avarua treated me, gave me a prescription and a follow up for less than NZ$40.00. Try not to have a serious medical problem, for that you will need to head for New Zealand. The back side of the lagoon (near Samade's) has a serious mosquito problem, the balance of the island has a lesser problem, use a spray around sunset, I had no serious problems. I have a little problem with jeaniej's comments about education, for I feel like the chance to live in a different culture and experience life on a small island more than offsets all that book learning at least for a couple of years.

So what are your long term objectives? A permanent move to a small island in the South Pacific has a lot of ramifications, both financially as well as socially. I would take a hard look before packing up and moving to the South Pacific. I have lived for at least a couple of months in the Cooks, Palau and the Caribbean, it beats the winters in Montana, but it always feels good to get back to civilization, a hundred kinds of cheeses at Albertsons, Artichokes and Chile Rellenos bekon me after a few months.

You are welcome to private message me if you like, I don't post as often as I used to, too many unspecific questions. Good Luck.

PS no hockey games on Aitutaki.

Papa Mike

www.mikehollywood.com

Papa Mike, I agree with you completely about the rewards of living in a different culture as opposed to classroom teaching.... which is why we are still here, nearly 2 years after my teenage son started telling us stories of teachers going to sleep at the back of the room, and lessons where, constantly, no one turns up to teach them. There is absolutely no reason why cook island children shouldn't have quality education. They deserve it, their country CAN afford it, but their government really needs to make it a priority. Our kids have been lucky to come from quality education backgrounds, with parents who can help fill in the gaps. A couple of years away from a decent system is not going to seriously impact on them and as you say (and I agree wholeheartedly with you) the positives of this experience really outweigh the negatives for them. My concern is for kids who do not have the benefits that my children have enjoyed, or who are here for their total education experience. If the OP is considering a long-term move, with children, I suggest that she WILL have concerns at some stage about the standards of education here. It's better to dive in with your eyes wide open!

I hasten to add, that I am deliberately accentuating the negatives, as requested by the OP. If you want to hear the positives, Kristene, I could be here all night ;-)

After 30 yrs of involvement with the Cooks, and 12 yrs full-time living, let me echo the comments of JeannieJ.
There is a definite undercurrent of racism just beneath the surface. The jealousy, greed, and lack of consideration for basic neighborly things---not partying loudly at 3am, etc---can be real problems if one lives there. When one just visits for a couple of weeks, it's all smiles and friendly, and that is sincere. But they know you are just there temporarily. If you move there to work for a yr or two, just keep your head down. Try not to discuss politics, religion---or land matters. Just make a few good friends and take it from there.

Aitutaki can be better or worse than Rarotonga, depending on the topic. The health care system there is horrible. Mosquitoes are horrible. Live on the coast, so you get a breeze, the mozzies even 100ft inland can be horrible. Get insect screens on all windows. Bring a lot of medications etc from RAR. Buy food on RAR whenever you can, it's about 25% more expensive on AIT.
But as AIT is not the capital, and govt enforcement is a bit more lax, it's an easier place to avoid the hassles with govt officials. Make sure all your immigration/work permit stuff is up to snuff.
The schools are abysmal. Education is probably two or three yrs worse than NZ/Canada/US. Be prepared for extra home tutoring. But your kids will definitely learn a lot just from living in a foreign culture. The racism won't start until the kids are maybe 8 or 9---but that's the same in most countries.

For dental care, Dr. Philip Nicholas is probably the best, he's on RAR. The hosp. on RAR is OK for the basics, but get some kind of health insurance, if possible (but it will be expensive), so you can go to NZ if needed.

Basically, just keep your head down, and you'll be OK. It's a paradise for tourists, but not so much if you live there and locals perceive you are taking a job from them, or you are making money by your hard work. Half of Cook Islanders are hard-working and honest. You'll learn who they are on each island, become friendly with them. Unfortunately most of the other half are jealous greedy racist hypocrites, who live off the other half. Avoid them if you can.

