Blogs from Cook Islands, Oceania

Tour Day 19, Cruise Day 19 – Day at Sea Tour Day 20, Cruise Day 20; Rarotonga, Cook Islands – NO SHORE EXCURSIONS AVAILABLE – Initially, I wondered why we were stopping if there was no good reason (shore excursion) to leave the ship. After doing a little research and then hearing, on the day before our arrival, a cautionary “don’t get your hopes up” from the Captain, I now have a guess. The seas are rough in the anchoring area near Cook Island, and many cruise ships planning to tender to the island have been unable to do so because the operation was too dangerous. Indeed, our Captain launched one of the tenders early on the day of our arrival for a reconnaissance mission before making his decision. Fortunately, we did make it to shore ... read more

Geo: -21.2367, -159.778... read more

For all the internet researchers who have stumbled across Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, firstly kudos for the meticulous research on potential travel destinations. And if by chance you clicked on google images of this paradise, I can understand if some skepticism may be creeping in. Perhaps you're wondering if an island could possibly be as beautiful and captivating as the images portray, has there been some liberal use of photoshop? Well my friends, rest assured Aitutaki is everything and more than you could ever imagine. For my part, nearly a week has passed in wonderful Rarotonga, when all the talk revolved around a visit to this tropical wonderland. A few guests from the hostel were keen to take the plunge, and I formed the impression that most visitors to the Cook Islands have a visit ... read more

There's a saying on the island that there's no blue like Aitutaki blue, and they're not lying. I've been incredibly lucky to visit some incredibly beautiful places, but when it comes to amazing blue water - one of my favorite things - Aitutaki was absolutely mind blowing. You don't want to know how many pictures I have of nothing but water. The main island is surrounded by the amazing lagoon and all sorts of postcard-perfect smaller islands (called motus). It's the sight of all sorts of Survivor-like shows, and a few of the motus were closed for filming something called "Shipwreck" while we were there. Pretty-ness aside, it's also one of my favorite islands to visit. It's tiny, maybe 2,000 people?, and primarily gets supplies delivered once a month by a cargo ship. As a visitor, ... read more

We reached Niue an island in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,400 kilometres northeast of New Zealand, east of Tonga, south of Samoa and west of the Cook Islands after a short three-hour flight from Auckland. One of the smallest countries and one of the largest raised coral atolls on earth we found the island very unusual with beautiful crystal waters but a rugged coral coastline so no sandy beaches. Niue pronounced New-ay means 'behold the coconut' it may be the world's smallest independent nation, this Pacific Island is also known as the "Rock of Polynesia". We found amazing swimming spots, usually after a short trek and a scramble through rocks and coral. We viewed stunning caves and swam in spectacular chasms. We had a hire car for a day and were able to drive around most ... read more