Cook Islands is a gorgeous little group of Islands in the South Pacific. The most well known of the islands are Rarotonga and Aitutaki. They now have a direct 9 hr flight from Los Angeles to Rarotonga on Air New Zealand. We took the red-eye leaving LA at 11:45 pm and arrived in Rarotonga at 6:20 am the next morning. It’s the perfect flight, you just pass out and sleep and when you wake up you’re there!
FYI: I always use an App called Converter+, it’s so helpful to convert currency anywhere you go! The currency in the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar
SIM Cards for Cook Islands
Once you arrive, go into the Blue Sky booth outside of the airport and buy a SIM card. You’ll be very happy you did! It’s cheap, $35 or $45, and works incredibly well! There are different plans, but I had the 6GB and had so much data, it was awesome!
Don’t expect your hotel to have WiFi. Even if they do, it’s insanely expensive. Your phone company probably won’t offer a plan for the Cook Islands either. Therefore, I highly suggest Blue Sky.
Transportation Around the Island
Once we arrived, we got a taxi to our resort, which was quite pricy, around $15NZD per person or $10USD. So, if you’re wanting to explore the island, I’d say rent a car immediately once you get to the airport, and just keep it for the whole time you’re there. It’s much more cost-effective, at only $40-$50NZD/day or $27/$33 USD.
You can also rent a motorbike. You’ll have to go to the police station first to take a motorbike driving test to get your scooter drivers license. It’s really short though, so you’ll be in and out and ready to bike around the island in no time! Be aware that the police station is closed on Sundays. So, you’ll need to get your motorbike on any other day.
E-Bikes
You can also rent regular bikes and E-bikes. E-bikes look like a bicycle, but have bigger wheels and they’re motorized. The best way, in my opinion, is renting a car or motorbike. Don’t forget: you’re driving on the left side of the road in the Cook Islands. So, be mentally prepared and cautious! Don’t worry though: there’s very little traffic, no traffic lights, and it’s only 32 km to circle the entire island. It’s very small and easy to drive around! Just don’t drink and drive, that is EXTREMELY prohibited! There are signs all over reminding you NOT to drink and drive.
The Rarotonga Bus
Another option is the bus, which runs every hour until 4 or 5 pm. There’s just one main road throughout the island, so there’s a bus that runs clockwise, and one that runs counter-clockwise, they are labeled as such in their front window. The bus is a cheaper option as well. It’s $5NZD/way and $16NZD for a day pass.
Places to Stay in Rarotonga
We stayed at the Club Raro Resort, but it was a little far from the beaches and activities we wanted to do. With that being said, I’d recommend staying on Muri Beach, near Muri Lagoon, because most of the activities you’ll be doing are over in that area. The beaches there are also much nicer! You’ll have awesome white sandy beaches right outside your door, instead of coral beaches that you can’t walk on without shoes. It will be a bit pricier, but well worth it. Another beach that would be great to stay on and had some super cute bungalows, is called Aroa Beach. So, I’d check that area out as well!
Rarotonga Boat Tours
The first day we went on what’s called a Vaca Cruise on Captain Tamas’s Lagoon Cruises. It took us around Muri Lagoon and the surrounding islands. It departs early around 9 am and comes back in the afternoon around 3. Just in time for happy hour!
The first stop on the cruise is for snorkeling on the other side of one of the islands, just before the reef. The water breaks on the reef, so anywhere inside the reef, in the lagoon, it is extremely calm and amazing for paddleboarding and snorkeling. Honestly, there’s not much to see while you snorkel, other than some big fish, but the water is beautiful, so you won’t be complaining.
Learn to Tie a Sarong and Make Coconut Lotion!
Next, you’ll explore one of the beautiful islands in the lagoon. While you’re swimming, they cook up a big bbq fish lunch! During lunch, they do a cultural show. They teach you how to tie a sarong a million different ways. Also, how to open a coconut and get the milk and the meat out. Then, they show you how to strain it through a cloth to make lotion.
Another great thing about this cruise is one of the captains plays the ukulele all day on and off the boat, and sings songs about Rarotonga. My favorite one was called The Rarotonga Way. The lyrics were something like, “Where the guys are hot and the girls are not, that’s the Rarotonga Way” haha! There’s another company called Koka Lagoon Cruises that do the same tour as well. It was a bit pricier than Captain Tamas, but it has a live band on the entire tour, and we heard great things about them as well, so you can take your pick!
