Actually useful info on Raratonga

There isn't a phenomenal amount of information on internets about the Cook Islands.  Having spent some qt there, I thought I'd do a solid for internet world and provide some of the deets we would have found useful.

Where to stay: the beaches in Titikaveka are the nicest we saw. We got married at the Royale Takitumu and were there for 7 nights – we loved it and had the place virtually to ourselves. I wouldn't hesitate to stay here again, or to rent a bungalow near by.

Muri beach is over developed and the beach is severely eroded. The lagoon that it faces is beautiful to look at, but there is barely enough beach for a lounge chair and the hotels are smashed together. The benefit is lots of bars and restaurants within walking distance, but I wouldn't stay here.  Unless its the highest of tide, swimming is in knee or waist high water.

We stayed in Aroa for the 2nd half of our time and were super happy. Its a nice beach for swimming and snorkeling and there is a lot more retail-wise than in Titikaveka. We were walking distance from a DVD rental, bike and scooter rental, mini-golf course, and a couple of restaurants.

Since both the accommodations we stayed in were self-contained, we mainly cooked for ourselves. By which I mean that Ed mainly cooked for us and I drank rum. But we did hit most of the restaurants that were recommended or we were curious about.  Here's a wrap up.

Paw Paw Patch – don't go on Sunday night for the bbq buffet. Its lamezone tourist time where honeymooners, anniversaries, etc. are “wooooo'd” and slow jams are played by an island trio. But, the a la carte menu served other nights is amazeballs.

Rarotonga Fried Chicken – the ladies aren't very friendly, but if once served from a fresh batch of chicken, we didn't mind. Like everyone in Oceania, they are afraid of salt but this can be rectified.

Waterline – beautiful setting for cocktails, skip dinner.

Razi's Indian – good! And one of the best values on the island.

Tamarind House – everyone loves it, and for good reason. Set in a former NZ official's tropical home, it overlooks a gorgeous beach and the food is outrageously good. We went for lunch, which is a bit less spendy than dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed.

Vaima – we had our wedding dinner at Viama. Some dishes were outstanding, some were just ok. One of the only restaurants with tables in the sand just feet from the ocean. They also have an awesome DVD rental that opens sporadically but has a great selection.

Wigmore's – so much more than just a gas station, fantastic fish and chips. We ate them twice and didn't feel nearly as bad about ourselves as we should have.

Saltwater Cafe – a lot of locals love this place – the food is so slutty and so delicious. Probably our overall favorite meal.

 Thems the huevos.

Trader Jacks - to see how the locals pickle themselves, belly on up to Trader Jacks during daylight hours.  Some of the food is outstanding, other dishes are a hot mess.  The action is at the bar, which we stayed away from. 

The most complete info I found on the Cooks was here.  GO!

cookislandsatoz.com

Cook Islands Wrap Up

We didn't know that much about the Cook Islands when we decided to spend nearly a month there. We knew there were beaches, the google images were solid, and it was cheaper than Fiji. Choosing a spot for our wedding wasn't easy. I worked with a “wedding coordinator” (I'm using quotation marks properly) who really was just a shmo from Small Guide Travel who got kick backs for pointing people to resorts that her website had deals with. Having seen the place Mandi with an “I” recommended to us, I'm glad that we got wise to the jig with her and did it ourselves.

Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands – it takes nearly an hour to circumnavigate its single road. The island is volcanic which means fantastic produce, a giant bump in the center than can be hiked over, and v. strange weather systems. We had nearly a week of full sun before the rains began. Some days in our bungalow I thought trees would be uprooted; some days they were.

Unlike other vacation destinations, Rarotonga isn't super built up. Most people that go are from NZ, and rent bungalows rather than staying in hotels. The biggest resort is tiny compared to a major chain hotel. The beaches are public and quiet: no one is selling sarongs, or hair braiding, banana boat rides, or herbs packaged as weed. There is just ocean, beach, jungle and the road to putt around on a scooter.

For climbing.

Which isn't to say we were bored. I snorkeled almost every day we were there. The island is surrounded by coral. On the downside, this means there are only some areas where the ocean floor is soft and sandy for wading. On the upside, one can snorkel from the shore anywhere on the island and see tropical fish that are beyond amazing.

Being on Rarotonga made me wonder why we ever lived in a city.  Waking up in the morning to the sound of the ocean, wandering to the beach to snorkel for an hour or two at a time, scootering to the local gas station/video rental/grocery store/fish and chippery in the afternoon, it makes one think about chucking it all. We came up with a fairly detailed business idea that is still being batted around.

Meeting so many formerly-corporate New Zealanders who've sold off and opened small businesses on the island makes one think. The men are thin from tennis playing and are so tan that the creases around their eyes are bright white when they aren't smiling, which happens rarely. They work outside on their property, or pour gin for their seasonal friends, or teach tourists how to sail. They're professionally relaxed.

Ed asked my when we were in Koh Lanta how long I thought I could stay at the beach and not get bored. I thought a month would do it. I was wrong. Apparently my tolerance for the slow paced life is virtually inexhaustible.

For looking.

Ed got new glasses in KL...

And now we ask ourselves, what would Stanley Tucci do?