Of all the places we’ve been, the Cook Islands falls into the category of “you’re going where??”.
However for me, it’s been a long time coming as I’ve wanted to visit this far-flung spot for years now and finally I’m here, along with C of course. The Cooks really are a long way from most places, however, with the way the world is and how travel has changed, it’s now actually possible to get here from home on two long-haul flights heading west.
We touched down in the capital, Avarua, in the north of the main island Rarotonga known locally as Raro. After a very informal walk through customs and immigration we grabbed our bags and got our transfer to our hotel for the next few days, the Nautilus Resort, a short 15 minute drive from Raro Airport.
It’s immediately obvious that you’ve arrived into a country that’s very laid back and a place which time really has not touched all that much. A lot of the buildings (a word I use loosely) are basically four walls with corrugated roofs although they do have some nice bright colours and there are a lot of places to grab a coffee and a snack. Things move so slow that the speed limit around the entire island is no more than 50 kph and no one seems too bothered about going any faster. The main modes of transport are scooters followed by small cars, there’s also a public bus which circles the island.
We arrived at our resort late in the afternoon and after a very friendly welcome, we were shown to our room. It’s a really good size and even has an outdoor plunge pool which is small but looks inviting. The property is also on the beach and offers a wide variety of water based activities, such as SUP, kayaking, snorkelling and the like, along with a good size pool and on-site restaurant. They also have a spa area if you’re so inclined.
Most of the accommodation on the islands is of the resort variety, although there are some private rentals in the form of small apartments or villas. They also cater to the backpacker gang and the island has about half a dozen or so backpacker hostels although on a very basic scale.
Once we got settled, we took a walk around the resort to get our bearings and then headed out for a walk along the main road checking out some of the dining options. After less than a ten minute walk we arrived at the Isobar, so we felt this was a fitting place to have our arrival drinkies and again we somehow timed it pretty well, it was still happy hour :-). It has a nice setting right beside the beach looking out at the motus that dot this part of the island (motus are small islands just off shore but inside the reef).
As it was a Saturday night, the place was busy and the food going out looked pretty good. So after our drinks we decided we’d come back the following evening for a bite to eat.
When we finished up at the Isobar, we walked back to our resort along the beach rather than the road. Once we got back all that was left to do was to arrange a few activities for the next few days and grab dinner at the restaurant, which was pretty ok.
The following morning we grabbed breakfast, buffet style with table service which is always that little bit better. We both opted for the island breakfast special, which was huge. After stuffing our faces, we went back to our room and grabbed a few things with a plan to visit a small Cook Island museum just up the road from our resort.
The simply named Cook Island museum was small but had some interesting bits and pieces. Mostly the voyages of James Cook and how religion shaped the islands over the years and the most interesting part, the rulers of the Cooks over the year and how they finally got independence in 1965.
After stopping in the LBV Bakery for a quick snack we headed back towards our villa to catch the bus to the capital Avarua. I had asked a member of staff at the museum where was the nearest bus stop, she said you don’t need a bus stop, just put out your hand and the bus will stop for you. Now the island has two bus routes, the clockwise bus and no surprise, the anti-clockwise route, which circle the island all day up until around 11:00 p.m. Sure enough the bus was approaching and we waved it down and to our delight it stopped and we hopped on.
As it was Sunday Avarua was all but completely shut. Sunday is a very important day of rest in the Cooks. So we walked the “one” main street which is basically the main road and decided on the places that interested us with a plan to visit later in the week. However there was one place open for lunch called the Banana Club, so we grabbed lunch there, a chicken wrap for C which was nice but I went for the classic fish n chips which were fantastic. After lunch all that was left to do was hop on the bus back towards our resort.
For the late afternoon we grabbed a kayak and did a little paddling of our own around the lagoon including out to the Tomaru motu which is a short paddle from the beach at our resort. It was a tad choppy but we had good fun. Once we got back to the beach all that was left to do was hit the pool and a well deserved drink after our workout :-).
As planned later that evening we headed back towards the Isobar, however along the way we came across a night food market and ventured in. There was all manner of food been served up and it looked pretty good, we decided this would be our dining option for Tuesday as they don’t have the market on Mondays.
We arrived at the Isobar as planned, C went with the fish platter, I opted for a no nonsense steak. The steak was well cooked but otherwise it was a plain enough dish, however C’s fish platter was very good. We declined dessert and after one last drink we headed back to the villa for a good night’s sleep.
The next day we were up early and had breakfast done by 8:30. Our plan for the day was to do what’s known as the cross-island trek. Basically it’s the most famous trekking route in the Cook Islands that starts at the north of the island and goes right through the middle all the way to the south and takes anywhere between five and seven hours to complete. We got picked up right outside our resort and after picking up a few other walkers at some of the other resorts, we made our way to the start of the walk.
The walk is a guided walk by a company called Pa’s Treks. A local by the name of Pa started doing the walk over 30 years ago and he himself has done the walk over 5,000 times, he’s probably the most famous person on the islands. Pa retired a few years back and now the walks are done with his nephew Bruce. However Pa still plays a part by picking up guests from other resorts and we got to meet the man himself just as we were heading off.
