With their fifteen idyllic islets spread out over an area roughly the size of India, and a population of only fourteen thousand, there's a lot of paradise to go round in the Cook Islands.
Formerly the best kept secret in the Pacific, old South Seas hands - traders and adventurers, fishermen, yachties and beachcombers - maintain that the Cooks (as they're affectionately known) represent the last "true" island idyll.
Although tourism is the main industry, you won't find high-rise hotels here. But you will experience comfort elevated to an art form, and famed Polynesian hospitality in the islands' charming bungalow-style resorts.
A Cook Islands vacation offers a mix of vibrant, authentic island culture, opportunities for action and adventure, hiking, pony trekking, cultural tours, water sports of every kind - and a real commitment to the joys of relaxing.
Rarotonga has a craggy, tropical jungle-covered volcanic heart. If you're interested in abundant, exotic flora and fauna take a guided trek into the interior.
If you're not the mountain climbing type take a birdwatching tour in the lower forest - Rarotonga has almost as many beautiful native birds as it has brilliant tropical fish.
Make sure you get to the Saturday market in Avarua. Mingle with the locals, who are genuinely friendly. Try some local produce and check out the distinctive Cook Island crafts. Cook Island women have taken the colonial craft of quilt making and turned it into an entirely new art form. Then there's carved wood and shell work and jewellery using the famed local black pearls.
Dance is a passion here. Make sure you catch a cultural performance. Not only will it make you want to get up and dance yourself, it'll be the genuine article. Though the Hawaiian hula and the Tahitian tamuré are more famous, it's a little known secret that the Cook Island hura is more exciting and dynamic than either!
Come to Aitutaki and you'll experience a Pacific vacation unlike any other. You'll step back in time and come back totally rejuvenated.
The lagoon is renowned among international anglers for the quality of fishing. Bone fish provide salt water fly fishers with great sport. Further out to sea game fish (tuna, wahoo, marlin and barracuda) abound.
Stroll to Tairono's store where you'll buy organic fruit, vegetables and herbs picked from the garden as you buy. There's also local reef and deep sea fish for sale. Stay a while to enjoy coffee and tea or a snack.
There are shops, businesses and restaurants round the wharf at the main town of Arutanga. And on Friday night everyone, visitors included, gets together for singing and dancing.
Catamarans, fishing and power boats can be chartered for trips inside the lagoon or further out to sea. Or you could slip even further back in time and paddle the lagoon in a traditional outrigger canoe.
Church is very important here and most businesses are closed on Sunday. You'll have missed a treat if you don't attend a service (respectfully dressed) and hear the distinctive and powerful sound of Pasifika church harmony.
What's the weather like?
Things you must see and do in Rarotonga
- Attend an island night cultural dinner and show. We guarantee you'll be up and dancing when you hear those hypnotic drums.
- Rent a scooter and explore at leisure - be prepared to be frequently side-tracked by meetings with friendly locals.
- Sample some umu kai, the cousin of the New Zealand hangi.
- Visit the Punanganui Saturday market in Avarua, the main town.
- Take a trip to Aituaki, the genuine Blue Lagoon, only an hour away. And look out for romantic young kiwis getting married on the beach, it's fast becoming a Kiwi tradition.
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