Honeymoon

[Super Trooper]

hello again ladies :wave:

im just wondering if anyone has been to cook islands (via new zealand). We are thinking of doing this for our honeymoon, and spending a few days in NZ either side to make the most of our stop over there.

so any experiences, good, bad or ugly, or recomendations for hotels/activities etc for either cook islands or new zealand would be much appreciated :D

TIA

[TheEmpress]

Sorry I can't help but just wanted to say we're planning to honeymoon at Cook Islands too !!:D Looks beautiful there !
I'll be keeping an eye on this thread !:D

[megaminz]

I have just come back from 10 days in Rarotonga it was divine.....so relaxing.

It is very basic, there are two buses called clockwise and anticlockwise!! And they leave on the hour.

But it is so beautiful. We stayed at the rarotongan beach resort and spa but there are many nice places there. Aitutaki is an island you should visit or even stay on whilst you are on honeymoon its really beautiful.

We went on Captain Tamas Lagoon cruise, and raro safari tours. there are heaps of tours usually the hotels have a list of activities you can do on the island.

it isn't high paced but if relaxing beautiful and romantic is what you are after go rarotonga the capital of the cook islands

[AlirasMummy]

Funnily enough I just got back from there! We spent 9 nights, 4 of them in Rarotonga staying at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa in the Honeymoon Bungalow. Definately recommend staying there :thumbsup:. That room was pricy but has so many things such as private pool, spa & sauna!!! Then 3 nights in Aitutaki which is equally as beautiful but not as much to do, definatley a place to relax. We stayed at the Aitutaki Beach Resort & Spa (you get a discount if you stay at both of these resorts) and mention honeymooners as you get lots of freebies and room upgrades.
Rarotonga recommendations -
Not sure whether you want to relax or get out and about on your honeymoon, but we went on a buggy safari which was awesome. Better if it rained the night before! Got so muddy but ended up having a dip in a beautiful waterfall swimming hole at the end :).
We also did an island nightlife tour which went from 9pm to 2am (everything shuts then). It was a great atmosphere and good to look at their culture.
There is more to see snorkelling on this island but watch out for the Picasso/Triggerfish! The locals at your resort will tell you about it.
Definately try out the food cooked in an Umu (cooked underground)
Most resorts also have island nights, where the local dance troups come in and perform fire twirling and their local dance. The drums are amazing!
You can catch a bus to get around the island but most people hire scooters. It cost us $20 a day for 4 days and only $10 petrol for that whole time. They're so economical. You need to get a Cook Islands Driver Licence from the local police station which costs $15. They don't wear helmets or seat belts. But as of April helmets are finally being made law.
Umm definately eat out at Trader Jacks, so yum. And another couple there went on a progressive diner which they said was fantastic.
Over to Aitutaki -
This island is more expensive as it is smaller and further away.
For good snorkelling you need to go further out. We went on a Bishop's Day Cruise. They showed us the best places to snorkel and gave us a tour of the island where survivor was filmed (if you've ever seen that show) Then we stopped for a lunch that they cooked for us (all traditional foods) you also get to handfeed fish and see the smallest post office in the world (take your passport with you)
Umm i've blabbered on so much, but Cook Islands truly are paradise and really look exactly like the brochures. You'll love it! :D

Hope that helps you