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Rarotonga is the main and largest of the Cook Islands. Avura, the capital, is a quaint tourist town thick with expensive restaurants and boutiques and clothes shops. The land rises sharply to a mountainous interior, so all the resorts and shops and farming takes place on a small strip ringing the island. The mountains cause the hot air to rise and condense, leading to lots of clouds and afternoon thunderstorms. Tourism is far and away the main source of income on the island. There is some agriculture, mainly growning taro, bananas, and papayas. There is one sealed road around the island, with public busses running both clockwise and anticlockwise on the hour. Most people rent bicycles, motorcyles, or cars. It's a good idea to rent something for at least one day so you can travel around the island and stop where you like. There are resorts literally on all sides of the island, so you are bound to find something you like. The only inexpensive accomodations, by budget traveler's standards, are the dorms in some of the guest houses. Otherwise, you will be paying around F$60 per night.
I felt perfectly safe in Rarotonga, and in the Cooks in general. I think you can walk around at any time of day or night without any problems. TRAVELER'S ALERT!! DO NOT stay at the Are Mango Guest House. When I was there they treated some of the travelers extremely rudely, and people should not patronize such a place. This couple had accidently broken one of the 'rules' of the guest house. When the owner pointed this out, the couple apologized, and stopped the 'offensive' behaviour. Instead of that being the end of the incident, the owner proceeded to totally loose their cool, and started yelling at the couple, and eventually told them they had to leave the guest house, even though it was 9 pm on a Saturday night. The owners didn't offer any assistance in finding a new guest house, or providing transportation. A fellow guest had to take them around on their motorcycle, and then to transport them one at a time. This type of behavior is unjustifiable, and should not be supported. (By the way, this incident is not hearsay or gossip or folklore - I was there and witnesssed the event in person.) On top of the owners terrible behavior, you have to share the kitchen with the owners and their kids, the bathrooms are grotty, and there are holes in the wall. You can do a lot better. I urge you NOT TO STAY AT THE ARE MANGO GUEST HOUSE. THINGS TO DO: Shop for souvenirs: shirts, pearls, sarongs, etc. Muir beach is supposed to be the best beach for swimming, though even there you will find lots of rocks and coral. I suggest renting a car or motorcycle for at least a day so you can drive around the island and stop at your leisure where you like. There's the famous cross-island walk, which I suggest you start very early because it quickly gets extremely hot, and it often rains in the afternoon. There's a nice botanical gardens to walk around in with a small attached cafe. It's NZ$3 to enter. There are bars and one theater (cinema). Alcohol is expensive, and many people drink at home. The least expensive restaurant is the cafeteria style Mama's right next to the Foodland Supermarket. A couple of places offer Internet access, the going rate is NZ$5 per 1/2 hour and NZ$8 per hour. I enjoyed walking along the beach early in the morning. If the current isn't too strong, along Muri Beach you can swim out to the small islands (Motos). ACCOMODATIONS: I stayed at the Kii Kii Lodge, about 1 mile outside of Avura, and can highly recommend them. The ensuite rooms are very clean and reasonable priced (NZ$60 for a double, but if you're staying more than a few days, ask for a discount), and you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the coral reef. The only possible drawback is that it's not a place to meet other travelers, but more for couples on vacation. Comments? E-mail me at [email protected]. I hope to be adding pictures in a month or two when I have my film developed! Return to General Cooks Info *** Aitutaki Info *** Atiu Info *** |