Happy Hour in Rarotonga
My favorite happy hour spot is on Muri Beach, called Sails Restaurant and Isobar. It’s where you start and end the Vaca cruise. So you’ll be right there ready for happy hour when you get off the boat! Nothing is cheap in the Cook Islands. So, at least you can feel better that you’re saving a little bit by taking advantage of the happy hours. The reason I like this one is because it’s right on a beautiful beach on the lagoon. So you can take a sip then take a swim! The perfect combo!
Local Food Night Market
Next, we went to the Muri Night Market, which opens at 5 pm and is right next door. This market is filled with local vendors cooking up everything you can imagine, from seafood curries, to the famous noodle dishes, to crepes. It’s packed with locals, which is always a good sign, and it’ll be challenging to choose a dish because they all look so good.
That being said, I’m sure you’ll be happy with any dish you get! Remember, it’s not cheap! I paid $13USD for my prawn curry. So don’t expect prices that you’ll get on the islands is Asia or Mexico etc. So, I wasn’t able to just ball out like on those islands. It’s definitely, pace yourself type pricing. It’s open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday from 5-9 pm.
Rarotonga Island Exploration
The next day we rented a car from our resort, which you can also do if you don’t get one at the airport. We drove around the entire island exploring the best beaches and most picturesque spots we could find.
This wasn’t hard because the island is so small. There’s only one road around the entire island that just makes a circle around it. I took a map and highlighted the things on it that looked fun to checkout. Then we added a few “ooooo that looks cute!” stops along the way.
Rarotonga’s Best Beaches
First stop was called Black Rock Beach, because it’s literally a giant black rock. The contrast of the black volcanic rock with the blue water was absolutely beautiful!
Next, we just stopped and explored some unnamed beaches along the way that we just couldn’t pass up. The water is so tempting and alluring every time you see it peak out through the palm trees as you drive along.
The next stop was Aroa Beach. This is a local and tourist hangout, but there are not many tourists, so nothing was ever crowded. This beach is for sure worth the stop and I could have spent the entire day on it. It has pristine water and super soft white sand. It’s the perfect beach to pack lunch and drinks and spend some time on, sunbathing and swimming,
The Waterfall of Rarotonga
The next stop was a really cute waterfall called Wigmore’s Waterfall. It’s a beautiful drive up the mountain through the forest to get to the falls. You’ll pass a dog adoption place along the way, which I will tell you more about the island dogs in a bit. They are adorable and the sweetest, most helpful little islanders.
Past the dog adoption place, you’ll see a dirt parking lot. You can park there and take a short 3-5 minute walk to the falls. Bring bug spray, because there are tons of mosquitos here. It’s a beautiful little waterfall with a nice area to swim in below. The water is cold, but feels amazing! It looks as though you’d be able to slide down it, and although you can’t, it’s a great picturesque little swim stop!
Rarotonga’s Best Restaurants
Next, we stopped at Trader Jacks for happy hour and dinner. Trader Jack’s is a local and tourist’s favorite. It’s right on the water near town. You can sit on the deck and watch the local kids play and swim as the fisherman come in with their daily catch.
We got there during the hours of “snack time” because dinner doesn’t start until 6 pm. There are fewer options on the snack menu, but the sashimi pizza was insanely good! If I could do it over, I would have ordered four of them just for myself!
Raro Night Life
We planned an attempt to do the infamous Rarotonga Party Bus pub crawl called Rehab Raro’s Pub Crawl later that night, but honestly, we ended up being in bed by 9:30 every night. If you are a party person and want to experience what Rarotonga’s nightlife is like, we heard that Rehab Raro’s Pub Crawl was a must-do!
It’s put on by their biggest club on the island, Club Rehab. It happens every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. They can pick you up anywhere on the main road of the island and will drop you off to wherever you are staying at the end of the night.
Aitutaki Day Trip
The next day we planned to do the Aitutaki Day Tour, which is a must! Aitutaki looks insane! The let down is, it’s extremely expensive, running at $493 per person. That being said, it’s the island I wanted to see most out of all the Cook Islands. It’s by far the most stunning of the islands. I think it’s worth it since you’re already all the way there. You will constantly hear it’s the most beautiful from locals and tourists alike. Once you see pictures, you’ll understand why.
You have to take a flight there. If you go with Air Rarotonga’s Day Tour, it runs Monday through Saturday, leaving at 8 am and arriving back into Rarotonga by 5:30 pm that same day. It includes pickup and dropoff at your accommodation in Rarotonga. It’s a quick 40-minute flight from Rarotonga to Aitutaki.