We are creating a lively discussion here. I certainly would give way to Raro, when it comes to experience in the Cooks. I am somewhat surprised at your comments, Raro, perhaps it is because I am a very anglo American, I did not feel threatened in any way. Perhaps the fact that I did not represent a threat to anyones job, provided me a different perspective. In any case, it seems worldwide that there is a mix of the good and the bad and I will leave it at that. Since my kids are fully grown, the schooling issues were not my main focus, it is clear that the government needs to work much harder at providing the education to the future generations that will determine the fate of the Cook Islands.

I met quite a few islanders who have become some of my most sincere friends and I look forward to coming back to update my guidebook next year. I have no intention of entering politics and as you know, Raro, islanders would never work for the kind of wages that guidebook writing offers, so I don't have to worry about anyoe feeling that I am taking away their job.

Happy Ttravels To All,

Papa Mike

www.mikehollywood.com

I understand what Raro is saying in relation to moving to my own move to Hawai'i, which has a lot of similarities. While I believe that only a small percentage of the local people would fit those very negative terms, the thing about they won't let you in is pretty much across the board. I am a very friendly person who has always had lots of friends in my life until I moved to the Pacific Islands. Now almost all the people I deal with here are friendly and polite, but there's a big gulf between friendly and making friends.

Pretty much no one is willing to be my friend unless they're another haole. The same with my kids. I think back to my best friends in Berkeley, how diverse they were in culture and ethnicity, but we were truly friends and didn't have a wall between us because of race. That makes me sad!

On Aitutaki, some were friendly and some were surly. Our wonderful hostess there was part of a powerful family, and she had little good to say about them. There was some ugly stuff going on in lovely Aitutaki, power plays, boycotts, envy, greed, lying, and when things were stolen from her she knew exactly who it was -- her own cousins.

I liked the people on Atiu the best, but I wasn't there long.
If the medical care in Hawai'i gets much worse I will feel pretty good about care in the Cooks. We're losing doctors in droves.
Re dentists -- if you live on Atiu, I was told they lost their only dentist. They now have to fly to Raro.
I met a woman on the plane from Atiu to Raro who had had a problem with her leg badly botched in Raro and was on her way to New Zealand for major surgery -- perhaps even amputation, it wasn't clear. yes, the medical lack gives me pause.

When you say that an islander has become your sincere friend -- are they friendly and amicable, or do they treat you like family, will they let you in? I think one problem is with a system where family is everything, and if you are not family you are always outside and not worth getting close to. Whereas when I was young, in the 60's and 70's, I said to heck with my family and formed an extended peer group; blood was not important and neither was the town anyone grew up in ... I don't care where a person's from. Well, that doesn't fly in the very ingrown island culture.

I also experience here what Raro mentioned about lack of consideration -- it's not part of the island culture to care about whom you bother with noise. That must be an uptight Anglo thing. ;-) which got drilled into me ... NOT a universal value.

The minority of people I see here who are actively haters of outsiders -- I think they had very poor educations and don't understand how complicated the world is -- they think it would be simple if everyone from outside left and history were reversed, and they blame all the poor conditions in their lives on particular racial groups without any consideration that no racial group is homogeneous. That fits the definition of racism pretty well, the belief that race alone defines who you are. I've always been taught and believe that is wrong, so yes, it's distressing to live in a culture where the racial divide is accepted as how life works and will always work.

Not that I can't understand how it came to be that way. I do.

As another long term resident of Hawaii, I have to agree with all of the unfortunate negative comments above. I raised my kids on Kauai, have worked 20+ years at the same institution and am still a "newcomer" My sons born and raised here are also Haoles. Good athletes: "get the white kid" I love the Cook Islands. Have daydreamed of moving there, but after each visit I know I won't. Aitutaki, which I dearly love and consider my place to reenergize, is very isolated, the store shelves have very little, During my last visit, 1 year ago internet was still very slow dial up on Aitutaki. I echo the medical care thoughts. Kauai is rather advanced for a little island in the middle of the Pacific, my understanding in the Cook Islands that everyone goes to NZ to have babies etc. So in essence its a great place to visit.

