With such a perfect climate and beautiful water it is easy to understand the local saying cook islands people are born of the sea. Beyond the islands tourist buzz and contemporary appearance is a robust culture, firmly anchored by traditional polynesian values and steeped in oral. The cook islands became a british protectorate in 1888 by 1900, the islands were annexed as british territory. An ariki of mauke island, she was also the first woman to become a member of the islands legislative council. Aug 26, 2016 jeff tikitau real estate cook islands 3,670 views 2. Explore rarotonga in the cook islands goway travel youtube. Detailed and highresolution maps of rarotonga, cook islands for free download. Everything for your trip to the cook islands best time to go, weather, daily cost advisor, visas, cheapest flights and transport information essential guide to the cook islands lonely planet hi there, we use cookies to improve your experience on our website.
Aitutaki, mangaia and aitu, but most people opt to visit either rarotonga or aitutaki. The cook islands the cook islands pacific islands forum secretariat. Rarotonga, largest island in the southern group of the cook islands, in the south pacific ocean about 2,100 miles 3,400 km northeast of new zealand. The atoll of pukapuka master artist island art te maeva nui adventures at.
On the north coast of rarotonga lies the capital, avarua. With a strong cafe culture, a burgeoning organic and artisan food scene, and a handful of bar and clubs, rarotonga lives confidently in the 21st century. Finding rarotonga early polynesian settlers found the island by sailing raro down and tonga to the south of french polynesia. In the cook islands, there are no branded resorts, no buildings taller than a coconut tree, no crowds, and no stop lights yet the islands offer modern conveniences, and undiscovered luxury, with a wide range of accommodation options and activities for every type of traveler.
My solo travel curse continues in the cook islands. Rarotonga, the capital of our friendly little corner of the pacific, is a very small island at only 32 kms around the outer perimeter. The best travel guide to cook islands arrival guides. Travel guide to touristic destinations, museums and architecture in rarotonga.
On rarotonga and aitutaki, stay at mid range motels or in goodvalue. A guide to rarotonga in the cook islands goats on the road. Here, in fact, most activities are connected to the sea. Polynesian culture, snorkeling and party action, accommodations and restaurants for all budgets, and outer island tips, tricks and top picks. Surf the swells around the southern coastlines, hike the challenging crossisland track, or check out tongas stonehenge of the pacific. Despite covering a vast area, the cook islands host a tiny population, and secluded spots are easy to come by. She became the tararo ariki of mauke in 1934, succeeding her mother. Front view of the office of the prime minister for cook islands, rarotonga. Rarotonga and the cook islands travel guides lonely planet. Free download canary islands travel guide lonely planet canary islands. Sar, madagascar, kenya, tanzania, morocco, egypt, australia, new zealand, fiji, sydney, hawaii, tahiti. Air new zealand and virgin australia find it easily now with regular.
Free download cape town travel guide lonely planet cape. Theres an excellent culinary scene in the cook islands, especially in rarotonga. On the big island, youll find a wide range of international cuisine, with lots of fine dining options or simple eateries. Get to the heart of rarotonga, samoa and tonga and. Where to go, best places to stay, travel tips and and best holiday destinations inspiration from the experts at lonely planet. Large rarotonga maps for free download and print high. Covers easter island, fiji, rarotonga, the cook islands, samoa, american samoa, the solomon islands, tahiti, french polynesia, tonga, vanuatu and more. Read more about the creator sabine and her mission to reuse and reduce rarotonga s plastic via the cook islands news. There is also a larger population of cook islanders in new zealand itself. Hello, will be travelling to rarotonga and aitutaki in august and was wondering if you can recommend any travel book my local book store has no specific cook islands guide and the 2006 lonely planet is no longer available, only on ebay. At massey mike wrote more poems because he was lonely. Hilton hilton honors new hilton rarotonga cook islands i came across an ad for the new hilton rarotonga in the qf inflight entertainment magazine today and was quite surprised to read about it. Black pearls black pearls are an important means of income for the cook islands and a unique souvenir for visitors. Tour guides will fill you in on our history and culture.
