I’ve been in Rarotonga now for 3 weeks and been round the island clockwise and anti-clockwise so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve travelled in the bus where the driver doesn’t wear a seat belt or shoes; and I’ve driven a car, without a seat belt, the car pretty old, however it did the trick. As a woman travelling alone, I have felt completely safe …on the beach during the day, at the markets, in the different accommodation where I stayed, and at night when out on the town. I felt comfortable with the local people I met.
No traffic lights, no MacDonalds, no building taller than a coconut tree!
Stepping off the plane in Rarotonga, I feel as if I’m receiving a warm tropical hug and I ease into relaxing. Rarotonga, the largest of the Cook islands, is small – the round island road is only 32 kms. The speed limit is 50 kmp and driving is on the right hand side of the road, a bit of a change from Vanuatu. If you have never done it before, yes, it feels odd driving on the ‘other’ side of the road, you do get used to it, just drive slowly for a bit. There are no traffic lights, no MacDonalds, and would you believe no building can be taller than a coconut tree! There are no poisonous snakes or spiders, there ARE mosquitoes. The population is currently estimated to be around 12,000 and the people are friendly, very welcoming and keen to help. There are lots of resorts and Airbnb accommodation, plenty of restaurants and cafes, stunning beaches and lagoons great for snorkelling and scuba diving, crystal clear turquoise waters, and the most breathtaking sunsets on the west side of the island. It’s pretty unspoilt. There are botanical gardens, Maire Nui with acres of lush tropical plants – definitely a place to chill. And it has a really lovely café serving delicious cheesecake!
There are the usual cultural shows, a fabulous Saturday morning market – Punanga Nui market – selling fresh food, arts and crafts, hand crafted ukulele’s, black pearls, and there’s live island music. Its wonderfully colourful.
Accomodation
There are lots of social media pages offering tips about holiday accommodation and events – in the end where you stay comes down to personal preference and budget. Rather than stay in hotels or resorts, I like to stay in a serviced apartment/Air BnB when I travel – practically it allows you to eat more healthily, and manage laundry! Jennie at Experience Rarotonga went the extra mile for me in finding accommodation when the island was heavily booked. However, if you are a family with young children, a resort can make life easier.
The currency used is the New Zealand dollars and cash is accepted. It also has its own $2 triangular coin – very unusual.
The internet
Of course everybody asks about internet. Bottom line, I think you have two choices – if you need to use the internet you need to pay, otherwise have a holiday from it! Here you can buy a Vodaphone Travel Sim for $69 which gives you calls, texts and 20Gb 4G/LTE data and you can buy a Wifi pass which will hook you up to different hotspots. There are different offers on the wifi pass – 20 Gb for 7 days $25, 15 Gb for 5 days for $15. I bought the Travel Sim which I used when I was out and about, and the Wifi pass when I was at home for business connections, eg Zoom calls.
Favourite places
Some of my favourite places – the Aroa beach near the Rarotongan Beach Resort, absolutely divine; Beluga, Soul Cafe and Circles at Vaimaanga for breakfast; Trader Jacks at Avarua, an iconic waterfront spot for drinks and live music; Vaima on the beach restaurant, Wilson’s beach bar and restaurant at Castaways, The Pacific Fish and Chip shop, Charlie’s…. and for that special meal, Antipodes, a lovely Mediterranean restaurant perched on a cliff at Black Rock (I had a lamb salad with roasted root vegetables and haloumi, and the lamb was cooked to perfection).
There’s lots of wonderful fish to enjoy – Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Yellow fin tuna. ‘Ika Mata’, made with freshly caught fish ‘cooked’ with lemon juice and combined with coconut milk, onions and chilli, reminds me of Peruvian ceviche, raw fish salad. It’s absolutely delicious, one of my favourites.
Precious Moments
I’ve enjoyed so many precious moments….walking past a church one Sunday morning (there are lots of churches) the voices of the congregation stopping me in my tracks, the softness, the sweet melody of the male and female Polynesian voices so beautiful….visiting the gardens, the energy so peaceful, it felt sacred, it brought goosebumps and a tear to my eye…feeling the sand between my toes on what felt like the most beautiful beach in the world, I was in heaven!
Part of the fun of travelling is meeting people from different cultures and walks of life, and I’ve enjoyed that here, I’ve loved hearing stories…more of that next week.