Rarotonga: South Pacific Paradise

A week away in the sunny climes of the Cook Islands in the middle of the harsh Christchurch winter? Don’t mind if I do! Rarotonga is the main island of the stunning Cook Islands, only 32km around the whole island, it feels like one warm, embracing community. This trip to Raro - our second - had a different flavour this time around, without kids, just a couple of good friends and time to spare. We were ready to relax!

A stroll home along the beach

Stay: There are so many options, from the shiny big resorts to holiday homes that range from the modest to the luxurious, to smaller boutique places, there is something for every budget. We opted for mid-range and stayed at Sunset Resort. This is a small complex, situated in a stunning setting with lush, well-kept tropical gardens, and a beach front prettier than any I’ve ever laid eyes on, dotted with mature palm trees and darling lacy hammocks at the ready among scattered pairs of white deck chairs. While this felt so special, you’ll find similar at many of the resorts on offer – a browse online will present many, many options.

Getting Around: You’ll definitely want to move around this island, and the options are:

·       Taxi – there are plenty of taxis and the fare-rules seem rather arbitrary…always ask what the fare will be before you commit and be prepared for the driver to charge per person in some cases. Pay in cash (the local currency is New Zealand dollars). If you like your taxi driver, ask for their personal phone number and you can then call them directly for future rides.

·       Moped – line up at the local police station for the quickest, easiest, driving test you’ll ever take, and hire a moped to get around the island like a local. But, beware – the hospital here is not more than you’d expect for a tiny pacific island, and they treat a lot of tourists with head injuries and other nasty road accidents. Have fun – but take care.

·       Hire an e-bike (more on this below)

·       Rental car

·       Take the bus! Rarotonga has one main road, and two bus routes – clockwise and anticlockwise. In theory, they go on the hour and stop at a series of pre-determined stops. In reality – they operate on ‘Island Time’ and will stop for anyone who waves them down. It costs $5 cash, or you can buy a bus pass as you get on. We recommend you sit up front near the driver – we found them all chatty and entertaining. Tip: there is a brilliant app that tracks the busses and can tell you when it will actually arrive, well worth downloading!

Shop: Rarotonga has a limited market for local goods, its food, clothing, art, and various trinkets made from local resources such as shells and coconuts. The Saturday morning market is well worth your time to browse through and get a taste of local culture, there are often displays of music and dancing too.

Oh the glorious seafood!

Eat: We dined like kings! While our original intention was to try more low-budget options, things didn’t quite go that way, so this is going to be a review of the Island’s top eateries instead! In short, we abandoned the budget and dined like kings, and honestly – no regrets!

·       On The Beach: The stunning dining option at the Manuia Resort. Our jaws dropped when we saw how incredible this place looked – first impressions certainly impressed. Then, the service, menu, and food definitely lived up to a whole picture of resort elegance: Absolutely stunning, but also relaxed and easy. Five-star dining, feet in the sand, what could be better?

·       Waterline: Not attached to a resort, this one didn’t look so pretty on approach, but once we were inside the view was sensational. More relaxed and less fine dining than our other picks, the food was outstanding and the service excellent.

·       Tamarind House: This one has a different feel than the other options, being set back from the beach and more ‘inside’ than other options. Tamarind House is more about a stunning interior than the beach view. Food and service – awesome.

·       Antipodes: This one was our favourite, a very special place. Atypically for a Rarotongan Restaurant this one is up the hill, with views out over the water. The surroundings are beautiful, the food is outstanding, and we absolutely loved chatting to the owner/chef about their journey and future plans.

·       Honourable mentions also to the restaurant at Castaway Resort – great seafood platter and cocktails; Trader Jacks, the old island stalwart that always impresses; Anchorage at Sunset Resort; and the Barefoot Bar near Muri Beach. Honestly, every meal was a standout – I could run out of adjectives writing this piece!

