Hi everybody! I am planning a trip to the Cook Islands for Summer 2019, and was curious if anyone has any experience with any hotels there, whether to focus on Rarotonga or Aitutaki (or other), etc...?
Howdy - I'm back from Alaska as my DDF tracker will attest.
I did some research a while back and also had the opportunity to chat with some men and women from the Cook Islands at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. I personally would not want to spend any significant period of time in Rarotonga. I'd rather spend more time on other outlying islands.
Air Rarotonga has a Northern Atolls Expedition, which costs $5,475.00 per person. This includes 1 night Penrhyn, 2 nights Manihiki and 1 night Pukapuka. Accommodation and tours is additional. Accommodation in Pukapuka and Penrhyn is guest house type where you get your own room but share kitchen and bathroom facilites ($150 per person includes meals) and Manihiki has 2 beach bungalows ($250 per room includes meals).
Flight time from Rarotonga to the Northern Group Islands is approximately 4 hours one way. Cook Islands is scattered over 2.2 million square kms of ocean.
This is the information I received in an email exchange with Air Rarotonga.
I'd love to go and build my own trip including to another island not on this tour.
Information can be found here:
http://www.airraro.com/en/tours/northern-atolls-experience