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 My Impressions of the Cook Islands I've been in the Cook Islands for five days now and have visited the two most popular islands: Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Before I leave, I want to pass along my impressions.
What can I say? The Cook Islands is a wonderful place to visit. For the most part, islanders are friendly and the general attitude is relaxed, not one of trying to separate tourists from their money, like in more touristy places (think Bora Bora or Tahiti). In fact, I was surprised at how few tourists there were here.
The area, however, is more densely settled than I had thought and there aren't many secluded beaches, especially on Rarotonga. People here live in houses, not in grass huts, and they have most of the conveniences of modern-day life, including television, cars or scooters, and washing machines. The strong trade winds, which blow constantly from the east, take a little getting used to, but in general, the climate is very pleasant and the lack of insects is another plus.
Regarding accommodations, there are several small family-run lodges here, many of which seem to be a better deal than the larger and more expensive resorts. I enjoyed my stay at Vara's and will probably stay there again the next time I visit Rarotonga. With the weak New Zealand dollar (the official currency of the Cook Islands), lodging as well as food is a real bargain for Americans right now. One New Zealand dollar now is worth about 40 cents U.S., so lodging ranges from about US$8 a night for a bed in a not-so-great hostel up to over $200 a night for a top-end bungalow on Muri Beach, though most rooms range from $20 to $50 a night (all in U.S. dollars). From what I’ve seen, the more you spend, the incrementally less you get, with the best overall values being in the $30 to $50 a night range.
I'll definitely come back to the Cook Islands someday. Next time, however, I'll spend more time on laid-back Aitutaki than on bustling Rarotonga. I want to explore the smaller and even lesser known outer islands, as well. Rarotonga is nice but from what I've seen and read, you really haven't seen the Cook Islands until you get to the outer islands.
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