WHERE ...in the world are they?
The Cook Islands are "hidden" roughly half way between New Zealand and Hawaii. The country is actually 15 separate islands...nine in the Southern Group and six in the Northern Group. Two are uninhabited. They're scattered across 2.2 million square kilometres (750.000 square miles) of ocean which is an area the size of India. And 1600 kms (nearly 1,000 miles separates the furthest north from the furthest south.
WHAT...will I find on the site?
This is the only totally independent guide on the internet to each of the 15 islands...how to get to the Islands in the first place, what to see, where to stay and what makes each special. There's also the latest news from and about the Cooks, some of the main events in the calendar, and a few ideas on what to take home to remind you of paradise. Some of the Islands' young residents share their thoughts on their beautiful homeland. There are short video guides you can watch. And if you want to find out more about the islands, there are links to some of the best places for further information, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.
HOW...do I find my way round the website?
Use the menu on the left to "tailor make" your own tour. If you're stuck for time, take a 10 MINUTE TOUR. Just keeping clicking the red button...you can start from here. If you're planning a trip to the capital island of Rarotonga, why not take the ROUND RARO TOUR? Click on the blue logo for pictures, information, a video guide and personal recommendations. There's also an AITUTAKI TOUR. Click the yellow logo to start. If you want to go back to the front page at any time, click on the "Kia Orana" logo (top left).
WHAT...are they like?
...and are they for me?
If you're after an action packed time where everything is packaged and priced, forget it! I can't do better than to quote the words of the man whose book* inspired my passion for this paradise. "You create your own mixture of tropical life. White beaches. Lagoon swimmming. Unsmogged skies. Moonlight on palm trees. Make up your own magic".
* How To Get Lost and Found in the Cook Islands, by John W. McDermott, Waikiki Publishing Company, 1979
Uniquely on this site, you can also "visit" some of the islands without ever leaving the comfort of your computer. With the help of a free programme from Google, you can explore some of the sights of the islands which I've marked out for you on Google Earth. Look out for the globe shaped logo below on some pages, to try out this new feature (not all islands are mapped yet). Find out more now
VISIT the Islands now
with
with
POINTERS TO PARADISE:
RAROTONGA AITUTAKI SITE MAP HOME SURPRISE ME!
OR FIND YOUR OWN PIECE OF PARADISE USING THE MENU AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE
RAROTONGA AITUTAKI SITE MAP HOME SURPRISE ME!
OR FIND YOUR OWN PIECE OF PARADISE USING THE MENU AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE
Each island is unique...many have stunning lagoons and Aitutaki is listed in several books as one of the places everyone should see before they die! Its lagoon is so vividly blue you'd think it had been painted that colour. By law, no building on any island is taller than the tallest palm tree - and there are plenty of those. The sand is white; if you venture to the outer islands, the only footprints in it will be yours. And life moves at a peaceful pace the rest of the world has forgotten.
On the capital island of Rarotonga it's now: