Cook Islands Cultural Village, Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Advantages: Beautiful weather, beaches, food, people, culture etc
Disadvantages: You can only stay for 6 months a year unless you're a resident

...Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is simply heaven on earth. Whether you are a backpacker a honeymoon couple or a family all are catered for on this fantastic island. The people are simply the most friendly I have ever met and after travelling the world I have met quite a few. I stayed in Tiare Village, Rarotonga which offers budget dorm style accomodation through to deluxe pool side apartments at excellent prices. The owner and manager go out of their way to ensure that it is your home from home. There is no shortage of accomodation from renting a beachside house to the luxury Edgewater Resort. The atmosphere of the whole island is so laid back that it runs on 'Island Time', and is the perfect location to do as little or as much as you like. I enjoyed snorkling in the 100m visability coral reef lagoon as well as sun bathing... Read review

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Advantages: Absolutely stunning scenery, friendly people
Disadvantages: Long time travelling

...Swaying palm trees, bright multi-coloured fish, beautiful fragrant flowers… and ukeleles. Ukeleles everywhere. During September 2002 my new husband and I set off from Brisbane for our honeymoon in the Cook Islands. Altogether, the trip lasted twelve days - we spent four nights on the main island of Rarotonga, then two nights on Aitutaki, one of the outer islands, before returning to Raro for two nights and finally spending two nights in Auckland on the way home. We had booked all this through a travel agent which took a lot of the hassle out of it, and she also managed to get us some great deals since we were on honeymoon! The Cook Islands is a group of 15 islands to the east of New Zealand and the west of Tahiti. The population was just over 18,000 at the last census in 1996 (www.cook-islands.com), and the main industries apart... Read review

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Advantages: romantic hideaway
Disadvantages: remote

...Looking out the window on this dreary Sunday makes me dream of some sunny beach somewhere in the Southern Seas. I have the most beautiful lagoon of the world in my mind, Bora Bora of the Society Islands, vulgo Tahiti. Or maybe number two - Aitutaki of the Cooks. We are sitting in a small Brazilian made "Embraer Bandeirante" cruising in low altitude across tranquil Southern Pacific waters. It is only a 50 minute flight from Rarotonga, the main island of the Cooks, to the magnificent lagoon of Aitutaki. As we approach the 3 km long landing strip, that used to be an U.S. airforce base in WW II, we can make out the white breakers on the reef and the iridescent shades of turquoise right below… There is even a nine hole golf course with fairways and greens quite differently "groomed" than the likes of Pebble Beach or Augusta... Read review

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