whats bad about the cook islands

hi i have heard nothing but great things about the cooks, are there any bad things that i have to look out for while im there?

also are there alot of atm's around the island or do i need to carrying cash at all times.

thanks

I can't say anything bad about the Cooks ................

There are a few places around the island for ATM use ...........

Only bad thing I can think of is you'll have to go home eventually.

No, seriously, the Cooks are terrific. The only drawbacks I can see are:

Not a good location for surfing if that's what you want (the lagoons are calm and clear - good for snorkeling but not for surfing and such)

Nightlife is not a strong point in the Cooks. If you are looking for wild discos etc, then head for Cancun or maybe Honolulu. These are generally quiet islands.

Though petty theft is not a major problem, you do have to keep an eye on your stuff (just take normal precautions like not leaving your wallet etc on the beach while you snorkel, lock doors/windows when you leave etc.)

If you rent a scooter (which I do NOT recommend) be extremely cautious (especially on Raro and especially at night, when it's not too uncommon for dogs to be in the road). Medical care is "not that great" on Raro (and even less so on Aitutaki etc).

Be sure to wear reef shoes when in the water or walking the beach. Stonefish are present in the lagoons (though rare and not often seen) and broken coral chunks in the water can be sharp. Keep in mind that cuts are easily infected in the tropical heat.

While the coastal areas are usually mozzie-free, mosquitoes are common in the interior and can carry dengue fever, so wear bug spray when hiking.

These are all pretty minor, common sense kinds of things. As already mentioned, the biggest problem with the Cooks is generally that you have to leave eventually.

Ken

PS - not a lot of ATMs, but these aren't big islands either, so you're never more than a few minutes drive from one. On Raro there are a few in Avarua and a few scattered around the island at the various convenience stores such as Wigmores on the southern coast.

If I recall correctly, Aitutaki has 2 ATMs.

Ken

Hey folks, I'm really struggling with this one - bad things to say about the Cook Islands?

The only thing that springs to mind is its past Governments. Only the Cook Islands Government could hire the Mafia to build (not) a Sheraton Hotel. The Winebox inquiry perhaps?

But that's really clutching at straws - a bit like criticising Houston because Enron were based there.

Really, take it from us - it's a great place.

There are 4 ATM's on the Cook Islands, 1 at the airport, 2 in Avarua town and 1 at Wigmores Superstore.
On Aitutaki there is 1 ATM at Mango Trading.

I rented a scooter on Rarotonga and its ok. Just get your Cook Islands drivers license.
A scooter is handy to go into town quick. Do take the inland roads they are beautifull.

After a few days on the scooter I rented a mountainbike, which I liked more, you can see and enjoy the scenery more when riding a bike.

There is no ATM at the RAR airport, it was moved to Aitutaki last year.

In town there is an ATM at ANZ Bank, Westpac Bank, and an ANZ ATM right next to the bus stop at Cooks Corner.

There is also one at the Oasis Petrol/shop 1 km west of the airport.

There is one at Wigmore's Superstore, as mentioned, but it often runs out of money, so don't rely onn that one.

ANZ has one on Aitutaki, not sure about Westpac.

Only one operational ATM on Aitutaki - ANZ.

My worst experience in the Cook Islands was the crushing guilt that I felt when I was unable to find Raro's damn White Owl "sweets" cigars! I didn't think that it mattered much, at the time, but I've been in therapy ever since.

Regards,
Mark

So we can conclude that the Cook Islands are not a patch on Beirut or Baghdad then?

The real issue is whether White Owl Miniature "Sweets" can be found in Beirut or Baghdad......

In September there were 2 operational ATM's on Aitutaki (ANZ and Westpac) and as far as nightlife goes on Rarotonga, it is not hard at all to have a HUGE Friday night out!!! The only thing I have found with the Cooks is it is better to order food BEFORE you are really hungry, so you are not starving/getting grumpy if the service is slow which it can be some places, and that doesn't matter unless you are hungry - so easily avoided.

Yeah, pretty nice all things considered, but they ain't Al-Anbar province.

Ed

The ketchup. Taste before you pour.

Don't stroll barefoot along the beach on the west side of Aitutaki. Maybe it was because I was there about two months after the cyclones of 2005 but I saw a number of sharp pieces of glass in the sand.

I'm with ya on that ketchup thing Silvanocat............

and I've learned to love beets on my hamburgers too...........

no other downsides except alot of broken coral these days.......

sunny regards,
shully

The worst experience in Raro was when my wife got dengue fever, almost to death's door. Hospitalised for a week and then they tried to charge us $6000. We were guests of the Government and was staying with a lawyer so that was sorted out pretty quickly, but its diobolical that you go there only to be attacked by their mosquitos and then you have to pay through the nose for the privilege as I believe many tourists had to in '02.

Hope the pollution problems are being sorted out also. It would be a real pity if you could not swim in the lagoon.

Am I missing something? If you go as a tourist to a country and fall ill then its the country's responsibilty to look after you financially? That would be a big blow to tourism (and insurance companies) for many countries.

I think Crossie's point was in that particular case we (the Cooks) provided the mosquitos, so we (the Cooks) should provide the medical care.

