Rarotonga... A Rare Find.
Such A Rare Find… Rarotonga!
Take the beach from the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach", combine it with Polynesian Culture, delish street food, luxury accommodations and the nicest people you will ever meet... then add 100 times the beauty and you've got The Cook Islands! I don't know if you're like me, but I hadn't even heard of The Cook Islands until my friend Daniella visited the year before. I saw her photos and she ranted and raved about Rarotonga and I honestly thought the bucket-list trip sounded "Too-Good-To-Be-True"... like some kind of no work-out, eat whatever you want and still lose weight plan... but all her reviews were true... Raro is a rare find! So here we were in April 2018, planning a trip for May 2018 and we were looking at staying at a place we couldn't even pronounce...
Our trip to Rarotonga COULD NOT have come at a better time. Kevin and I had just been super busy at work and... I would get pregnant with Linden about a week after we got home! So little to our knowledge did we know at the time that this would be our last BIG trip just the two of us! I am so glad we lived up our two weeks in paradise!
To begin with, Rarotonga is paradise! The beautiful clear aqua water, the white sand beaches, and heavily forested rural areas is truly a beach-lovers dream! Getting from Vancouver to Rarotonga is a lot easier than we thought. We had originally thought we might have a very long day of travel ahead possibly flying from Vancouver to New Zealand and then New Zealand to Rarotonga… but it was actually much easier! We hopped a quick 2.5-hour flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles and then a direct 8-hour flight from Los Angeles to Rarotonga. This was an easy flight for us and this was pre-baby, so even easier! Our flights were booked with Air New Zealand, and oh my god was the flight amazing. We booked what is known as the cuddle seats! When you book in this way you get three seats together with all of them folding out to make kind of a small bed where the two of you can lay together and cuddle and sleep during the flight… it even has a cute little cuddle seat belt!
Accommodations
We absolutely loved our stay at Te Vakaroa! These villas really scream luxury from the minute you arrive. There are only six villas in this vacation spot and it is located right on the white sands of Muri Beach (the must-stay location in my opinion). Each villa has a huge sliding door that opens right up to a view of the infinity pool that looks right out into the ocean. The design of the villas is very modern with an open concept kitchen and living room. The bedroom holds a king-sized bed with a private patio and a very large ensuite bathroom with bathtub, sink with lots of counter space and a very large shower. As a bonus, there was also a very private outdoor shower attached to our room that was great for rinsing off after a swim in the ocean or the pool. There was also a very private patio off the bedroom as well. The kitchen was fully equipped with a fridge, mini bar, stove-top, and oven. The living room had very comfortable couches with a television with local t.v. programs. The outdoor area of this vacation spot is worth the expensive cost. Each room has its own large patio with comfy lounge couches and coffee table. Also, each unit has a comfy pool couch with a removable cover that sits right up against the pool. The views are outstanding and you can walk right out onto Muri Beach. The view was beautiful during the day and night. Next door is Captain Tama’s which is a little tourist spot where you can rent kayaks, paddleboards, and book tours. We loved that each morning at around 10:30am, a live band would play traditional music and we could hear it from our beachfront daybeds. Each morning the wonderful service team at Te Vakaroa delivers a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit, fresh-baked pastries, and cereal with milk. They also stock you up on coffee and juice. The fruit is beyond fresh and local (it is grown right on the island). I was extremely passionate about the passion fruit on this island and I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy this fruit as much again as it was so rich and juicy! The villas come with complimentary The service from Nick and the team at the villas is fantastic and they were willing and able to help us with all our requests. A bonus for us was that for the majority of our 12-night stay, we were the only guests. A couple nights there was one or two other villas booked out, but most of the time it was just us! Which meant we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves! It was amazing! The location of these villas is right on Muri beach which is right where the action is. Swimming right out your front door, tourist excursions within walking distance and all the restaurants a close 5 to 15-minute walk away. So this stay was beyond amazing with only two negative things worth mentioning.
WiFi is sparse all along the island and it is really tough to find and very expensive. We paid $20 for some data and it was super slow and I think we sent about 5 quick emails and that was it. From then on, the phones were off. Which was AMAZING we have never done that before, but it is just important to mention because if you need to be reachable by cellphone/email at all times, this probably isn’t the place for you.
You can order room service from the restaurant next door, but it is not very good. It is expensive and leaves a lot to be desired. Your better luck is to go to one of the local restaurants walking distance away or to stop by the grocery store and grab some food to have in your room, I mean you do have a full kitchen! For more on food in the Cook’s check out my “What’s Cookin’ In The Cook Islands” Blog.