Surf the swells around the southern coastlines, hike the challenging crossisland track, or check out tongas stonehenge of the pacific all with your trusted travel companion. Cook islands travel guide world travel guide official. Surf the swells around the southern coastlines, hike the challenging crossisland track, or check out tongas stonehenge of the pacific all. Landscape view of one foot island in aitutaki lagoon cook islands. Like the rest of the cook islands, the most romantic souvenir is small but perfectly formed. Aug 29, 20 rarotonga is one of the 14 islands that makes up the cook islands. F ood in the cook islands and on rarotonga, particularly is heavily influenced by australian and kiwi cuisine, so youll be pleased to see a whole lot of pavlova on menus around town though ill leave it up to you guys to argue over who invented it.
Why youll love the cook islands lonely planet island guide 2018. Rarotonga, cook islands sipping coconut milk while bargaining for handmade jewelry and swaying your hips to live musicjust another saturday morning in rarotonga. Rarotonga is the largest of the cook islands and the capital, avarua is the main commercial and administrative centre. The cooks are about as close to the midpacific as you can get without being in the water and far removed from the frenetic outside world. Rarotonga, the hub of the cook islands, has so much to see and do, yet remains unspoilt. Fish and seafood are obviously major parts of the local cuisine, with plenty of tuna to go around. An overview of the islands in the southern group of the cook islands inlcuding rarotonga and aitutaki nine of the 15 tiny islands in the cooks are designated as the southern group, and theyre home to nine out of 10 islanders according to the latest census. Rarotonga has the highest population of all the cook islands and also contains all the paliment buildings. New hilton rarotonga cook islands flyertalk forums. It takes approximately 40 minutes to drive around the island. Rarotonga is the most populous of the cook islands, with a population of 10,572 census 2011, out of the countrys total resident population of 14,974. Apr 01, 2014 rarotonga, the capital of our friendly little corner of the pacific, is a very small island at only 32 kms around the outer perimeter. It is on rarotonga that you will find the international airport most visitors entry point into the cook islands. Buy vanuatu new caledonia travel guide direct from lonely planet.
A halo of flameorange coral reef encircles the island, and rarotonga s sapphireblue lagoon is trimmed by sparkling white beaches. Travellers choose the pace of their adventure here, mixing sunandsand holidays with unique and intrepid experiences. The island is volcanic in origin and has a rugged interior rising to 2,9 feet 652 metres at te manga. Rarotonga the high island capital of the cook islands. Lonely planet south pacific, our most comprehensive guide to all the islands of the south pacific, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. From the mirrored horizon of aitutakis lagoon to the snorkelfriendly rarotonga, the cook islands are brimming with beaches worthy of a. Explore the cook islands holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Unless youre sailing your own yacht, travel between the cook islands is limited to slow cargo ships and air rarotonga flights. Jan 12, 2018 the cook islands are a small archipelago of 15 islands in the south pacific covering a total combined land area of just 240 km technically cook islanders are citizens of new zealand and rely on the larger, more developed nation for governance and military protection, but in recent years the islands have become more and. Supermarkets food stores around rarotonga where are they located. The cook islands are located in the south pacific ocean and comprise 15 major islands spread over 2,200,000 square km. Air rarotonga operates regular scheduled flights and charter services to the other sister islands of the southern and northern cooks group and also weekly flights between rarotonga and papeete tahiti, french polynesia. Constitutional status and international personality pdf. Beyond the islands tourist buzz and contemporary appearance is a robust culture, firmly anchored by traditional polynesian values and steeped in oral history.
