The Cook Islands - Travel

Basic tips
Activities
Accommodation
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THE QUICKEST way to the Cook Islands, is, of course, by air. The most romantic is by ocean liner. If you have plenty of time and the wherewithal the best method is probably by yacht. Then you could spend weeks navigating your way around all the northern atolls and seeing the South Seas the way the ancient voyagers did.
    However, you will most probably arrive and leave by air. The international airport for the Cooks is on Rarotonga. This makes a convenient stop for trans-Pacific aircraft because Rarotonga lies at the heart of the Polynesian triangle.
    Air New Zealand is the premier carrier. It operates several weekly scheduled flights from New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Los Angeles and Fiji. Some other regular services are operated by Pacific Blue which flies from Australia and New Zealand.

Internal air services are taken care of by Air Rarotonga which flies regularly to most of the northern and southern group.

Basic tips



• English is spoken by everyone and Cook Islands Maori is the local language.
• Tipping is not the custom in the Cook Islands
• Bona fide visitors do not require entry permits provided they possess onward passage and do not intend staying for more than 31 days. They must have a valid passport, adequate financial means of supporting their stay, and suitable accommodation.
• Longer stays. Extension permits are usually granted for visitors wanting to stay over 31 days. Applications can be made on arrival at the Immigration Department. Extensions, for which there is a fee, are granted on a monthly basis, up to five additional months only. For up to three months the fee is NZ$70.00 (15 years and older), up to five months it is NZ$120.00 (15 years and older). Children under 15 are exempt from charges but must report to Immigration. for official paperwork to be completed. People who wish to stay longer than six months must apply for a visa from their home country, before their arrival to:-
  Principal Immigration Officer
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration
  PO Box 105
  Rarotonga Ph: (682) 29347 COOK ISLANDS Fax: (682) 21247
• Entry for yachts. For mooring requests and information for seagoing vessels contact:-
  Ports Authority
  PO Box 84
  Rarotonga, Cook Islands. Ph: (682) 21-921 Fax: (682) 21-191.
• Camping is prohibited in the Cook Islands.
• Departure tax is NZ$55 for adults although there are strong indications that this will be ramped up steadily in coming years.
• There is a regular round-the-island bus service on Rarotonga and you can pick up a detailed timetable from any accommodation operator and most shops. A short version is at Bus Timetable.
• Cars and motor scooters can be rented but all drivers must have a current Cook Islands licence -- this costs NZ$20, is a great souvenir and an even better tax-raising device for the Cook Islands Government. The test itself is a formality and very few people have ever failed it. There are several companies which rent out motor scooters and cars. In Arorangi on the west coast, Island Car & Bike Hire rents vehicles.
• Driving is on the left-hand side of the road.
• Currency is the New Zealand dollar but you can buy souvenir Cook Islands coins and notes.
• Dress is casual but, in common with most Pacific islands and Asia, it is considered offensive to wear almost nothing when visiting towns or villages. Topless sunbathing is definitely a no-no.
• Most hotels have phone and fax facilities. Visitors can also get these, plus e-mail and internet services from Telecom Cook Islands in Avarua.
• Electrical power is 240 volts 50 cycles, as for New Zealand and Australia. In some cases, a two pin adapter may be required. Some accommodation providers can supply connections for 110 volt electric razors.
• Automatic teller machines are available on Rarotonga. Cards acceptable for cash withdrawals are Visa, Mastercard or any card issued overseas carrying the logos Cirrus, Plus or Maestro.
• Internet access is via wi-fi only and cards can be purchased from Telecom Cook Islands. These are not cheap - currently $36 buys 150mB.
• Several hotels have wi-fi access, some only for their guests, as well as Telecom in Avarua.
• There are no vaccination requirements.
• Rarotonga is a popular destination for couples wishing to get married and have their honeymoon in the South Pacific islands. You can find out more at Weddings.
• Make sure you go to an Island Night if you want to see one of the star attractions of the Cook Islands - drumming and dancing. However, remember that you don't HAVE to have the meal that is usually laid on at the hotels and other places which run island nights. You can eat earlier at a cheaper place and then pay the entrance fee for the entertainment.

Activities

There are special events and festivals throughout the year and you may wish to time your visit to coincide with these. Activities for visitors are many and varied. They include hiking, pony trekking, diving (both scuba and snorkelling), sports and game fishing, cultural tours, bird-watching tours, scenic flights, golf, tennis, squash and lawn bowls.
    Arts and crafts can be bought on Rarotonga as well as black pearls which is a major industry in these islands.