THINGS TO DO
As always, my favorite thing to do is to eat. Rarotonga was no exception. Although the food isn’t “Michelin Star” level and most of it is home-style cooking, we definitely found some gems. For the down low on the food in Raro, please check my blog What’s Cookin’ In the Cooks.
BEACHING
By far the best thing to do in Rarotonga (the whole Cooks for that matter) is the enjoy the beautiful water and beach. The white sand is soft and never gets too hot and the water is safe even for your littles (with supervision) as it doesn’t get too deep. The water is also clear blue meaning you can see right through to the bottom. Besides Aiututaki our favorite place to enjoy beach life was Muri Beach. Not only is the water beautiful but there are two amazing islands that you can pretty much walk right to (with some swimming). These little uninhabited islands are wonderful to explore and just spend some serene time in paradise and feel like you are alone with your loved ones. It’s pretty incredible. One of our favorite things to do was to kayak or paddleboard. Even if you are a beginner you’ll get the hang of it quickly. You can also paddleboard or kayak right to the coral reef (which surrounds the whole island) just be careful as the coral can be very sharp and there are stonefish you can step on that can cause serious injury. Also, if you don’t love dogs… do not visit Rarotonga. There are dogs everywhere (including in the water). We love dogs and every dog we encountered was friendly and clean and didn’t cause any harm. They’ll even swim alongside you, and if you’re lucky, they might even jump on your paddle-board to give you some company.
KiteSup Night Paddle-boarding
This is a Must-Do in my books! The night paddle is so much fun! You get these paddleboards with lights on the bottom that reflect in the water as you board, it’s a blast and we loved it. Not only is it a fun activity but the guide will teach you all about Cook Island traditions and some items of cultural importance. Near the end, you finish up on the small island across from Muri Beach. On the island, the guide will also show you some traditional Cook Islanders dancing and you can even take part in a little flirty dance with your partner.
Matutu Brewing Company
We did the hipster thing and visited a local brewery. Not only was the beer delicious but we had a great experience. The owners of the brewery are so down to earth and it is still very much a small family-owned business. You can hear how two guys who didn’t know anything about brewing quit their jobs to start a passion project. It was a fun tour and as a bonus made us feel that we were supporting some cool people every time we drank a beer, win-win.
Besides our day trip to Aitutaki, this was by far my favorite experience on our trip to Rarotonga. Visitors be prepared, this hike is not for the casual walker, it definitely was a hike. I think coming from BC a lot of us are used to hiking and spending time in the forest… if you are not a comfortable hiker, this probably isn’t the experience for you. The hike is long and steep and has areas where you have to walk across ravines, crawl, jump and climb. So we loved it. Well pre-pregnancy me loved it… I don’t know if I would attempt it 6 months post-baby. That being said the experience is great and the guide is wonderful answering lots of questions and telling you all about the history of the area and will answer any questions you like. When you get to the top, the view is outstanding and worth the hike. You can also kind of grapple your way up to the top of the needle and get an even better view. It is extremely fun and thrill-seeking but in all honesty… SO DANGEROUS… haha. I look bad now being a mother and think, why did I do that I should have not done that part it was so unsafe. But… it was a heart-pounding experience and I’m glad I did it. So, if you like thrill-seeking you should go to the needle, If you are a little timider, maybe stay at the level before the needle… the potential to fall down a cliff might not be worth the perfect Instagram stop. As mentioned above, we did this hike with a guide and I would highly suggest that. It is a cross-island hike and without the guide, I could see getting lost very easily. Don’t attempt to do the hike on your own, get the guide for your safety but also to support the local economy. The tour ends with visiting Wigmore’s Waterfall and a sandwich on the beach. For sure a wonderful tour and we would 100% visit again!
We decided to do the dinner and show at Te Vara Nui Village. The location is a short walk from Muri Beach and is one of the top attractions on the island. We opted to do the cultural tour as well. We really enjoyed the cultural tour and gave us a really great understanding of how the political system, economy, and housing market works on The Islands. It also gave us an interesting look at the early life of The Islanders including how they utilized different plants and herbs and how they built their homes and boats. The cultural tour was fantastic and we really enjoyed learning more about the rich history of the Cook Islands. Next up was the buffet dinner. It was a fine dinner, didn’t blow us away but was pretty good for a buffet. Then the show started. Personally, we weren’t huge fans of the show, but I think that is because it wasn’t really our thing. If we had young kids I think they really would have enjoyed it. The quality and dancers were great, but personally, it just wasn’t something we would go to on our next visit.