Kristene, #1 (islandboi) at first asked what were your experiences on that very small island in the Bahamas you lived before. It might be worth to consider if that can be generalized on living on a 'very small island' as such.

For 10 years now I live on Upolu (Samoa), not really small, much bigger than Rarotonga or Aitutaki, but nevertheless all comments above on island life only sound too familiar to me in almost every single detail. But I think this has nothing to do with the Cooks or even Polynesia at large. Isn't it the same with all island (or otherwise isolated) locations wherever in the world?. Increasing the smaller and the more remote they are. Like needing at least 30 years to become friends and maybe three generations before people are regarded as being 'locals". Quite limited ressources only from shopping facilities to medical treatment or Internet. But - how could it be different? Few customers only = little on offer. People almost all related to each other = strong social coherence and 'in-group' behavior. This maybe appears to be tied to racial issues but I think in real it is just xenophobia (fear of strangers). It happens on a small island somewhere in the ocean as well as in remote mountain villages, wherever in the world. Everyone knows places like that in their own home country, I am sure.

I guess the only places where you can combine an at least acceptable range of goods and services to enjoy with chronic Island-itis or Paradis-itis are some at least subtropical islands that are located somewhere near to a bigger city. Probably you will find quite a few millionaires in places like that already though, i.e. in Florida.

Interesting comments. But guess what: even in small towns in the U.S. you may be considered a "carpetbagger" even if you have lived there for 20 years. It is the small-town mentality and it exists throughout the U.S. But at least depending on where you live in the U.S. you may be able to avoid the racist problems. I too have seen them on Kauai.

Some very insightful comments here on Island living-and not just the South Pacific Islands-Thanks everyone for their contributions.

Copperspoon---
Just noticed your reply re a post on discos etc in Tonga:

"There was one a door or two up from the dateline"

They're still at it until all hours-then they start a garbage fire around 11:00 hrs every morning-I couldn't open my window because of the bastids.

Nice people to talk to but quite clueless in terms of neighbourliness. "

Your last sentence sums it up. In the islands there is often very little regard for late-night noise, garbage/woodpile fires, etc., and how they affect one's neighbours.

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for your replies - you have given us much to think about!

To answer a few of your questions:

1. Our experience in the Bahamas failed for a few reasons. Mostly, though, because we had stars (well, palm trees) in our eyes and did not do enough research. Our job was fantastic, loved it, but our employers turned out to be not such a good fit for us and were generally detested in the local community. Locals were stand-offish under normal circumstances but everyone knew who we were working for and that made making friends (something we normally do with great ease) impossible. We lived on cay - about 1 1/2 miles long and less than a mile wide. Our house was tucked up in the vegetation and was boat access only, so, after we left the resort for the day we were completely isolated - very unpleasant for social folks such as ourselves. What we took away is to be more critical, more honest with ourselves when it comes to working overseas. And also, location is only one factor to consider.

2. This job would be for a year minimum probably (longer if we liked it & the employers liked us).

3. We don't have the job yet, we are only being considering. It would be managing a very small resort.

4. We haven't been looking for jobs specifically in the Cook Islands. We are looking for a lifestyle job somewhere a)warm b)with great diving/snorkeling c)relatively stable politically d)with friendly locals e) not too big & not too small.

5. We have no children and never will (we are content with nieces & nephews who we can spoil rotten). We do have one elderly and well-traveled cat.

6. Our long term objectives (in general) are to make a semi-decent wage, in a beautiful place, doing something we love. Simple, huh? LOL. But seriously, I want to write as much as possible. I have already completed a novel manuscript and I'm working on second. I have some reservations about moving so far away from civilization that I am not able to network with other writers, editors, etc. but I will deal with that. My husband dreams of nothing but running a small resort in the tropics, again, although he would also be happy just working as a divemaster or a maintenance guy or whatever as long as it meant sun/fun/fishing/diving most of the time. Currently we live in Nelson, BC (which is amazing for 5 months out of the year) and have a small construction/handyman business building (primarily) decks, fences, and other outdoor stuff. Thankfully we are a Jack/Jill of all trades; we are able to make a living almost anywhere. Either a full time move, or a six months here & six months there arrangement would work for us.

