rarotonga, any suggestions

hello all

me and my girlfriend are off to rarotonga on the 14th of september and would welcome and ideas or suggestions as to what we can do, whers good to stay, any do's and dont's we should know about.

we are there for 2 weeks and would love any any help or ideas you all may have

thanks

I've been to Raro & Aitutaki three times, Atiu twice, and Mangaia once. If you're going to be in the Cooks for two weeks I'd recommend spending some time on at least one of the other islands.

Rarotonga is great for lots of places to eat, drink and socialize with other tourists. Aitutaki has a reputation of being a party town, and it is. But it also offers an opportunity to get out and explore places that are virtually deserted compared to Raro. Especially early in the morning when all the other party-goers are sleeping one off. If you get down early enough to the market in town you can buy freshly grilled flying fish for breakfast.

If you like mixing with the locals, the outer islands are great. I was raised in a tourist town and personally don't like being treated like a tourist. When you look around at the audience attending an island night in Raro, it's mostly tourists. Except for the Pacific Resort, the audiences in Aitutaki are probably close to 50/50. On Atiu and Mangaia you are definitely in the minority.

If you make friends with the locals you'll be invited to the things they do and enjoy. My wife and I love those experiences. Things like hair-cuttings and tombstone dedications are often done in December when the expats come home for Christmas.

For local occasions... at gatherings where food is served, the locals eat everything with their hands. If you don't want to do the same, take a fork with you. You'll be encouraged to eat a lot but always leave food on the table. It's very bad for the host to run out.

We are not sure about accom in rarotonga, would it be best to book somewhere to stay before arriving on the island, book and stay in one place or move around once on the island, also any ideas on how much accom roughly costs?

Many Thanks

It is a Cook Islands requirement that you have a booking for at least your first night. In September you should have no problem finding lodgings. Rarotonga has a full range of accomodations from hostels at NZ$20.00 to luxury houses on the beach for NZ$600.00, take a look at www.ck/ for a wide variety of places to stay. I agree with the earlier poster and would also suggest you visit at least Aitutaki. The local airline has a triangle fare that includes Atiu and Aitutaki, visit their site at www.airraro.com for information and rates.

Have a great trip!

Papa Mike

Can't add too much more than the excellent advice of #1 and #3.

You can pick just one place to stay on RAR for two to four days at the beginning of your stay. If you want to be on or near a good snorkeling beach, choose the south end of Muri Beach, or one of the places on the south coast (Titikaveka).

Then head to Aitutaki for two to four days if you like a great lagoon. Then pick a third island, like Atiu, Mauke or Mangaia if you really want to meet locals.

Then head back to RAR for a day or two at the ned, so you can be sure you are back for your int'l flight. At this point you can stay in the same place if you liked it, or try another place.

If you want to leave some luggage on RAR while you head to the outer islands, before you head to an outer island contact the place you intend to stay at when you return to RAR, if you know this. They will usually offer to hold a bag or two at no charge, since you will be coming back to stay at their place.

Bring reef shoes (water moccasins) for all trips into the lagoon on RAR and Aitutaki, and the few swimming spots on the other outer islands. Coral is pretty sharp, and everywhere in the lagoons. For snorkeling and other tips, see my comments in the FAQ post at the beginning of this section.

Have fun!

thanks for the comments you have been a real help. if you can think of anything else please add.

thanks