fiji or cook islands

hi guys,

from ur travel experiences......where would you go if you had a choice.

i get a free stop, and aghhhhh i cant decide!! please give me ur thoughts! :)

I have been to Fiji 9 times and the Cook Islands just once a few weeks ago.

It is interesting comparing the Cooks to Fiji. Overall I got the impression that the Cook islands was a richer country. This may be due to their automatic New Zealand citizenship - it seems most families have some members working in NZ sending money back. There were none of the shanty type slum houses that you see in the outskirts of Suva and Nadi, and the shopkeepers did not hassle at all. There was no pressure to buy anything, everything had price tags and bargaining was not expected. But, generally things were more expensive than in Fiji.

In a way the people seemed a bit less friendly, but the friendliness that they did show us seemed more genuine than is sometimes the case in Fiji. The last big difference between the two countries was that the Cooks seemed a lot cleaner. There was hardly any rubbish on the ground or around the town and we didnt see anybody littering, unlike in Fiji.

They are both beautiful countries, and whichever one you pick you will enjoy!

I've just got back from Fiji and the Cook Islands and absolutely agree with lucky lewa that both are beautiful. Cook Islands were picture postcard perfect but were more expensive so if cost is a major factor, you may be better off in Fiji. We spent 2 weeks on Vorovoro in Fiji. aka www.tribewanted.com. Didn't really know what to expect before going there, but it was an amazing experience, in part because of the friendliness of the Fijians living & working there. After 2 weeks of washing in the sea and using compost loos on the island the Cook Islands felt a bit sterile in comparison! The Cook Islands was out time to chill out on the beach after all-day kava ceremonies, tomato planting & coconut gathering in Fiji. What sort of experience are you looking for?

wow really interesting thanks guys- just the exact feedback i was looking for.

i really dont know what experience i am looking for, im not really looking for anything, i was given a free stop and cudnt believe my eyes when i saw those two places were the choices!

money is an issue, so fiji wins there, but i dont know why, something is pulling me toward the cooks.

cheers so much guys! :)

If you stay at one of the several backpacker places, costs are not that much more in the Cooks than in Fiji. And there are few nice beaches on the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji, so you need to head to an outer island for that, so it gets more expensive. On Rarootnga there are nice beaches for about 3/4 of the way around the island. Check out www.ck for more info.

I would be interested in knowing where you are flying from and to? The States to NZ or Australia? Which airline is giving you this free stopover??

Thanks Raro.

from there flying to the states, company is Travel Nation.

cheeeeerz

If you go to Fiji go to the Yasawas, especially the Blue Lagoon between Tavewa and Nanunya Island and on the Cooks it's definitely Aitutaki. The best snorkeling we found was on Rarotongas south coast near the fruit shop and in Fiji off Bounty Island. The Cooks are more expensive, but if you stay on Rarotonga you save on transport and food. There are great cultural shows. It is a lot easier to make friends in the Cooks than in Fiji. If you have only a couple of days I would say go to Rarotonga.