Rarotonga Holiday Tips — 12 Things To Do In Paradise! | Cook Islands Ep. 1 of 7

0:00 [Music] welcome to paradise rarotonga is the beating heart of the cook islands and a beautiful holiday destination with so much to offer with no traffic lights no big chain fast food and no buildings taller than the highest coconut tree it's the true definition of island time like i said paradise man look at that welcome to our backyard what a location with the restrictions eased we just got back from another visit and met a bunch of travelers that had used our last videos as a guide so before we share our six episode cook island series we wanted to combine everything we know and love into 12 awesome things to do in rarotonga there's a lot more than just beaching and embracing the laid-back

0:45 lifestyle plus we've got a few bonus tips at the end so kick back and let us show you why you'll love this place as much as us [Music] explore the lagoon rairo is surrounded by lagoon that creates gentle swimming conditions beautiful coral loads of different marine life and clear turquoise water a tour with captain tamas or coca lagoon tours is the best way to really appreciate the beauty look at all the blues the colors are incredible a glass-bottom boat some traditional polynesian music mask snorkel and the chance to cruise and explore both on top and in the water

1:33 [Music] eat all the fresh seafood hunting out the best kai moana isn't hard the fob sandwich at mooring fish cafe is our fave but you can't look past the muddy night markets to crack into a smorgasbord of goodness like this fish curry ikamata is a cook island seafood specialty and tasting it should be a condition of entry to the country it's a simple combo of raw tuna marinated in a mixture of lime and coconut milk but it packs a fresh punch other faves are charlie's fish semis and the fresh grilled fish at the island's top end restaurant antipodes swim with turtles seeing turtles in the wild is straight up majestic [Music]

2:19 there's a few different options to see two of the four sea turtle species native to the cook islands on snorkeling trips but even better is a sea scooter safari with ariki adventures it's some james bond action speeding through the water and diving below the surface to watch the turtles just casually cruising in their own environment relax and luxury in recent years the accommodation mix has changed a bit there's always been amazing resorts but now there's also a selection of great airbnbs too if taking it easy as you've seen then location is key to make the most of relaxing chilling out with a book beach walks meeting the island dogs and having a nice swimming pool too welcome to our villa this is a paradise within a paradise isn't it

3:05 from our experience meri beach is our pick and tiwakaroa was perfection in terms of location luxury beauty and an exclusivity being small and adults only pacific resort is a few doors down and is a bit larger more of a resort set up with activities catering towards families moana sands lagoon resort is newer more secluded and offers a nice balance of the two of course those are just three places that we've stayed in and as we mentioned the island has a huge selection of options to suit all budgets on the cook islands tourism site link below you can filter for your own needs from adults only to family friendly villa or hotel resort and a bunch more as well visit the markets the moody night markets are on a few nights a week offering the best selection of food at a

3:51 pretty reasonable price there's something for everyone from smoothie bowls to seafood extravaganzas drinks curries ice creams and more they're not just a tourist trap either locals eat here too on saturday mornings the punanganui market is the place to be it's awesome it's just a fun thing to walk around and explore something a little bit different there's loads more fresh food stalls entertainment organic coffee clothes and souvenirs spread out over a much larger area again it's chill easy cruising exploring with both locals and tourists chase the sun on a clear day the sun and rarotonga will treat you to the most magical sunrise or sunset you've ever seen it's as easy or as free as heading a few minutes to the beach for the best reflection but look at that

4:37 outrageous but we've got three other great options if you're super keen try the sunrise hike with a rory mountain trek it's a bit of an adventure with climbing ropes and headlamps but the reward at the top is unreal [Music] the sunset stand paddleboard with kitesup is a unique one glide around in the lagoon to catch the sunset hunt for crabs watch a fire show and then cruise back in the dark with the help of led lights attached to the underside of the board if sitting back is more your vibe antipodes restaurant has insane food and views for days positioned just in the right direction to watch the sun go down [Music] explore the island raro is made for

5:23 exploring it's only 32 k's around in a loop and there's only one main road we always stumble onto something new a different beach stop cafes shops restaurants bars or new tour companies getting around is easy as well you can take a walk hire an e-bike or jump on the public buses going either clockwise or anti-clockwise there's taxis available too but we recommend having your own wheels with either a scooter or a rental car just don't go parking under the coconut trees never park under a coconut tree drink a local beer or a cocktail the most common beer is cook islands lager by rarotonga brewery and you'll find it everywhere on tap of course this is an island so there's one thing you can

6:09 guarantee happy hour yep happy hour is a thing and we'll save you some cash on those fancy cocktails trader jacks is known as a down-to-earth chill hangout spot to sit back and watch the world go by the islander hotel has a really cool outdoor bar as well that you can either grab a cocktail before you fly or sip a coconut in the sunshine just because hang with the fish there's some pretty decent snorkeling all over the island so chances are you can just walk out in front of your resort a spot known as fruits of rarotonga is part of one of the marine parks and was where we found the most activity and some big schools of fish blackrock is also known as a

6:54 calm spot but was wavy for us though fresh fruit ice cream from beef fruitful was a good consolation while you can snorkel to see the turtles yourself we strongly recommend you don't given how powerful the current can be in the channel it's only about 60 to go out with a professional who will guide you to not only the best spots but also the safest embrace the rain how's things pretty good the cook islands has a tropical climate so you just have to expect some brief rain here and there a lot of these recommendations are already perfect for those rainy moments but if you really want to just embrace it rairo buggy tours will permanently fix a smile to your face and mud to your clothes

7:41 and also your face actually but it's 100 worth it meet the locals the locals on raro are beyond friendly and you'll be greeted with a friendly kierana wherever you go i'm careful i'm the biggest boss of this home some say new zealand has only two degrees of separation if that's true then rarotonga is only one there's a rich traditional polynesian culture here if you're open to finding it and not just staying in your resort and there's a real feel of pride and community as well [Music] this is radio holland the progressive dinner with cook islands tours was a fascinating way to visit

8:27 some local villages and experience the true cook islands cuisine and hospitality we tasted our way around three different local homes to try their home cooking take a day trip to itatuki while not strictly an activity on rarotonga a day trip to the cook island's second most popular island is possible as part of a package day trip without having to stay for a few nights it's a 50-minute local flight with one of the most stunning landings we've seen anywhere in the world overlooking the insane lagoon which is where you can spend the day cruising exploring swimming snorkeling eating drinking and tanning we've spent a few days exploring otaki so we'll share more in our series starting soon

9:13 bonus tips the cook islands use new zealand dollars along with a couple of unique looking cook islands coins paying with a card is common but not always the case and reception can cause problems sometimes so having cash is king speaking of there's a few atms about but cash withdrawal comes at a price even with an nz bank card it's a five dollar fee don't rely on wi-fi just expect to be somewhat off the grid even the expensive resorts don't have consistent connection speeds you can get a travel sim card though for 49 from vodafone with local calls and texts plus five gig of data which actually has decent speeds given the strange state of the world these days it's a good idea to bring along your own mask and snorkel and that's a wrap on our rarotonga tips and travel advice we'd appreciate you giving this video a little like if it's

9:59 helped or you've enjoyed following along and drop a comment below and let us know is there anything that we missed that we need to check out next time stay tuned for our six part video series from the cook islands coming real soon [Music] [Music] [Music]

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