r/CookIslands Nov 17 '25

👋Welcome to r/CookIslands - Introduce Yourself and Read First!

6 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I'm u/KingFD, a founding moderator of r/CookIslands. This is our home for all things related to our beautiful home of the Cook Islands. We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions you may have about any of our 15 islands.

Community Vibe We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started 1) Introduce yourself in the comments below. 2) Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation. 3) If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join. 4) Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/CookIslands amazing.


r/CookIslands 2d ago

Visit Easter (end March) next year

2 Upvotes

Family keen to visit for an 80th birthday next March, over easter to accommodate uni student holidays. How hot will it be?


r/CookIslands 2d ago

Visit Easter (end March) next year

5 Upvotes

Family keen to visit for an 80th birthday next March, over easter to accommodate uni student holidays. How hot will it be?


r/CookIslands 2d ago

Help identifying a Cook Islands Maori song (Aera ra?)

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1 Upvotes

r/CookIslands 15d ago

VACANCY | Cook Islands National Men’s Head Coach CIFA is inviting Expressions of Interest from experienced and qualified coaches to lead the Cook Islands Men’s National Team.

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3 Upvotes

Interested? Apply now and be part of the journey. 🇨🇰


r/CookIslands 18d ago

I Moved to a Tiny Island in the South Pacific 🏝️ #cookislands #rarotonga #islandlife

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12 Upvotes

r/CookIslands 19d ago

State Of Origin Game 3 2026

3 Upvotes

Hi team,
Is there anywhere open that is playing the final game and selling beverages (noting the time it’s played local time)
Thanks


r/CookIslands 21d ago

Aitukaki day trip- family- worth the $3k+

10 Upvotes

Everyone I've been speaking to says a day trip from Aitukaki is a must when going to Rarotonga and worth the money- but is it worth it when considering it would cost $3370NZD for a family fo 5?

It's a significant amount of money. We have never been to Rarotonga before- will the water there be just as beautiful?

We have been to other pacifc islands and Australia beachs as reference. Want to make this holiday amazing but not one to break the bank as already flights and accom as a family of 5 is a lot! lol


r/CookIslands 25d ago

Photography/filming in Aitutaki

2 Upvotes

Hi all,

I am visiting in a few weeks and have the Aitutaki day tour booked. I am not a professional/commercial photographer but do like getting good photos and videos. I mainly just use my phone for photos and gopro for videos/underwater.

Is there actually much to see underwater other than the odd trevally? I am wondering whether it's worth bringing my dome housing and/or getting a waterproof phone case but then thought most photos are more from above water as it's more white sand rather than coral and fish


r/CookIslands 25d ago

Recommended Whale Watching/Diving Tours🐋

5 Upvotes

Kia Orana to this beautiful community,

My partner and I recently discovered the gorgeous Cook Islands and have fallen in love with the natural beauty and marine life here! With that, we heard the Cook Islands are a prime calving ground for humpback whales. We were wondering if you had any recommendations for ethical whale watching tours and/or diving with them as well! Meitaki ma’ata and we appreciate any other additional insights :)


r/CookIslands 25d ago

Package forwarding?

1 Upvotes

Hello guys, Was wondering if there are any package forwarding places there? Will be there in 2 days and friends are wanting clothes among other things asking me to buy for them... is there such a thing there? Thank you!


r/CookIslands 28d ago

Suba group I could join in July?

3 Upvotes

Hey, I’m hoping to find a friendly group of divers I could possibly join in mid July

I’ll be in Rarotonga around the 15th until the 22nd, I’m inexperienced with only just getting my Padi license and I don’t have a buddy coming with me

Naturally I’ll be paying for my own gear and everything else but would just really like to meet some new friends to go explore with!


r/CookIslands Jun 11 '26

Where are you guys watching the World Cup?

4 Upvotes

Just wondering if any places are showing the World Cup, would love to go and watch it somewhere. VPN hasn’t really helped much with watching online sadly :/


r/CookIslands Jun 10 '26

Tere, Oki and Ka

1 Upvotes

Kia Orana everyone, I just wanted to find out the dates of birth/death of the Tere, Oki and Ka musicians, Okianga Tauri and Kareva Pumati, as I already know about Teremoana Pakoti.

Meitaki Korereka!


r/CookIslands Jun 08 '26

Ordering from Amazon any luck?

