Cook Islands Holidays 2012

While visiting Cook Islands you need to visit the Rarotongan Beach Resort to see at least one traditional dance show with the best dancers in the entire South Pacific.

While in Rarotonga you should also rent a moped so you can explore everything that the city has to offer. Muri Beach and the Cross Island Hike are also considered must dos in Rarotonga.

Things to Do

Scuba diving is the best way to explore the ocean, which allows you to see a wide variety of marine life.

The Cook Island dive sights are some of the best ones for beginners because of how close they are to shore and how good the diving conditions are even with the wind blowing. Cook Island Divers and Rarotongan Dive Centre can get you the certification you need to start scuba diving.

The Aitutaki Lagoon Cruise takes you around the lagoon where you can spend the day walking long sand bars or snorkeling in the clear lagoon.

Local Cuisine

One thing that you will learn shortly after arriving is that Cook Islands have their own culinary arts; their local cuisine is not adopted or mixed with any other culture.

All of the local dishes use ingredients that can be found on the islands or in the oceans off the coasts of the islands. Ungakoa, which is a shellfish, can be eaten cooked or raw and is often served with boiled green bananas or cooked taro.

A common garnishment is grated cheese or coconut for most dishes. Poke, which is a traditional sweetener, is used in a lot of the local dishes because of how much energy it can provide. Rip bananas and lime are also two main ingredients used in almost all of the dishes.

Wildlife

While Cook Islands is not overflowing with wildlife there are six species of birds that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Perhaps the most popular bird found on the island is the Kakerori, which can only be found in the in the forests on Atiu or on the southern coast of Rarotonga in the forests.

The marine wildlife off the reefs is where you will find most of the action, but off the coasts between June and September you can usually spot humpback whales.

Climate

With average temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Cook Islands is a great place to go year round.

The rainy season lasts from November through March, but isn’t what most people would consider a true rainy season. The storms that move in often come in the late afternoon and simply cool down the temperatures to around 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

April through October is known for its cooler temperatures, but being the dry season there is a smaller chance of storms. Severe weather is a rare occurrence.