Cook Islands ... kids in the Cooks!

I recently went to cook islands on a work trip to review several of the resorts and to check out the Cook Islands as a destination for families.  To access the Cook Islands you fly into the main island Rarotonga.  Many of the flights from Australia go via New Zealand, however their is a direct flight from Sydney.

The destination is perfect for families.  it’s a great option for people who love the South Pacific's laid back ways.  It is very clean and people are house proud and keep their yards, shops and churches very neat.  Churches are plentiful with one every kilometre I think, many are old limestone buildings and beautiful.  Tourists are welcome at church on a Sunday to hear the singing and attend service. The first Sunday of the month is the best apparently, as all the ladies wear white.  Every Saturday morning there is a great market in the centre of town, well worth a look, from sunrise and goes to lunchtime.  The people live a quiet life, villages have basic housing, inland there are farms with chickens and pigs, food is plentiful but I would say cooked fairly simply.  Cook Islanders will share what they have to offer and are very proud of their islands and country and rightly so, it’s stunningly beautiful.

The cook islands are definitely on island time.  we were still waiting for our 7am pick up from the hotel at 7.45 for our 8am air Raro flight to Aitituki no one seemed stressed but us.. the staff on reception assured us the plane wouldn’t leave without us and it didn’t.. service is often on island time… order your drinks well before you are thirsty!  Its not a bad thing just something to get used to.. especially when we are used to the busy lifestyles we have today.  The people are kind and friendly and very relaxed.

The island of Rarotonga is the biggest of the 15 islands that make up the Cook Islands and is a whole 32kms around by road, you can do the cross island walk in 2.5hours.  Its hilly jungle in the middle and surrounded by the most stunning lagoon all around.  So snorkelling and swimming is easy from any part of the island, a little tidal but pretty safe in most conditions.  Most resorts are beachfront and that’s the only way to go really.  Most activities on the island are water based ie diving, snorkelling, kayaking, fishing.  However there are some land based activities like quad bike tours of the inland forests and a 4wd jeep tour of the inland too.  Cultural shows are on one night of the week at most resorts its often called "island night" with Cook Island dancers and drumming.  I would recommend everyone who visits to experience and island night, the dancing is quite amazing and its good to see and hear some history of the Cook Islands.

There are shops on the island, supermarkets, liquor stores, lots of black pearl shops and typical souvenir shops.  Prices are in NZ dollars but there is Cook Island currency and you will often be given change in Cook Island money (this can not be exchanged outside the country so be sure to spend it whilst there) the resorts seem to be in little clusters around the island and each cluster has some shops and cafes, restaurants etc.

There are plenty of beachfront bars and cafes which are really rustic and a great place to watch the sun go down, drink in hand.  One thing to be aware of for families is that everything is spread out around the island so you might find you want to hire a car to get around and see things.  Cars are easy to hire on the island and are a good option for at least one day maybe a couple to look around.

Alternatively there are two bus routes clockwise and anticlockwise.. they run all day an into the night, its $5 per person per journey so for a family of 4 $20 per trip and then another $20 to return.   I  hired an electric bike for $12 per day and rode around the island in a couple of hours you could do that with older kids but not little ones.   The speed limit is 40km per hour and traffic is virtually non existent as most ride scooters.. and there aren’t many of them, so fun destination to scooter or ride (nothing like the chaos of bali or Thailand)

There are other attractions on the island like a mini golf, brewery, coconut oil factory, noni juice factory, pearl demos, whale and marine centre that families could visit.

Food prices are similar to Australia, there is a lot of choice with good restaurants, really cool beachfront bars and cafes all around the island.  A lot of fresh fish of course but they have everything including pizzas, fried chicken shops, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, bakeries etc.  Its a good idea to take an empty stainless steel water bottle in your baggage as water is expensive, $4 for a 650ml bottle in the supermarket, but you can boil the island water and fill your own water bottles each day if you prefer.

Cook Islands can be done as a stopover coming back from America so its a great destination on its own or a beach stopover after a Disney or USA adventure.  Its a beautiful destination and perfect for kids, with several resorts offering family accommodation and kids clubs too!

Speak to your BYOkids consultant on 1300 296 543 for pricing and to book..

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