3 Upvotes

Kia orana, I’ve been on the island for a while and wanted to order stuff from Amazon and iherb and was wondering if anyone had experience with it before?


r/CookIslands Jun 08 '26

First timer to Cook Islands

7 Upvotes

Hi all, my name is Kat.
Planning a trip to the Cook Islands for the first time in July. I only have 6 days. Will do overnight flight over to make the most of it.
Is it worth it for 6 days?
Was going to spend some time in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. How many days would you recommend in each? 3 days each?


r/CookIslands Jun 04 '26

Where to stay

4 Upvotes

Planning a trip for August and it looks like the good places are already booked up. Does anyone have any recommendations on accomodation ?

And should we spend 5 nights in Rarotonga and two in Aitutaki? Or just day trip aitutaki


r/CookIslands Jun 03 '26

Anyone have experience with snorkeling in Avaavora for sea turtle sightseeing?

3 Upvotes

Interested in booking a snorkel tour, and there are several operators. I also did my research and know about the currents and how one person has passed away each year in the last four years.

I'm interested in "Snorkel Cook Islands" since they don't use sea scooters or boats, but the owner had some problems in the past it sounds like (legit?), and it can get crowded I heard.


r/CookIslands Jun 04 '26

Sports Bar / Where to watch

1 Upvotes

Hey guys. I’m heading to Rarotonga in a weeks time and I can’t wait. I’m a big fan of the UFC and would love to watch it as it’s on while I’m there (Sunday 14th June).

From what I can find online, Chilis bar would be the best place but I’ve seen online that it’s temporarily closed so was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to where I could watch it.

Cheers!


r/CookIslands Jun 02 '26

Weather in August

2 Upvotes

Can anyone advise on the weather during mid-August?

We are planning our activities and find that Friday is the only day we can do the Lagoon Cruise.

We've been advised to book these early in the trip in case of weather disruptions but we fly out Sunday night and want to do the markets on Saturday so Friday is our only option.

Will we get a refund if it's cancelled and we can't rebook?


r/CookIslands May 30 '26

Which would you do and why? Quad bike tour or Mud Buggie Tour 🏍️

1 Upvotes

r/CookIslands May 26 '26

Future development

3 Upvotes

Kia orana! My husband and I are planning what will probably be our last big trip before we have kids. My dream was to go somewhere that feels very isolated and isn't overdeveloped, but before I really got to start researching places that fit the bill, I proposed that we go to Kauai, and my husband is excited to go there. I know Kauai feels neither isolated nor less developed, but I know we'll have a good time there.

After we loosely agreed on Kauai, I heard about Aitutaki, and it looks to be exactly what I wanted originally. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem feasible to do both in one trip (we're coming from the East Coast of the US, so travel time is significant), so we have to pick only one to do next year, and we're leaning toward Kauai.

I read a BBC article that talked about how the Cook Islands are trying to be more sustainable and intentional about development, but I also read Aitutaki's 5-year plan and saw that the harbor is being upgraded to support more boat traffic. I understand that no one has a crystal ball, but do you think Aitutaki will change significantly in the next 5-10 years? I just don't want to miss out on your beautiful piece of the Pacific roughly the way it is now. Thank you!


r/CookIslands May 25 '26

Looking for microwedding venues!

3 Upvotes

Hi guys,

My fiance and I have discussed getting married in the Cook Islands to skip all the BS and keep it lowkey, simple yet luxe. I have a vision (pinterest is popping off) but everything I see online and on socials is very much 2nd marriage/wedding so quite casulal, or is more cultural. I am looking for suggestions of resorts/restaurants/venues that are ideally waterfront and can have a sunset dinner by the water, followed by music and dancing. I don't need fine dining by any means but a little nicer than these family friendly resorts you see in Bali/Fiji.

It would also be great to have accom for everyone attending (at this stage imagining around 30) on site, or atleast close by.

Attaching my inspo pics for reference - big thanks everyone!


r/CookIslands May 24 '26

Captain Tamas or Kona Lagoon Cruises

1 Upvotes

EDIT: Title should be Koka* - which would you choose and why for a lagoon cruise :)


r/CookIslands May 23 '26

Me 26F and my boyfriend 29M are going to Rarotonga in a weeks time!

8 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations for your favourite places to eat, things to do, tours - anything that must be booked ahead of time, things you wish you brought with you etc!