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Top 10 Attractions
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The Cook Islands is a good place for sightseeing. The islands are small so wherever you stay you will have easy access and most day tour operators pick-up and drop-off guests free of charge. There are numerous tours on Rarotonga, from a Cultural Village to guided hikes. Aitutaki has several excellent tours, mostly with a focus on cruising around the uninhabited islands for a day of leisure and snorkelling. Atiu has several excellent tours including caving and bird watching. The following is our pick of the things not to miss:
Our top 10 things to do in the Cook Islands:
1) Aitutaki Lagoon Cruise - island hopping, beaches and snorkelling
2) Traditional Dance Shows - best dancers in the South Pacific
3) Overnight trip to Atiu Island - caves and traditional life
4) Explore Rarotonga by Moped - buzz around Rarotonga
5) Aerial Sightseeing around Rarotonga - take to the air
6) Night on the Town - fine dining and great nightlife
7) Cook Islands Cultural Centre, Rarotonga - handicrafts and stories
8) Muri Beach, Rarotonga - activity beach centre on Rarotonga
9) Cross Island Hike - Rarotonga - rainforest and waterfall
10) Learn to Scuba Dive - relaxed scuba diving courses for beginners
Cook Islands Tour Companies
Sightseeing & Day Tours
There are a number of good day tours on Rarotonga. One of the most popular is the lagoon cruise with Captain Tama. The daily cruise departs from Muri Beach and takes tourists to the marine reserve a little way along the southern coast. Highlights include learning about pearl cultivation and snorkelling amongst giant clams and other marine life.
Another very popular tour is the Cook Islands Cultural Village. Based on the west side of Rarotonga, tourists can learn about the history and culture of the local people with displays and demonstrations. A circle island tour is also offered to visit the historical attractions around the island. For those with a more active look at Rarotonga, try the Raro 4WD Highlands tour which takes a scenic drive around the interior rainforest.
Aerial sightseeing is offered by Air Rarotonga in conventional aircraft, and for the more adventurous, in motorised para glider with Microlight Flights.
For those who enjoy water sports, Muri Beach is a good place to hire kayaks, catamarans and try kite- or wind-surfing. The best snorkelling is along the south coast near the Fruits of Rarotonga. Scuba diving is pretty good all around Rarotonga and dive locations depends on wind conditions. Both Rarotonga Dive Centre and Cook Island Divers offer introductory and refresher courses and will pick up guests from around Rarotonga.
There are few organised day tours on Aitutaki except for the lagoon day cruises. Four companies offer daily cruises to visit the uninhabited islands in the lagoon. The most popular destination is One Foot Island (Tapuaetai) in the southern point of the lagoon. Highlights include snorkelling in the lagoon, being dropped off at a sand bank and wading to One Foot Island. Several resorts offer their own cruises and visit the less touristy destinations of Akaiami island or Maina Island. Akaiami has a gorgeous swimming beach, whilst Maina offers even more seclusion and lots of nesting birds. Game fishing and scuba diving are offered off the fringing reef. If on the main island, it is possible to take the Aitutaki Walkabout Tour and learn a little about the local environment. Hiring a moped and exploring yourself is easy and fun.
Aitutaki Day Tours
There are four islands in the Southern Group which have recently opened up to eco tourism Atiu is the most interesting of these and the most developed for tourism. All cater to the discerning traveller and their attractions are exploring the unusual limestone cliffs (makatae) and mixing with the local community. However, these islands have no swimming beaches, no banks, limited supplies, day time electricity only and no organised tourist attractions.
All islands can be explored by foot - local guides can take you to see ancient marae entangled in the rainforest and to officially admit you to the caves. This is a good place to experience genuine Cook Island life and the friendliness of the locals who are always happy to show you around their island. Mopeds can be hired for exploring at your own leisure. Accommodation on all islands is limited to a few locally owned guesthouses. You can usually arrange these when in Rarotonga. As with all islands in the Cook Islands, camping is prohibited.
Readers may also be interested in the following destinations:
Fiji Tours - Top 10 Attractions
Samoa Tours - Top 10 Attractions
Tonga Tours - Top 10 Attractions
Tahiti Tours - Top 10 Attractions
Hawaii Tours - Top 10 Attractions
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