After a few hours of checking out the wharfside punanga nui market, hit the beaches of this reefprotected volcanic island. Buy lonely planet rarotonga and the cook islands travel guidebooks direct from lonely planet. Experience spectacular scenery while hiking rarotonga s crossisland track, kayak to tongas remote sandy islands, or descend into the. The ultimate guide to culture on rarotonga, cook islands. Increased development and the use of land as a tradable asset is amplified by. My solo travel curse continues in the cook islands never. Rarotonga and the cook islands lonely planet country guides. Tararo jane ariki ii 26 may 1910 23 december 1982 was a cook islands chiefess and politician. The cook islands main population centres are on the island of rarotonga,007 in 2016, where there is an international airport.
No traffic lights, no mcdonalds and no building taller than a coconut tree. Rarotonga forum, travel discussion for rarotonga, cook. Surprisingly, cook never sighted the largest island, rarotonga, and the only island that. Tiny, remote and full of charm, the islands offer a flavour of polynesia as it used to be. Lonely planet rarotonga samoa tonga pdf epub download. A halo of flameorange coral reef encircles the island, and rarotongas sapphireblue lagoon is trimmed by sparkling white beaches. Captain john dibbs, master of the colonial brig endeavour, is credited as the european discoverer on 25 july 1823, while transporting the missionary reverend john williams. Explore atiu holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. Appendix ii proposed rarotonga environment council wetland area policy 70. Trader jacks is one of rarotongas iconic watering holes, and panoramic sea. Cook islands priority environmental problems pec report. Beyond the reef, breakers foam and crash like distant thunder. Explore rarotonga holidays and discover the best time and places to visit.
Rarotonga travel guide pdf mountain bikes are a good, healthy way to travel. Top things to do in the cook islands lonely planet. The cook islands are named after captain james cook, who visited the islands in 1773 and. Buy lonely planet rarotonga the cook islands travel guidebooks direct from lonely planet. Fifteen droplets of land cast across 2 million sq km of wild pacific blue, the cook islands are simultaneously remote and accessible, modern and traditional.
Rarotonga travel guide cook islands simplest of adventures. The cook islands are named after captain james cook, who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777. Rarotonga became the cook islands headquarters for the lms and an important administrative and religious centre. Use the button available on this page to download or read a book online. In 1901, the islands were included within the boundaries of the colony of new zealand the cook islands contain 15 islands in the group spread over a vast area in the south pacific. As always, i was convinced the cook islands would be different. Does lonely planet no longer publish one for the cooks. In preeuropean times atiu was an important seat of regional power and its warriors were renowned for ferocious fighting and ruthlessness. History of rarotonga lonely planet travel information. Marshall, bishop museum bulletin 72, honolulu, hawaii. Jul 15, 2017 rarotonga is the largest island of the cook islands in the south pacific.
Lonely planet, craig mclachlan, brett atkinson, celeste brash. Tonga is your passport to the most relevant, uptodate advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Therefore the new zealand queens representitive is the head of state and the chief minister is the head of government. The beating heart of our little paradise will capture yours. Kia orana, or welcome to the cook islands, considered among the. Some islands, such as rarotonga where the international airport is situated and aitutaki, do feature a number of developed resorts.
Now 5 years later i am really going and cant find an updated version. One of many white christian churches and graveyards on the island of rarotonga. Implementation of the strategic action programme of the pacific small island. Upon arrival youll discover rarotonga s airport is right by the. This neighborhood is a great choice for travelers interested in culture, food and scenery check location 88 beach road, panama, nikao bay, avarua, avarua, rarotonga, cook islands this neighborhood is a great choice for travelers interested in culture, food and scenery check location great location show map. The cook islands are in the south pacific ocean and are self governed in a free association with new zealand. I havent spent much time in the hilton forum lately but a. For those eager to dive straight in, the cook islands best beaches are at muri lagoon and titikaveka. Purchased this guide a few years ago in hopes of actually going to the cooks, however never made it. Manihiki in the north export cultured black pearls to rarotonga where they are set into high fashion jewellery pieces.
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