Accommodation

Accommodation is plentiful in the southern group islands. Usually, Air New Zealand arranges various packages with the bigger hotels and motel and lodge operators. These are available at various seasons depending on seat booking volumes in the country of origin. We suggest you check with your nearest Air New Zealand office or travel agent for details. There are, of course, agents who specialise in Cook Islands and South Pacific travel.
    Alternatively, you can make your own arrangements. Approximate prices of accommodation are shown grouped into three main categories as well as outer islands and private accommodation:-

• Hotels and resorts on Rarotonga
• Deluxe villas and bungalows on Rarotonga
• Motels, self-catering accommodation on Rarotonga
• Budget and backpacking hostels and guesthouses in Rarotonga
• Apartments, cottages, cabins on Rarotonga
• All types of accommodation on Aitutaki
• All types of accommodation in outer islands
• Private homes for rent



TRANSPORT AND  TOURS	Air Rarotonga	Island Car & Bike Hire
HOTELS AND   RESORTS  Rarotonga	Club Raro	Crown Beach Resort	Edgewater Resort	Manuia Beach Boutique Resort	Muri Beach Club Hotel
	Pacific Resort Hotel	Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa	The Sunset Resort
HOTELS AND   RESORTS  Aitutaki	Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa	Tamanu Beach Hotel	Pacific Resort Hotel
MOTELS/APARTMENTS   Rarotonga	Avana Waterfront Apartments	Kings Beach Villas	Muri Beach Cottages	Muri Lagoon View Bungalows	Palm Grove
	Puaikura Reef Lodges	The Cooks Oasis
DELUXE VILLAS & BUNGALOWS Rarotonga	Apartments Kakera	Aro'a Beachside Inn	Lagoon Breeze Villas	Muri Beach Resort	Raina Lagoon Villas
	Rarotonga Beach Bungalows	Sands Beachfront Villas	Sea Change Villas	Sunhaven Beach Villas	Te Manava Luxury Villas & Spa
BUDGET & HOSTELS Rarotonga	Aremango Guesthouse	Rarotonga Backpackers	Tiare Village Hostel
SELF-CATERING Aitutaki	Etu Moana Beach Villas
HOME RENTAL AGENCIES	Jetsave Travel	Rent Raro
RETAIL, SERVICES	Goldmine Black Pearls




You can get a traveller's impression of some of the Southern Group islands at:
Aitutaki
Atiu: Island of Warriors
Mangaia
Mauke

 


Le moyen le plus rapide pour se rendre aux îles Cook est bien sûr par avion. Mais une croisière en pâquebot est certainement plus romantique. Si vous avez plein de temps et de réssources, le meilleur moyen pour s'y rendre est sans hésitation par yacht.
    Vous pourriez naviguer pendant des semaines autour des atolls du Nord des mers du Sud, a la façon des anciens voyageurs. Mais le plus probable est que vous arriviez et partiez par avion. Rarotonga est l'aeroport international des îles Cook. C'est une éscale bien située pour les lignes trans-pacifique puisque Rarotonga est au centre du triangle polynésien. Air New Zealand est la principale compagnie aerienne desservant cet aeroport. Elle affrette plusieurs vols par semaine de Nouvelle-Zélande, Tahiti, Hawaii, Los Angeles et Fiji.
    D'autre vols réguliers sont affrettés par Polynesian Airlines, depuis les Samoa occidentales, Tahiti et la Nouvelle Zélande. Air Rarotonga organise des vols domestiques reguliers sur la plupart des îles des regions Sud et Nord.
    Voici un guide concis pour voyager dans les îles Cook:-

• Tout le monde parle anglais et le maori des îles Cook est la langue locale.
• Les pourboires ne sont pas la coutume dans les îles Cook.
• Un permis d'entrée n'est pas nécessaire pour les visiteurs bona-fide, pourvu que vous n'ayez pas l'intention de réster plus de 31 jours et que vous ayez un billet de sortie du pays.
• La taxe de départ est de 16.25 $ US (25 $ NZ) pour les adultes et de 6.50 $ US (10 $ NZ) pour les enfants entre 2 et 11 ans.
• Vous pouvez louer voitures et scooters, à condition d'acquérir un permis de conduire des îles Cook - Cèci coute 5.50 $US (10 $ NZ), est un super souvenir et un très bon moyen pour le gouvernement des îles Cook de vous taxer. L'examen en lui-même est une blague, et personne, à ce jour ne l'a jamais raté.
• Les visiteurs peuvent âcheter une carte provisoire pour $25 à la bibliothèque publique de Rarotonga et peuvent alors emprunter des livres.
• On conduit à gauche aux îles Cook.
• La monnaie locale est le dollar neo-zélandais, mais vous pouvez acquérir des piéces et billets des îles Cook en guise de souvénir.
• Un compte provisoire d'accès d'Internet peut-être inscrit aux personnes qui visitent les îles Cook et qui n'ont pas l'intention d'obtenir un compte de téléphone.
• On s'habille de manière decontractée, mais, comme dans la plupart des îles du Pacifique et en Asie, se ballader dans les villages sans être un minimum habille est considèré offensif. Le bronzage topless est décidement un tabou.

Les possibilités d'hébergement sont nombreuses dans les îles du Sud. D'habitude, Air New Zealand organise les packages avec les principaux hotels, motels et lodges. La disponibilité des places d'avion dépend des réservations et du pays d'origine selon les saisons.
    Nous vous suggérons de prendre contact avec vôtre agence Air New Zealand la plus prôche pour plus de détails. Autrement, vous pouvez faire vos propres arrangements. Voici les prix approximatifs des logements groupés en trois categories:-

• Hotels et resorts à Rarotonga.
• Hébergement superior à Rarotonga
• Motels et lodges avec cuisine à Rarotonga.
• Appartements, unitˇs, carlingues sur Rarotonga
• Auberge de jeunesse et maison d'hôte à Rarotonga.
• Tout type d'hébergement dans les autres îles.
• Maison privées à louer.

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Revised: May 14 2013
URL: http://www.ck/travel.htm