Rarotonga

aqualung118:49 UTC20 Jan 2008

I am off to Rarotonga from March 03, 2008 to March 11th and then from there to Samoa.

I am planning to stay at Vera's. Basing my decision on various travel web sites and reading blogs. I am all so a SCUBA diver so I am looking forward to jumping in the warm South Pacific.

If there is any one out there that could recommend places to eat, Deep sea fishing charters (reasonably priced), best ways to get around...etc. Please let me know.

raro05:22 UTC21 Jan 2008

Rent a motorscooter while on Raro (but drive slowly, and be careful on weekend nights, lots of drunks on the road). Check www.ck for restaurants, etc., most are pretty good.

Vara'a can get quite noisy, depending on the other occupants for that week. If so, move over to Aremango, a km south of Vara's.

papamike05:05 UTC22 Jan 2008

Hi Aqualung1,

Lots of restaurants in the Muri Lagoon area, try Sails, Flame Tree and there is a small Italian restaurant near you on the round island road. I will be on island during your stay, perhaps we could meet and discuss options. Pacific Divers is good for Scuba. Seafari for fishing. I also reccomend the Cultural Village Tour and the Safari Tour as well as catching an "Island Night" performance while on Rarotonga.

Papa Mike
Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook

rounddaworld9921:48 UTC29 Feb 2008

Just spent 2 weeks on Rarotonga and could easily have spent a third! My reccommendation for places to eat, Trader Jacks in town, Nu Bar $10/12 for a steak (not bad for the price), Ravis the indian resurant in town and Waterline not far from Rarotonga Backpackers.

Had some good dives. I did 4 dives whilst on the island. First day we did the Rutaki and Papuua passages round the south of the island. These are pretty cool passage dives, quite stong current and not much coral or fish to see, but the topographpy is really interesting. Vertical walls either side as you swim into the reef. We saw a couple of sharks and 3 sting rays so worth a look. The other two dives I did were at Mushrooms Forest and Paradise. These sites were North of the island. They had much better coral than the first dives and lots of reef fish, we saw a green turtle at Paradise but no sharks or rays here, well on the day I dived anyway. The guys who took me diving were Dive Rarotonga, reccommended by a friend who had used them before. Very safe, good breifing and gear and cheapest on the island, although I'm not sure why? Their site www.diverarotonga.com

Rarotonga Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Cook Islands
aqualung118:49 UTC20 Jan 2008	I am off to Rarotonga from March 03, 2008 to March 11th and then from there to Samoa. I am planning to stay at Vera's. Basing my decision on various travel web sites and reading blogs. I am all so a SCUBA diver so I am looking forward to jumping in the warm South Pacific. If there is any one out there that could recommend places to eat, Deep sea fishing charters (reasonably priced), best ways to get around...etc. Please let me know.
raro05:22 UTC21 Jan 2008	Rent a motorscooter while on Raro (but drive slowly, and be careful on weekend nights, lots of drunks on the road). Check www.ck for restaurants, etc., most are pretty good. Vara'a can get quite noisy, depending on the other occupants for that week. If so, move over to Aremango, a km south of Vara's.	1
papamike05:05 UTC22 Jan 2008	Hi Aqualung1, Lots of restaurants in the Muri Lagoon area, try Sails, Flame Tree and there is a small Italian restaurant near you on the round island road. I will be on island during your stay, perhaps we could meet and discuss options. Pacific Divers is good for Scuba. Seafari for fishing. I also reccomend the Cultural Village Tour and the Safari Tour as well as catching an "Island Night" performance while on Rarotonga. Papa Mike Papa Mike's Cook Islands Handbook	2
rounddaworld9921:48 UTC29 Feb 2008	Just spent 2 weeks on Rarotonga and could easily have spent a third! My reccommendation for places to eat, Trader Jacks in town, Nu Bar $10/12 for a steak (not bad for the price), Ravis the indian resurant in town and Waterline not far from Rarotonga Backpackers. Had some good dives. I did 4 dives whilst on the island. First day we did the Rutaki and Papuua passages round the south of the island. These are pretty cool passage dives, quite stong current and not much coral or fish to see, but the topographpy is really interesting. Vertical walls either side as you swim into the reef. We saw a couple of sharks and 3 sting rays so worth a look. The other two dives I did were at Mushrooms Forest and Paradise. These sites were North of the island. They had much better coral than the first dives and lots of reef fish, we saw a green turtle at Paradise but no sharks or rays here, well on the day I dived anyway. The guys who took me diving were Dive Rarotonga, reccommended by a friend who had used them before. Very safe, good breifing and gear and cheapest on the island, although I'm not sure why? Their site www.diverarotonga.com	3