Rarotonga: Things to Do

Your Cook Islands activity guide for those skimping on cash but not on the fun! 

Having been back a week in New Zealand I am beginning to get major withdrawal symptoms from my island holiday. My lovely bronzed skin is beginning to peel, the eerie breath of reality is creeping over my shoulder and the stress of life is back in action. However, now all I can do is live vicariously through those who read this and follow in my footsteps on the great island of Rarotonga. Don’t miss out! I have a super selection of affordable and fun activities for you to choose from when planning your holiday. 

A Day Out with Captain Tama’s

Are you a snorkelling fan or enjoy seeing the sea life under the blue waters of the Pacific? Well, look no further. Captain Tama’s offers the best deal for a day full of exciting opportunities and authentic island experiences. For a reasonable $79NZD you get a 4 hour jam-packed boat trip, island lunch and performances by the crew. This was definitely one of my favourite activities from our entire trip. To begin the trip, we drove out to a marine reserve out near the reef edge and were given time to snorkel with fish as long as my arms. This was incredible. You wouldn’t believe the variety of fish, both in  size and colour, that were living in the coral beneath the azure waters. Sadly, we didn’t see a turtle this time round, however, they have been known to pop up so if you’re lucky enough you may spot one! 

After our snorkelling, we hopped back on the boats with the lively crew – who were constantly smiling and joking around the boats – and drove to one of the islands near Muri beach. We anchored up and collected on the beaches for a fresh BBQ lunch: freshly caught and grilled tuna steak, fresh island fruits and good old potato salad to name a few things. After a filling and satisfying lunch, the crew demonstrated how coconuts are retrieved from the trees and how to husk them to make coconut cream. It was a marvel watching one guy climb a huge coconut palm with such ease. The music performances and sarong-tying demonstrations were both amusing and uplifting. All round, a fantastic day and must-do on the island of Rarotonga. 

An Island Night

There are many places that offer an Island Night experience around the island. Every Island Night includes a buffer dinner of the local cuisine, a unique over-the-water cultural show and a night to remember! The most popular is that of award-winning Te Vara Nui Village which is located in Muri. Te Vara Nui charges $109 per adult for the night. However, for those on a budget this may be a cause for concern. The Islander Hotel provides a cheaper option which we only discovered having already arrived at the island. They provide the same kind of thing (a buffet and cultural show) for a reasonable $49 per adult. We found the Islander Hotel to be great fun, very interactive and a huge success. We ate ourselves silly on the local Ika Mata (raw tuna fish) and other interesting local foods and very much enjoyed the island dances and fire throwing. For $49, we felt that it was money well spent. So, don’t worry if you are on a budget, you don’t need to miss out on any culture at the hands of more expensive options. 

Cross Island Track Hike

This endeavour is a must if you want to get a better view of the island in it’s entirety (and it’s free!). The walk requires at least a few hours to complete, depending on which route you choose to take and how much of the walk you decide to take on. However, whichever route you elect to follow – whether it is the one following from Avarua or the road less travelled from the other side of the island – you will find an incredible view at the top. The Needle is not the highest peak on the island but still sits at an impressive 413m above sea level, which you can imagine produces quite the view. 

We decided to take the harder route following on from Wigmore’s Waterfall and found that , although many had told us it was difficult, the track was relatively surmountable. However, I only recommend the track for those with a medium-high level of fitness as some of the track got quite hairy at times. Nevertheless, you can organise a guide to show you through the entire hike if you would prefer a seamless trip. 

Adventure Hire Kayaking

This was another great way of seeing the island from a different point of view. Hiring a kayak at Adventure Hire was only $16/hr for a double kayak. In this time we were able to kayak to different parts of the island and observe the resort-goers drinking their cocktails and local islanders sitting outside their homes. I felt this gave us a more authentic perspective of the island, a true view of the extent of sandy beaches and number of resorts dotted along them. This option is ideal at high-tide, but not recommended at low-tide as the coral and reef will make it very difficult to traverse the waters. Therefore, check the tides before you go hiring a kayak! 

Punanga Nui Market

As a tourist, souvenirs are a must. We waited all week to visit the Punanga Nui markets in order to spend all of our saved up money on authentic Rarotonga souvenirs to take home to the family. In fact, the market was a lot larger than I had originally anticipated. It seemed to go on and on and had so much on offer.


Looking for some of the Rarotonga fashion items? Tick. What about a musical instrument? Tick. Breakfast? Tick. There were many smoothie and food stalls dotted around, with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer. This market is the place locals will buy most of their fresh fruit and vegetables each week, as the supermarkets were relatively expensive in my opinion. The Saturday market is a definite must for your holiday. It shows the true friendly nature of the islanders and exhibits all of their beautiful arts and crafts, cuisine and fashion in one place. Do not miss it!! 

Beaches

On the island there are certain beaches that are perfect for snorkelling and others that have no swimming available at all. This is useful to know before booking any accomodation or planning any trips, as without transport it can be difficult to organise yourselves. The top snorkelling beaches include Titikaveka Beach (opposite Fruits of Rarotonga), Black Rock Beach and areas around Muri beach to name a few. It is worth getting your hands on a map that shows you the best snorkelling and swimming spots as there are some dangerous passages worth avoiding on the outgoing tide. You will notice that certain parts of the island have minimal beach area, whereas others will have more and then some, filled with tourists and dotted with snorkelers. Keep an eye out for these spots when planning your trip! 

Watch the sunset

On the eastern side of the island, you can sit on a beautiful beach and watch the sun descend into the sea. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the island in a different light. The bold orange, peach and yellow colours of the sunset were glorious to watch as the sun fell behind the clouds and into the ocean. 

