PacTravel
Return to Rarotonga
It's Still A Clean, Green, Appealing Destination
Hawaii’s Aloha Airlines recently expanded its services to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, adding another dimension to its growing Pacific system. Having last been in the Cook Islands some 10 years ago, I was interested in seeing how things have changed there over the past decade. So I made the six-hour flight from Honolulu.
For visitors, the Cooks are an inviting destination with its mix of some 15 islands and atolls. The Cook Islanders are as welcoming to visitors as ever, while keeping their cultural traditions and heritage strong and vibrant. Visitors are rewarded with an introduction and immersion into the Cook Islands-style of Maori culture.
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So what’s up in the Cooks? It was nice to see that, for the most part, it’s still a clean, green and environmentally sound destination. Rarotonga is unique among the Cook Islands because it is a volcanic high island with forested mountain peaks in the interior and an encircling coral reef. It has a picture postcard-perfect aquamarine lagoon and dazzling beaches. And this all on a neat, compact island that is only about 20-miles around.
There is something here for every traveler’s budget. The west coast has gorgeous sunsets and several nice lodging choices available. The east coast, with its fine beach at the Muri Lagoon area, also has a number of good hotels and motels. The Titikaveka area on the island’s south coast has the best snorkeling and swimming and several visitor properties. Hotels on the north coast and in the Avarua town area, which is the Cook’s capital city, are convenient to shopping, dining, business or nightlife.
The 208-room Edgewater is Rarotonga’s largest hotel, located on six acres of nicely landscaped beachfront property. The guest rooms are all air-conditioned. The resort has a pool, two tennis courts, the Brasserie and Spaghetti House Restaurants and a bar.
The beach and lagoon fronting the resort provide great snorkeling and swimming. There are twice-weekly “Island Night” Polynesian buffet dinner and cultural shows featuring a fantastic Cook Islands dance performance by the Orama Dance Troupe, one of Rarotonga’s best. The Edgewater is a great choice for those wishing a full-service resort experience. For information: www.edgewater.co.ck.
The Club Raro is located a mile and a half east of Avarua town on the north coast. It’s a single-story complex of standard motel-size rooms which, though small, are modern, air-conditioned and quite comfortable. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily with a varied menu. The beach here has breaking surf too close to the shore—but decks along the beachfront provide comfortable perches to laze, watch the surf, and read. For information: www.clubraro.co.ck.
Water sports enthusiasts will revel in the south coast’s Titikaveka area, which has some of the best snorkeling on the island.
Rarotonga also has several land-based excursions and activities. The Raro Mountain Safari Tour is a soft-adventure, three-and-a-half-hour Land Rover cruise. The tour wanders along the historic Ara Metua inland back road which connects the villages of Rarotonga. The tour stops at the historically important Te Arai-Te-Tonga Marae temple site. Then it climbs up the lush rain forested Avatiu Valley for a close-up view of the famous peak, Te Rua Manga, also known as The Needle. The entire tour is highlighted with a fascinating narrative of the Maori history of the Cooks. For details, go to: www.rarosafaritours.co.ck.
Hikers wanting to experience Rarotonga’s rain forest first hand can opt for an island trek with Pa’s Mountain Walk. This guided, day-long hike is a more strenuous cross-island nature walk with hikers learning about local medicine plants and native flora and fauna. Information: www.pasbungalows.co.ck.
Another good hike is the Takitumu Nature Walk, which takes hikers into the Takitumu conservation area along quiet mountain streams and through the dense tropical forest.
For a genuine cultural experience, spend some time at the Cook Islands Cultural Village in Arorangi on the west coast. Step back into early Maori history with a guided tour through the model village which includes a glimpse of the early Maori lifestyle through demonstrations of fishing, pandanus weaving costume making and, of course, Cook Islands dancing. The tour combines cultural activities with music, song, dance and chants along with a Polynesian-style lunch. Shoppers won’t lack for places to discover. There are many shops with everything from T-shirts, pareaus, island wear, art works and wood carvings to the fabulous Cook Island black pearls. And when hunger beckons, restaurants on Rarotonga cover the range from economical cafes and takeaway lunch counters to upscale dining rooms featuring international cuisine. Menus include everything from European to Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Italian, Polynesian, and steaks to seafood.
For a first-time or return visitor, Rarotonga is still a fun vacation destination. The favorable exchange rate, at US$1 to NZ$2 (the Cook Islands use New Zealand currency), is also a big attraction for U.S. visitors. For more information on travel to the Cook Islands, check out the official Cook Islands Tourism Corporation Web site: www.cookislands.com.
John Penisten is a freelance writer who lives on the Big Island of Hawaii. His email is: pacpics@aloha.net