Once you arrive, you’ll be taken on an hour cruise on land around the island in ‘le truck.’ Followed by a vaca cruise on the water! It’s planned out just like the vaca cruise in Rarotonga. It stops for snorkeling and swimming followed by a BBQ lunch that’s cooked right on board. The cruise stops at several small islands or (motu) such as One Foot Island which is supposed to be incredible!
Water Sports in Raro
Since we weren’t willing to pay that much for the day tour, we decided to create a day tour for ourselves of Rarotonga by renting paddleboards at KiteSup on Muri Beach.
The guy that owns it is awesome, and it’s around $30 for 2 hrs, but he said, “We run on island time”, meaning he doesn’t care when you bring them back, just be sure to bring them back, haha!
We paddled all around Muri Lagoon exploring the little islands and stopping to swim. We packed a bottle of wine and stopped for wine and snacks on a rock. It was really beautiful and I would definitely suggest it! Check them out! They offer so many different things from night paddleboarding to SUP Yoga and so much more!
Stock Up! Stores Don’t Sell Alcohol on Sundays
Don’t forget that the stores can’t sell alcohol on a Sunday, so plan accordingly! Stock up prior to at the local grocery. It’s much cheaper than getting it anywhere else and you’ll be happy you did when Sunday rolls around.
Next, we walked about 30 mins to get to a place we kept hearing about and had to check out! It’s called Charlie’s Café and Beach Hire, a cute bar and restaurant right on the beach, so you can swim while you wait for your food! It even has a fun rope swing right out front on the beach.
We ordered the fish sandwich, which we kept hearing about. It’s called an island portion, which means it’s huge, and awesome cause it feeds two! It had 3 fish filets in it and was $14NZD or $9.33US. This sandwich is definitely worth the money, and the most bang for your buck! We also had the sashimi, which was amazing as well.
Afterward, we walked a bit further down the road to a hotel called, The Little Polynesian Resort for a drink and dip in their beautiful pool. They also have hammocks on the beach that you can take a little nap in. This would be a really nice place to stay as well!
Shopping in Rarotonga
Our next day, we spent trying to find local items from the shops in town. The main town is called the Avarua District. It’s very small and everything is extremely expensive, but we were able to find some awesome flowy island pants, sarongs, earrings, and local oils to cure sunburns and bug bites. I also bought one for anti-aging too!
Other activities that looked awesome and I would have loved to check out, but they were entirely too pricy were the Raro Mud Buggy Tours and Pa’s Trek.
The Raro Mud Buggy Tours
This takes you through the roads less traveled, up into the mountains of the island, covering hills and plantations and driving through water and mud. It looks awesome, and I would check it out if you have a little extra to spend.
Rarotonga Hiking and Pa’s Trek
I would have loved to do Pa’s Trek as well. Pa is a very well known islander that has been in Rarotonga for years. He leads a trek up in the jungle and teaches you all about the local medicinal plants, flora, and fauna. He’ll teach you the Cook Island History and culture along the way and take you to some incredible lookout points, vistas, and waterfalls! It’s claimed to be the best nature walk in the South Pacific!
There are also quite a few self guided hikes that you can do through the island as well!
Island Dogs!
Rarotonga takes amazing care of their island puppies. The vets on the island treat all the doggies constantly. Providing them any vaccines, surgeries, or anything they may need. The entire island takes care of these dogs.
They don’t personally belong to anyone. The doggies get to choose where they want to live and when. Therefore, they can stay at someone’s house for a month then decide to move on and live at the neighbor’s house. It’s really amazing! The entire island feeds them and has an open-door policy for these doggies!
We had a doggy that stayed with us for our entire time. He was amazing! He escorted us everywhere we walked, and would wait for us to walk us home. Our island doggy slept outside our door every night and he’d be so excited to see us when we woke up.
These dogs are incredibly smart and they are amazing fisherman. They’d be out in the water having the best time fishing. It was so cool to watch, and they always catch the fish! They’re very talented.
I loved getting to see dogs being treated so well and being so well fed. It’s incredible! We’re used to seeing malnourished animals when we see them on the streets. This island’s method should be modeled all over the world.
To Sum it Up!
Rarotonga is an easy getaway from LA to somewhere far away where the water is pristine, the beaches are clean, and it’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever been. These are my tips for a quick trip to Rarotonga!
We explored the Cook Islands in conjunction with a week-long driving trip through Samoa. So, if you want an awesome 2-week island-hopping adventure, you can hop on over to my Samoa after for an entirely different island experience.
FYI: Be mindful when booking your tickets to the Cook Islands and/or Samoa. You will be traveling across the international dateline, so you may gain or lose a full day with only a short flight.
If you have any questions about Rarotonga let me know! And as always, have a blast when you go!
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