The Cook Island, Island Honeymoon

The Cook Islands

Visitors are rewarded with natural beauty and colorful attractions at every turn. There is motion and excitement on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, peaceful village life on the rest. Ideal for travelers and holidaymakers seeking more than the usual clichÈs associated with the South Seas, each island has its unique qualities and offers the visitor a special experience.

The Cook Islands are a safe, quiet place to relax and feel right at home. At Journey Pacific we will help you plan your trip to this delightful Country and entertain you with day-trips so you can see the best The Cook Islands have to offer.

Kia Orana and Meitaki
These 15 islands and atolls, with a land are of only 150 square miles are scattered over a million square miles of the South pacific, leaving a lot of empty ocean in between.

 

Cook Islands Weather
The main Cook Islands are about the same distance from the equator as Hawaii and have a similarly pleasant tropical climate. Rain clouds hang over Rarotongas interior much of the year, but the coast is often sunny, and when it rains it is usually in brief heavy downpours. The other islands are drier.

Cook Islands Flora & Fauna
The lush vegetation of the high islands includes creepers, ferns and tall trees in the interior, while coconuts, bananas, and grapefruits grow on the coast. Avocados and papayas are so abundant that the locals feed them to their pigs.

The only native mammals are bats and rats. The mynah is the bird most often seen.

Humpback whales can sometimes be seen cruising along the shorelines from July to September having migrated over 3000 miles north from Antarctica to bear their young. Pilot whales (up to 18 foot) are in the Cooks year round. In 2003 the Cook Islands declared its large exclusive economic zone a whale sanctuary.

Cook Islands Activities
Most organized sporting activities are on Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Several professional scuba diving companies are based on these islands, and there are many snorkeling possibilities. Both islands offer lagoon tours by boat.

Other activities offered from Rarotonga’s Muri Beach are windsurfing, sail-boating and kayaking. Horseback riding and deep sea fishing are other popular activities.

Practicalities
Everyone needs a passport valid at least three months beyond their planned date of departure. Passports may be obtained from your local County Clerk/Recorders Office. If you need more information, please ask your Journey pacific Travel Specialist. This process can take up to 6-8 weeks so do not delay. Journey Pacific LLC, is not responsible for any cancellation costs incurred if proper documentation is not presented.

No Visa is required for a stay of up to 31 days, but onward tickets are required. Rarotonga, Aitutaki and Penrhyn are ports of entry for yachts.

The New Zealand Dollar is the unit of currency in The Cook Islands; US$1 = approx NZ$1.3
Travellers checks are worth about 3% more than cash at the banks. Tipping and bargaining are not part of the local culture. Prices in the Cooks Islands are very reasonable for anyone carrying US dollars.

Special Considerations
Please let your Journey Pacific travel specialists know if you are having a birthday or anniversary while on the trip. We would also like to know of any medical or special dietary requirements, or food allergies that may be considered in planning your trip.

Getting There
Air new Zealand has direct services to Rarotonga from Los Angeles. The flights do not go daily so please ensure you have us reserve your inward and outward flights as far ahead as possible. The airport departure tax is NZ$25.

Getting Around
All of the main islands of the Southern Cooks and a few of the northern group have regular air service from Rarotonga, although no flights operate on Sunday. Air Rarotonga serves Aitutaki from Rarotonga three times a day except Sunday. Your Journey Pacific Travel Specialist can help you book any interisland flights that you may require.

Regular hourly bus services travel around Rarotonga during the day. Otherwise cars, scooters and bicycles can be rented almost anywhere in the Cook Islands. A local drivers license must be purchased if you intend to operate a motor vehicle.

Minors
Minors traveling with one parent or a guardian MUST have a notorized letter of consent from other/both parents to take the minor out of the country.

Insurance
We strongly recommend that you protect yourself, your belongings and your vacation through the purchase of travel insurance. A trip cancellation policy covers your non-refundable payments in most cases, should you have to cancel your trip at the last minute due to illness or injury. Click here for a free quote.

Text from http://www.southpacific.org/guide/cook-islands.html used with permission.

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