The view from our table at Waterline Restaurant

Dogs, cats, and roosters, oh my! If you’re at all nervous around dogs, then quite honestly Raro is not the place for you. Dogs are everywhere, really, everywhere. In shops, on the beach, in the finest of restaurants, there are dogs. Gentle, quiet, friendly, and healthy-looking, the free-range dogs are certainly a feature you can’t escape. Rarotongans don’t seem to go for fencing around their homes, and neither to they seem to contain their dogs in any other way. Dogs wander, and even the local dog shelter frequently sets their canine charges free for exercise and invites tourists to help round them up later in the day! But, don’t worry, while their presence is somewhat ubiquitous – the dogs wont bother you if you’re not a fan. We love dogs, so we were happy to give them a pat and have them join us on beach walks. We were happy to share a taro chip under the table while dining out (and I note, these dogs are well-fed and never beg, but I’m sure one of them gave us a withering look as if to say ‘its always the taro chip and never the prawn…’

The roosters, on the other hand, have more mixed reviews! They are everywhere, and not everyone enjoys their crowing in the night! Do expect to be woken up, much earlier than reasonable, by the crowing roosters.

Cats are plentiful, and like the dogs they all appear to be quiet, healthy, and well-cared for. Whoever is keeping an eye on the island strays is doing a fantastic job.

Snorkelling: The ubiquitous pastime of the tourist, snorkelling is a must. Most (if not all?) accommodation will have basic snorkelling gear to borrow, and you don’t have to go far from the beach to find pretty sights under the surface. The reef surrounding the island ensures calm, shallow, safe waters for the most amateur of snorkellers. Keep away from the reef itself to be safe.

Island Nights: There are many options for evenings of local culture with dancing, music, food, and storytelling to deepen your understanding of this special group of islands. These can be somewhat cheesy – but do this anyway. Whether you choose a free option at a local resort or pay to get bussed into the hills to a purpose built complex, you’ll no doubt get some great food and learn something about Rarotongan culture and people.

Sea Turtles: This is our ‘left undone’ option – our reason to go back. Our much-anticipated Sea Turtle adventure was cancelled due to rough weather, much to our disappointment. There are several options for this, and I can’t wait to try this on our next visit – and next time I’m booking this for early in our stay so there are options for postponing while we’re still there. I can’t wait!

E-Bikes: Available for hire by the hour or by the day, this turned out to be an unexpected highlight of our visit. We hired the e-bikes for a 6-hour day, with the plan to cycle around the island stopping to swim, eat, and rest as we went. This plan came together beautifully, and we had a blast! Doing this on a Sunday meant there were less places open for our frequent stops, but we certainly found enough places to meet our needs. We even cycled up the hill to see the SPCA and the waterfall and had plenty of time to linger in a bar or two. Or three. The bikes were in good order with fully charged batteries and bike locks, and we were furnished with emergency phone numbers to call in case of punctures or other breakdowns, but we made it around the island with barely a drop in battery levels and no incidents at all. This was great fun, give this a try!

Simply Bliss, with Pippilou

Massage: Pippilou’s Mobile Beauty and Massage was highly recommended to me, so I did the dutiful thing and booked. To my delight, as the business name suggests, Pippilou was happy to book me in right at our resort. On the day of, she phoned to ask if I’d be happy having my massage and facial on the beach instead of my resort room – how lovely! This was a magical experience, a real treat, and highly recommended to all! Listening to the waves, feeling the light breeze, while under the spell of Pippilou and her wonderful services was a highlight of my holiday. Look her up on facebook to book!

Captain Tama’s: Have you even been to Raro if you don’t know about Captain Tama’s? This is a lagoon day trip, and while there are a couple of variations available we opted for the classic day trip – snorkelling in the lagoon off the glass bottomed boat, followed by a meal and show on one of the lagoon islands. All interspersed in the most charming and entertaining way by the handful of ‘captains’ on each boat, who are not only talented comedians, but also singers and musicians. These guys know how to work a crowd, and if anyone on that boat wasn’t having fun they only have themselves to blame!

For us, it's been 15 years between visits to Rarotonga, and we’re honestly left wondering why we left it so long. We’ll be back much sooner next time.

Rarotonga, you were just what we needed, thank you.