Planning on going around september. Anyone been? Where is the best place to stay?
Reply to this Not been to the cook islands but i did go to oz in 1999 for a year and ended up staying for 3 years.. just been to thailand last july too.. so if i can help with any questions please ask.. also very jealous by the way lol...
Reply to this I was there in April 2006. I don't want to sound like a damp squib but I didn't care for it much. To put that in perspective I had just spent 4 weeks island hopping in French Polynesia, and then another 10 days on Aitutaki and Atiu. After that, Raro seemed a bit too commercialised for me. However, I have little doubt that I would have loved it if I had gone to it first before the more remote islands I visited. I can't remember where I stayed beyond the fact it was on the west side of the island. I got drunk with a Rarotongan on Atiu one night and he fixed me up with the place, which belonged to his father, for about a third of the rack rate.
Sorry if that doesn't sound too positive to your ears; as I said I think it would have been a completely different story if I had done things in a different order. If you get the chance though, try to visit either Aitutaki for a real tropical paradise (you will have seen it on 'Shipwrecked' if you live in the UK, or 'Survivor' if you live in the states), or Atiu which is unique and completely unlike any other South Pacific island I have visited.
HTH, and happy to answer any other questions about Raro, Aitutaki or Atiu, even if I can't remember the name of my hotel on Raro!
Reply to this It's paradise, but very small! We cycled round the island in two hours. Then on a scooter in about fifteen minutes. There's not a lot to do apart from snorkelling and diving, but you do meet some interesting people...
Reply to this yeh i really fancy going to Aitutaki for a few days when we arrive in Raratonga. Ive heard you can book flights between the two - but that it is expensive.
Reply to this Hi there, i'm going to Raratonga in November this year, Can't wait!!!! I'm going solo which does'nt bother me in the slightest but it is my first port of call in a round the world trip so i'm really having to save every penny. I'm looking for modest, backpacker accomodation & some hints or tips on the best things to do when i'm there. I'm planning to use the time to totally chill out, read a couple of books & perhaps do some scuba diving & walking. Can anyone advise who's been there before please....
Reply to this Kia Orana..
I have been to Raro many times. Its a pretty relaxed place with super friendly people. Muri Lagoon (south eastern side) is the most popular place for tourists not that its overcrowded though. Muri definately has the best swimming, snorkelling beaches. I've been out spear fishing over the reef as well which is amazing but you need a local so you know how to get through the waves on the reef. And to get back again... helps. I love kiteboarding and when the wind is up in the lagoon I'm out there.
Dive Raro and I think another place take out diving trips. Check out their web addy. You can walk over the island to the Needle and down the other side. Make sure you have good shoes and don't bother after a heavy rain. The track get slippery. Awesome view up there though. It depends what you want to do. Personally kiteboarding and chiilling out with a beer overlooking the lagoon after a good session on the water is my kind of holiday. The people are great and the island nights are fab! Go to the Staircase on a Thur night. You can book for dinner or just have drinks and watch for free.
Otherwise Raro is a place to chill out and enjoy the serenity of the islands.
Hope that helps. Let me know if you want more info..
Reply to this I have a question for ashen (Ian)...what have you been doing there for 3 years, fo the money I mean?
Thanks. good day
Reply to this Hey, i will be in the cook islands in about 2-3 weeks so i will be able to give you a fair account of what its like, alternativley just check out my travel blog after i've been.
Cheers
Paul
Reply to this Excellent - keep us updated, im really interested to see what it is like. Going down to book my rip in only two weeks - so still open to any new ideas of where to go!! x
Reply to this Well im booked for Rarotonga and hoping to get a flight to Aitutaki too. Will be there for two weeks from end of Sept to beginning of Oct. Cant wait.
