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COOK ISLANDS TRAVEL GUIDE: 15 HIDDEN GEMS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Island view with wooden boat on beach

Scattered over a vast expanse of the South Pacific roughly 3,000 kms north east of New Zealand and 4,725 kms south of Hawaii, the Cook Islands is still one of the world's least known and unspoiled destinations. 15 tiny Islands are “hidden” in nearly two million square kilometers of ocean, which is an area slightly bigger than Indonesia or Mexico and the world's largest multi-use marine park. 1,433 kms separates the most northernly island from the most southernly and each and every one is unique. Many have stunning lagoons and, 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 could be yours. The usual greeting is “Kia Orana” which means may you live long.

GETTING THERE

The only international airport is on Rarotonga which is the largest and most visited of the Cook Islands with up to 10,000 tourists a month. The Islands are most easily reached from Auckland, New Zealand. There's also a weekly flight from Tahiti. From May there will also be a new direct flight from Honolulu and from June, a new, twice weekly non-stop flight from Sydney, Australia.

The capital island of Rarotonga

This is home to nearly three quarters of the total population of 14,987 who live in these Islands. Avarua is the main commercial and administrative center. There are no cities anywhere and locals just call this "town". It's also the most commercialized island with accommodation ranging from five star resorts to backpacker places, but it still feels unspoiled. There are no big name stores or famous fast food outlets. Instead there are palm tree lined roads, lots of local shops, cafes and restaurants, a must visit Saturday market...and lots of friendly locals.

Man holding plastic bag leaning over a truck bed filled with fruit

Muri is the main resort area with three little islets in its lagoon, one of which is the most popular spot for “weddings in paradise”. When the tide is low, you can walk across to them. There are lots of other beaches too with places to swim, snorkel and dive. Rarotonga is also the base for flights to eight of the other islands.

ISLAND HOPPING

Many visitors spend their whole time on Rarotonga but getting to five other islands is easy, each is less than an hour's flying time away and they'll reward you with unique memories to last a lifetime. With the exception of Aitutaki, plan to stay at least one or two days because of the flight schedules.

Aitutaki

Aerial view of islands with sand beaches

This is the second most visited island and Air Rarotonga – the only internal airline - fly there multiple times a day. They also run day trips (every day except Sunday) which include transfers to and from your accommodation. You'll get a whirlwind tour of the island, before boarding a traditional boat for a leisurely and spectacular cruise around the crystal clear lagoon whose waters are so blue you'd swear they'd been painted that colour. You'll stop off at some of the stunning little motus (islets) in the lagoon, including One Foot Island where you can buy unique stamps and get your passport stamped at the post office which sets up there daily. There's also plenty of time for snorkelling and swimming among the pristine coral in what feels like a massive tropical fish tank!

Mauke