We were informed by the very friendly and enthusiastic guide Bruce that there was three levels of difficulty involved in the walk, the first was cardio, the next strength and finally yoga?!? Which did not make a bit of sense. However once we got going, it was evident that this was not going to be a walk in the park. The first section is all up hill, battling through dense forest, heat, humidity and the occasional incest bite, it was tough going, but we made it to our first stop. After catching our breath it was on to the next stop. More of the same until we arrived at the foot of the rock, then using a few dodgy looking ropes and chains we hauled ourselves up to the peak. Although the actual peak is a few more meters up, it requires professional climbing equipment and experience to get there so we were happy with our lookout point.
After admiring the view it was now time to make our way back down which goes via a different route. This was the yoga section of the walk, lots of stretching and balancing as we traversed more dense forest and rivers.
After several hours we made it to the end right at the beach on the south of the island. Our transfer minibuses were waiting for us, but first we had lunch provided by the company, some fresh fruit and sambos which were well received.
All that was left to do was head back to the resort and chill by the pool for the evening. For dinner that evening we hopped on the anticlockwise bus and headed back to Avarua for our evening meal. We were dining in a place called Trader Jacks, the most famous restaurant in the Cook Islands. Set up over 30 years ago, it’s claim to fame (sort of) is it’s survived three major cyclones one happening just six months after it opened. The food is typical island fare, C opted for fish and I went with ribs of all things, both dishes were tasty.
After a late night we had a relaxing start to the morning, our plan for the day was to grab a hire car and explore every other part of the island, which is exactly what we did.
Between coffee stops, scenery stops, shopping, some activities including crazy golf, we had an eventful day. The island is so small if you don’t stop at all you can circle the entirety of it in less than 45 minutes while sticking to the 50 kph speed limit. Things really move slowly around here.
Our plan for dinner was to check out the market, however a small storm hit the island so with the strong winds and downpours, we dined in the resort.
The following morning, we had a few extra hours to pass on Rarotonga as we got bumped to a later flight which was a little annoying. We kept our hire car a little longer so we did some last minute window shopping in Avarua and did one more full loop of the island. Just before lunch we left back the hire car and after eating, we waited for our transfer to bring us to the airport, next stop, the island of Aitutaki.
Aitutaki is the second most visited island in the Cooks after Raro. As we flew over, the lagoon looked fab and as we landed it was a fantastic evening. However, as we boarded our transfer to our hotel the rain hit. We got to our hotel later than planned due to the later flight, we’re staying at the Tamanu Resort which is one of the better places to stay on the island.
Rather than rooms, they have small villas which are a decent size and well laid out with the beach just a stone throw away. After checking out our surrounds, we decided (despite the rain) to go for a cycle with the bicycles available to hotel guests. The bikes had seen better days but they did fine. As we’re visiting during the shoulder season, a lot of places have already shut for the season. We had planned on visiting two bars along the road but they were closed and as the rain was getting a tad heavier, we returned for the evening.
The must-do thing in Aitutaki is take a lagoon cruise and several operators provide this service. On returning to the hotel we booked our cruise for the next day with a company called Bishop Cruises. For dinner we ate at the hotel which was fine.
So the next day rolls around, it had gone from raining to a pretty heavy tropical storm. After breakfast, we asked at reception if our tour would still be going ahead, we were informed that all tours have been cancelled, however, one company was still planning on taking to the lagoon if they got enough people mad enough to venture out. We put our name on the list and thankfully the tour went ahead and we got picked up at our hotel at just after 9:00 a.m. by the Teking tour company.
All in all there was about a dozen of us heading out into the lagoon. To cut a long story short we headed out in our open sided speedboat so you got soaked even before we stopped to go swimming. But the crew of two were very jovial and provided us with hot coffee whenever we fancied it. They make two stops at various points around the lagoon where you hop into the water and check out a shipwreck, giant coral, brain coral, purple coral and all types of fish. Then it’s onto one of the sand banks for a walk and all the time the rain is getting heaver, although it did not matter as between in and out of the water and the rain, well, you’re just going to be wet anyhow. The dry towels the crew handed out did not really make any difference.
After we headed to another motu for lunch, they put on a BBQ of fish, chicken and veg along with salad and fruit, it was pretty tasty. After lunch, more swimming and snorkelling followed by a final stop at One Foot Island, which is kind of a big deal in Aitutaki as it has one of the world’s most remote post offices of all things.
Just to point out, I’d forgot to bring the underwater camera and well trying to use the regular camera was futile so that’s the only photo 😦
After a visit to One Foot Island, it was back to the mainland, everyone was happy to be back to shore and all everyone was thinking about was a hot shower.
Later that evening the resort was putting on an “Island night’ show, which had dancers doing traditional dance and they had also planned on fire eaters, however given the rain the fire eaters were cancelled. However the highlight of the evening was the huge buffet which was fantastic, so much food and so much choice. There was also a very nice speech done by the owners of the resort. After eating our fill and watching the dancing all that was left to do was hit the hay.
Our time on the amazing Cook Islands has come to an end, without a shadow of a doubt this has been one of the most amazing places we’ve every visited. There’s no high rise buildings, no neon lights, no hustle and bustle, no traffic, dodgy WIFI and perhaps not the greatest cuisine in the world. However the people, lagoons, ease of pace and the fantastic weather (most of the time) are well worth the visit. It’s an astounding place and we really hope to return at a later date to enjoy the easy going attuite of the locals.
Until next time,
C&J
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