Reply to this Hi Lindsay,
Arrived in Rarotonga a couple of days ago, weather was crap for the first few days but today has been pretty good, Flights to Aitutaki are 109 kiwi dollars each way. You can snorkel, hire kyaks, go diving or just chill out on the beach all relativley cheap. Make sure you bring plenty of books though just as a back up as you may get slightly bored. A bus circles the island hourly and costs around 4 dollars one way (6 dollars return) to get to the main town of Avarua, or you can hire mopeds from $25 a day but you will have to take a small test with police which costs $10 for your island licence, car hire is from $36 and push bikes can be hired for $12.
Hope this helps you out a bit, if you think of any questions then let me know i will probably be writing a more indepth travel blog toward the end of my cook island stay in anycase
Cheers
Paul
P.S. almost forgot most importantly beers are around $4
Reply to this Yes the beers are very important. Im planning on taking lots of books and just having a total chill with lots of cold beers in the sun. How is the weather now? Hope it's a bit better for you. Should i book accomodation for Aitutaki before i arrive in Raro or can i just sort everthing out while im there? Where you staying - ive heard Varas is good and beside the best beach? Sorry for all the questions. xx
Reply to this Its starting to heat up a bit now and the sun has come out which is all good. You can wait until you get here to book you flight to Aitutaki, just head into Avarua the main town to book it. I'm actually staying in Vara's at the minute, the beach is fantastic, literally on your front door the only downside is i keep getting woken up at 4am by a cockerell.
Reply to this Dont worry about the questions, any more information you need just let me know.
Reply to this So does Varas ever get fully booked? Did u book it before you arrived on Raro or did you just sort accom when you got there? looking forward to reading your blog when you get the chance - have been reading some of your others out of interest and your travels look amazing - especially the last one at New Zealand north island - which is where i will be for 2wks before Rarotonga! x
Reply to this Yeah Vara's gets booked up really quick i would definitley book up in advance, i'm off to Aitutaki in a few hours and i tried to book up Vara's for when i come back in 5 days and they only have 2 beds in a dorm left! Also this may sound a bit weird as the island is quite small but after being here for 8 days now ive learnt that although it may be raining on one part of the island it can be really hot and sunny on the other so make sure you have transport to get around or alternativley get the bus to another part of the island. The travelling has been really good so far, i'm 6 months into it and still have another 3 1/2 months left before i have to go home, but glad to hear you have been reading some of my blogs, hope there not too offensive!
Reply to this Hi Linz,
Im going in 3 weeks for a week, hope to stay in Varas, but yet to book it...will have lots of info for you then.
Brigette
Reply to this Hey PJC you said it cost you $109 NZ dollars to get to Aitutaki ... how did you get there and what was included? I just enquired about the cost to get there and i was quoted $399 for a day trip and bbq lunch.
Reply to this Hey, i just got back from Aitutaki, ended up paying $295 return flight as the $109 was a special offer which i just missed, i stayed there for 5days 4 nights, there was nothing else included in the price. I stayed at Ginas lodge which was the only place available and that cost $120!!! a night. To be honest your better off just going there for a day trip, the islands are a lot nicer than being on Rarotonga but there is probably less to do over there. I did go out with Kia Orana cruises with Captain Fantastic........what a legend. He's brilliant! really good laugh, he takes you round all the islands, where they filmed Shipwrecked and Survivor and you can walk around on these islands, you also go to 2 snorkelling sites which are really good and lunch is provided which the food is excellant, all this for $65. But apart from that one day out on the cruise theres not much else to do, met an english guy over there and he was staying at Gina's for 5 days, when we turned up he was so pleased to see because he had'nt spoke to anyone for 3 days! Its basically all honeymoon couples staying in huge 5 star resorts which have everything in them so they dont have to leave. So i have been back at Vara's for two days and have been hiring some Kayaks for $5 an hour and will probably hire some snorkelling gear aswell which is $10 for the whole day. Vara's is definitley the place to stay though i think, met some really nice people and everyone gets on really well.
Thats about it for now, i'm leaving on Saturday for LA so any questions or anything you want me to find out let me know, hope this helps.
Reply to this 