This outdoor market was a great way to spend the early afternoon. The market is located on the waterfront in the main part of town (kind of the downtown of Rarotonga) next to Avarua. The market is open Monday-Friday from 7am to 3pm but we went on a Saturday when all the huts are filled with local vendors and artisans. There is lots of fresh fruit and food for purchase as well as clothing, ukuleles and art pieces. Think of it as your local Farmer’s Market, Cook Islands Style. There was also a free cultural show on stage when we arrived which added a great atmosphere and vibe to the market. We would definitely visit again.
Definitely one of my favorite visits on the Islands. To learn more, check out my What’s Cookin’ In The Cook Islands Blog.
Te Ara The Cook Islands Museum of Cultural Enterprise
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to this museum. Yes, it is small, and yes it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of a North American Museum. There are no 3D movies or live-action presentations, but what better example of The Cook Islands. It’s simple and beautiful and perfect. This museum is great for understanding how The Islands came to be and how they got to where they are today. It is a self-guided tour with lots of great information to read. If you are visiting Rarotonga for a few days, it is worth visiting the museum at least for an hour just to understand a little better how the Islands work and how they came to be what they are today. I think that is one of the most important parts of travel—to learn about the history and other cultures… this museum is a great way to do both!
We absolutely LOVED our Tuk Tuk Tour. Our guide picked us up right from our villa and took us on a three-hour tour around the island. This was a great way to get our bearings about where everything is on this island. Our tour guide was fantastic and not only showed us where everything was but gave our historical and cultural information and tips that only the locals would know. She also showed us how banana trees grow and their life cycle, the importance of taro root and how most Cook Islanders live their lives. For us learning about how land ownership works in the Cook Islands was so interesting so if you do this tour definitely ask about that. Also, be sure to ask why there are graves on the front lawn of some of the Cook Islander’s homes. There are lots of different tours to choose from according to your interests. We did a personalized tour which was great for getting to know the island. I think next time we would try the sunset happy hour hop!
Rarotonga Travel Tips
Splurge on good accommodations on the beach/water. This is truly where you will spend most of your time on The Island. Unlike traveling to places like New York and Venice, there isn’t a ton to do so make sure you LOVE where you are situated. We stayed on Muri Beach and personally I think this is the best location as the beach and water are beautiful and you are walking distance to restaurants and cafes.
Christianity has a powerful influence in the Cook Islands so keep this in mind. You won’t see lots of girls walking around in teenie-tiny bikinis and there is not a ton of partying. It is very relaxed but also a safe place. You also not purchase alcohol on Sunday. Not at a store, not at a restaurant, not at the corner store, NO BOOZE. So if you plan to have a Sunday fun-day, make sure to buy your booze in advance.
Transportation. If your hotel offers transport to and from the airport, it is probably in your best interest to do that upon arrival and leaving Rarotonga. Other than that, walking is great around the island. The bus system is also fantastic. You can pretty much get the bus anywhere along the main road. The main road is a circle around the whole island so you can’t get lost. Two buses run every twenty minutes. One runs clockwise and one runs anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise for us North Americans). So figure out which way you are going and hop on the bus. The bus drivers are VERY helpful and if you tell them where you would like to go they will tell you how long it is to get there and also remind you at that stop that it is time to get out. We had fantastic drivers on the public bus who even dropped us off right in front of our destinations (even though it wasn’t a scheduled bus stop).
WiFi- there is pretty much no wifi on the island and when there is it is very expensive. So be prepared to drop the Instagram, not google destinations and get used to using a phone book and a map to find out where you are going.
Keep in mind things are different on the Island, they run on Island time and things are calmer. There are no Starbucks or McDonalds, just local people who share their food and experiences with you. So engage yourself fully in the culture and enjoy one of the few places where corporations haven’t yet taken over.
Fly Air New Zealand. Holy Moly is this airline fantastic. Their regular economy seats are better than premium economy on most airlines. We loved our flight from LA to Rarotonga on Air New Zealand and can’t wait to fly on this airline again soon!
Rent a scooter… if you are comfortable with riding a scooter/motorcycle. You will go down to the Police Station and take a written exam and then a driving exam and they will provide you with a temporary Cook Islands motorbike license (a great keepsake). It is an easy way to get around the island and is the way a lot of the local residents travel. And don’t forget, they drive on the left side of the road in the Cook Islands which takes some getting used to when you are driving.
Must Love Dogs. There are tonnes of dogs on the Island running around everywhere. Every dog we encountered was friendly and sweet. Just be aware if you do not like dogs… this is not the travel destination for you.