Scooter Hire

Last but not least there is the ultimate authentic Rarotonga experience, the scooter/moped/motorbike. We found hiring a scooter was the most useful thing to do in order to get around the island quickly and efficiently. You will notice that people very rarely walk from place to place on Rarotonga, but there are hundreds of scooters buzzing around at all hours of the day. This is a symbol of true Rarotonga lifestyle. Also, it is so easy to get your scooter license and hire a scooter for a pretty reasonable price. For as low as $12.50/day, you can hire a scooter from Island Bike and Car Hire, Polynesian  Bike Hire or Avis. All you need to do is pop down to the Police Station with your pre-hired bike, take a theory and practical test and you are good to go. Don’t forget your passport as a form of ID though, we made this mistake and it made for a very long morning!

Rarotonga: Packing Essentials

The budget travel guide for your trip without any of the skimping. 

 It’s about time I got out of the house more but instead I actually just left the country for a little while. Rarotonga is the main island of the Cook Islands located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s local language is Cook Islands Maori and generally New Zealand dollars are accepted there but they do have their own currency, the Cook Islands dollar. Rarotonga has a relaxed  and accomodating atmosphere and the local people are very friendly. However, there are a certain number of things that are useful to know before you travel to the Cooks. I have compiled a little list of handy tips and tricks on what to pack and what you should expect. 

Packing Essentials

Suncream and Bug Spray

These two things are a must. In particular, if you are anything like me with British skin and very prone to burning and furiously peeling thereafter, suncream will be your best friend. Secondly, bug spray is an essential. Given that the islands have high humidity levels and a large amount of forest covering the land, bugs are inevitable, as are bites. 

Swimming Gear

This one would be a shame to leave behind. You know when people say “oh my goodness it was like swimming in a bath!”, in this case they aren’t kidding. It was almost suspiciously warm by the end of the day. Therefore, you will want your bikini or your trunks to jump in the water at the peak of a hot day. 

Water Bottles

The water supply in Rarotonga is often questionable. To be safe it is always smart to take a water bottle or two along with you to fill up at the water filter stations. Most hotels and Airbnbs will have filtered water but it is better to be safe than sorry. The last thing you want is to be sick and stuck in the bathroom the entire duration of your holiday! 

Rock/Reef Shoes

I found this one to be really reassuring when snorkelling. Although the beaches are relatively free of harmful coral and potentially dangerous fish, the reefs nearby are full of them. Therefore, when snorkelling it is important to have these reef shoes on so that were you to come upon a large section of reef or accidentally put your feet down or scrape your feet on some you will be safe from any harm. 

A Backpack or bag

Remembering to pack an extra day-bag was extremely useful. I used my backpack every day and filled it with suncream, maps, a towel and even a spare set of clothes if necessary. This will be handy if you are doing the Cross Island Track Hike or spending the day at the beach whilst saving your hands for taking pictures. 

Cash 

For those in New Zealand, taking some cash for the first day is very helpful. Although there are two banks on the island (ANZ and BSP) – for those who are not part of this bank – it pays to have some cash in hand for taxis or shuttles to your accomodation. 

What to Expect

Island Time

It’s true what they say, time does slow down on the islands. I found I woke up with the sun almost every day but by 8am it was almost too warm to stay in bed. Therefore, for those late-morning people it will get you up earlier and you will find there is more time in the day. On the other hand, if you are an early bird who likes to be busy you will find yourself having to slow down to fit the island. Everything opens later in the morning and earlier in the evening bar a friend restaurants and clubs. Much of the time we found ourselves home at 9pm after dinner thinking what should we do next when almost everything was closing. 

Sundays

Sunday is when the shops are closed and the streets are barren. This is because everyone goes to church on Sundays and spends the time husking coconuts and spending time at home. In other words, don’t try and make big plans on a Sunday.

Kia Orana

In Rarotonga, the everyday greeting that all of the locals will use on you is ‘Kia Orana’. This is their way of saying hello (may you live long). Other phrases commonly used in cafes, information centres and the like are as follows:

Meitaki – Thank you

Ka Kite – See you later

Aere Ra – Safe travels

Tips and Tricks

Remember your passport

My partner and I found this out the hard way. When going to get your scooter license, bring your passport!! In fact, to be safe bring your passport if you believe it will require a form of ID. We found ourselves walking miles as a result of our ignorance! 

Plan ahead

If you are going budget like my partner and I did, it pays to plan in advance and book early. In peak times of year, things will sell out fast. This will also make it easier to plan your itinerary and make sure you don’t miss a thing. Do your online browsing before you leave for Rarotonga and find out the best deals and best spots (post coming up soon about that).

Keep an eye out for deals

Over 60% of Rarotonga’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from tourism, so you may find that there are seemingly extreme prices for things that you otherwise would find affordable. For example, the Te Vara Nui Village Cultural Show in Muri is over $100, but for $50 less, my partner and I saw a cultural show with a buffet dinner thrown in at the Islander Hotel opposite the airport. Although the award-winning former show had excellent reviews, we managed to get what was essentially the same thing for half the price. The lesson learnt was that you shouldn’t trust everything people say on the internet because they will have a different budget from you. Do your research and save money where you can. If you have the money to spend, by all means do it, but for us that extra $50 was put towards another part of the holiday we may otherwise have hesitated on. At the airport they provide many brochures which I implore you to pick up. These will contain valuable coupons and a map which will save you both money and time, whilst providing some great options activity and meal-wise. 

So there are my basic tips for travelling to Rarotonga and the must-haves to bring with you. Every experience is different for each individual, so there may be things I have missed out. Nevertheless, I found these things to be imperative when spending a week on the island. Most importantly, just have fun and relax! It will be so easy to relax you won’t even notice it happening.