A holiday in the Cook Islands will delight with a slow relaxed pace of life and fantastic beachside activities. The 15 Cook Islands are scattered across the south Pacific over about two million square kilometres, an area the size of India.
The Cooks are highlighted by spirit-lifting beaches, lush green volcanic mountains, flat coral cays and atolls, calm lagoons and some of the most friendly and welcoming people on earth. Outdoor activities abound in this stunning corner of the south Pacific and the seas teem with colourful tropical fish and coral, placing snorkelling and scuba diving high on the activities list.
With a centre of lush green mountains and ringed by palm fringed white sand beaches, Rarotonga is one of the most bewitching Pacific destinations. Exploring the island is a breeze, two roads ring the island and many attractions are accessed by these roads. The commercial centre of the islands is the friendly, bustling town of Avarua, (known to the locals as “Town”). Scooters are the main form of transport, and visitors can pick up a Cook Islands driving licence for about $10 and a brief test to prove their ability to negotiate a roundabout.
Photos can’t convey the breathtaking beauty of Aitutaki, the nearest island to Rarotonga. Warm, crystal clear waters fill a triangular turquoise lagoon. Dotted around it are uninhabited, palm-filled islands bordered by sparkling white sand.
Atiu, third largest is known to locals as the land of the birds, for its diversity of birdlife including some of the world’s rarest species. North West of Atiu is the tiny coral cay of Takutea. It's only six metres above sea level at the highest point and it’s mostly covered in coconut palms.
Rarely visited Manuae was originally named Sandwich Island, but Captain Cook later changed it after giving that name to Hawaii. The second largest island is Mangaia, a volcanic peak fringed by fossilised coral, teeming with plant and animal life. Mitiaro boasts the only freshwater lakes in the Cook Islands.
Cook Islands fun facts
The currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar
The reported population of Cook Islands is 21,000
The Cook Islands use three languages: Maori, English and Pukapukan
A wedding in Paradise - Rarotonga (Cook Islands)
Thursday 14th February 2008
Travel Counsellor: Skye Bennett
Kia Orana,
It has been a passion of mine to organise destination weddings and honeymoons for my friends, family and clients. I was always quite in awe of the beautiful places around the world you could get married. It wasn't until I decided to organise my own wedding/honeymoon in the Cook Islands did I understand the serenity of having a destination wedding.
I chose the beautiful Cook Islands for two reasons. Firstly because I hadn't been there and two, it always seemed to me uninhabited - in a sense it wasn't touristy. So I thought, what a perfect location to get married and have a relaxing honeymoon. It certainly exceeded my expectations.
Flying into Rarotonga, was surreal. We landed about midnight and to greet us was a local man playing his little guitar. We all got "leis" as we left the airport to go to our resort where we were going to get married in 5 days time. The resort “Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa” was amazing and we got upgraded to a beach front villa which was... view full story
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