Interesting idea, but it won't get too far, not with our health budget!

And we accommodators here raised over NZ$12,000 for Crossie and Co.'s homeland after Heta, (I coordinated it all), so I hope he feels some of us have at least repaid him for the unfortunate illness, which no one should have to endure.

There has always been a debate as to the costs of providing med. care for tourists here. The prevailing opinion is that most have health insurance, so that will pay the bills. But I have never heard of anyone, even a poverty-edge backpacker, not getting emergency or needed health care, even if broke.

Sorry, I live in India right now and just can't comprehend that a country should be financially responsible for a foreigner's illness (dengue is a relatively common tropical illness). I'm not sure NZ (my home country) would cover someone's health care if they caught meningitis???? (then again, maybe things have changed). I can see your point though, and it is fantastic to think the Cooks have even considered it. I think they should be congratulated for even considering it!

The smoke from burning plastic trash was the only bad thing I remember; a tiny price to pay for paradise. Maybe a couple of those White Owl Miniature Sweets added to the heap would have improved the scent.....or is that blasphemy?

<g> b.

Precisely Raro. It wasn't a Foriegner's Illness as Api says but a local one. But in our case we were invited by the ministry of culture but not at their expense so it did feel like a raw deal and our lawyer agreed. After some complaints from him the service improved from a mattressless wooden bed in a ward to a private room where the service improved considerably. Travel Insurance would have been prohibitive for a six months stay.

Niue does charge visitors hospital fees but nothing like $1000 a day and in the case of dengue (which hasn't happened for nearlly 30 years) I'm sure they would waiver the fee as the Raro Hospital did in the end.

Likewise I personally raised $3000 for the Cyclone Meena relief with an art auction - perhaps a per-capita equivilent to your $12,000

Crossie---your $3000 is well above our per capita, as it was about 20 accommodations that chipped in nights to sell at auction. But again, we are not residents of Niue, just friendly neighbours.
As to paying for an invited visitor's health care----I think if a person or group is invited by the govt---any govt---then accidents, illnesses, etc., should be covered by the inviting govt. Just common courtesy, one would think.

Betsy---if you want to use the tiny unsmoked stubs of the W.O. Miniature Sweets, that would be fine, but using a whole cigar---definitely blasphemy, at least among a lot or people here (well, among a few---OK, among one!).
And people here used to burn plastic bottles in their trash bin! We finally got that outlawed, but some people still burn plastic bottles in their garbage pit. Horrible practice.

I didn't see many mossies at Raro. Dec 06. I stayed at the beach and was really impressed. No flies either. I accually don't think there is Denge Fever on Raro. The people have to employ a property health plan. That's why you see so many small fires around, trash burning. No still water is allowed to be sitting, like tires, etc. Not too much bad about the Cooks. You'll love it. There's an Island to the South of Raro that's not on the map. It's bigger than Raro. Check it out and get back to me. I found out about it the last couple days I was there. Thanks.

#21 There certainly is Dengue Fever in the Cooks - in fact a mini outbreak in the last few months. But nothing to panic about as long as people use a decent repellant during the day when the dengue mosquito attacks.

The small fires you mention are not a good thing for the environment.

But the biggest problem is the lack of a proper sewerage system on Rarotonga. The lagoon is severely polluted and there have been recent admissions that information has been hidden so that tourism is not affected.

21---any more info on:

"There's an Island to the South of Raro that's not on the map. It's bigger than Raro. Check it out and get back to me. I found out about it the last couple days I was there. Thanks. " ????

The only island in the Cooks that is anywhere "south" of RAR is Mangaia, it's east-southeast, about 140 miles.

There was an imaginary island in the movie Cast Away with Tom Hanks. After he is eventually rescued, he and his former girlfriend are looking at a "map" and she says something like "Yes, you were on this tiny little island, about 1000 miles south of the Cook Islands."

Graham Wragg of Pacific Expeditions even spent a month or two looking for Ernest Legouve Reef, Wachsett Shoal, and Maria Therese Reef, which appear on some oceanographic charts. He could not find them. Satnav maps also can't find them.

So, I'd be interested in more info on this large "mystery island" to the south of us [unless you are referring to Antarctica!]!

Yes, there is a bit of dengue here, but it's mostly confined to the inland area behind Arorangi (west side) and behind town (Avarua). Several new cases were mostly on Aitutaki, which has five times more mozzies than here, even though it's only 1/20th the size of RAR. Always use good insect repellent if you head inland, or are sitting out at dawn or dusk after a heavy rain, and the air is dead calm.

if you go 1000 miles south of raro which is 21S then you get to slightly south of 34S so way out of tropics but no where near antarctica!!

Confirmed cases of Dengue in Rarotonga have now reached 900 according to the Cook Islands Herald and local radio. They are currently carrying out property inspections to find mosquito breeding places. The island will be sprayed after that although there is controversy about the type of spray to be used which is alleged to cause problems to humans, fish and the lagoon which already has enough pollution problems.

No Kava on the Cooks which means the place is of less interest to me.

Also gamefishig there is so/so at best.