I enjoyed all your feedback and I'm beginning to get a picture of some of the "cons" of the Cook Islands. (The "pros" are easy). The mosquito thing concerns me a bit - I'm one of those folks who reacts badly. I think being an "outsider" is just going to be part of the package in any of the places we find appealing. And while we can certainly get by without North American style grocery selection, living without fresh fruits & veggies would suck. (We LOVE fish raw, cooked, you name it). If we get and accept this job we will definitely invest in medical/travel insurance!

OK, enough rambling. If, after reading this, you have anything else to add, please,please do!

Cannot thank you all enough,
Kristene

p.s. - You may wonder why a writer made so many spelling/grammar mistakes, chalk it up to hurried typing! Strunk & White are rolling in their graves. Oops!

Clubfred---
All things considered, in your positions I would take the job if you could get it. A year in the Cooks can be quite pleasant, assuming your expectations are ratcheted down to accept the negatives.

You should have no problem with fresh fish on Aitutaki. Tomatoes and veggies you are used to, however, will be in short supply.

Mozzies may be a big problem, depends on the exact area you end up living in. Try to be right on the beach if possiblem you get a little breeze that helps keep the mozzies down. Plan on spending a bit to put insect screens on your accommodation if it doesn't come with any, or at least get netting for your bed. Vonnia's on RAR has bed nets for less than NZ$100.

Fishing and golf are two local pasttimes on AIT, so if you get involved with either club you'll meet a lot of locals.

Be careful with your personal possessions, petty theft is high on both RAR and AIT. I hate to say it, but lock your door when you go out for a while, and at night.

Invest in a ceiling fan or a couple of pedestal fans if your place doesn't have any (A/C is rare on AIT).

E-mail is available, and if you don't need to troll the internet too often you can still stay in touch with the rest of the wold at a reasonable cost.

You might also consider volunteering at the local school to tutor reading, etc., after shcool, it is a great way to meet people, helps out kids in need, and you'll get some nice marks for helping out in the community.

Have fun, and keep us posted on how things go!

About racism in the Cook Islands: preparing our vacation last year, I used to read the Cook Islands News online every week. I was shocked by the racist letters from readers that were published regularly, racism not only in the strict sense of race but also religeous "racism".
As I wrote on this forum before: I could not express some of these racist opinions I read in the CI News here in Belgium without being taken to court. When there last summer, on both Aitutaki and Rarotonga, I heard some impressive stories about boycots of foreigners trying to run a business. I figure though, that if your assignment is only for one year and you are not running your own business (like Raro), this would not be a major problem. During our stay (17 days) we did not experience any racism at all: on the contrary, people were extremely friendly and helpful.

Groceries are expensive on Aitutaki and the selection is very limited, especially when the supply ship is late (technical problems, weather, etc.).

And then, there are the mosquitos…

Reading your questions, I think you still have a lot of research to do.

To those who have been to Hawaii and the Cook Islands (and maybe French Polynesia, New Caledonia or Fiji)..

Which do you prefer and why?

I've been to all of those except New Caledonia. I think the Cooks, despite what I've said above, is probably the nicest of all the places you indicated. Again, as a visitor all are very nice, it's only when one is considering a long-term move that the racism and other things mentioned rear their ugly head.

As a tourist, here are some generalities:
Hawaii is fairly expensive, and the least friendly, very impersonal.
Fr. Polynesia is most expensive, locals can be friendly, but hard to really get to know unless you speak French or Tahitian.
Fiji---probably the cheapest, and very friendly people, but not too many nice beaches on the main island. But a great place for a vacation, get out to the outer islands.
Cooks--middle of the road on expense, almost everyone speaks English, and they are very friendly to tourists, as in Fiji, nice beaches, good infrastructure.

It all depends on what you are looking for, I guess.