Yes, after 13 years of travel, and 100 countries, I’m calling it: the Cook Islands is the most beautiful place on the planet. And yes, that’s including the Maldives and Bora Bora — Aitutaki blows them both out of the water!
On Rarotonga and Aitutaki — the two main islands in the Cook Islands — you’ll find beautiful white-sand beaches, bordered by turquoise waters and swaying palm trees. Lagoon cruises sweep you out into perfection, where you’ll snorkel with fish, eat lunch on a deserted island, and take so many photos you’ll be in danger of running out of storage on your phone.
But it’s not just the beauty that makes the Cook Islands worth visiting; there are so many reasons why I think you should plan a trip here! For starters, it’s easy to travel around the island, whether by rental car, bicycle, tour, or even on foot. It’s a very safe nation, too, so you don’t have to worry about running into danger — I spent two weeks there as a solo woman and felt nothing but welcomed.
In a world of overtourism, the Cook Islands still remains relatively untouched. It’s not that you’ll be the only tourist on the islands or anything, but that you’ll never feel like you’re surrounded by nothing but visitors. An added bonus of this is that the Cook Islands locals aren’t beaten down and exhausted by tourism; they don’t resent you being in their home!
Speaking of which, the Cook Islands locals are so friendly. It felt like every time I decided to go for a walk, I’d have somebody pulling up on a scooter when they spotted me, then offering me me a lift.
If you love to explore the underwater world as much as the above-ground one, you’re going to be so impressed with the marine life here! From vibrant coral to friendly turtles to a gigantic clam the size of your torso, taking a snorkelling or dive trip here is likely to be one of your best.
You can absolutely visit the Cook Islands on a budget. But not only that, it’s actually really easy to do so — yes, even in 2024, when prices worldwide are skyrocketing.
Let’s talk first about how to get to the Cook Islands. If you’re not currently based in Oceania, this is likely to be your biggest issue when it comes to reaching paradise.
Australia: Jetstar started operating regular flights (five days a week) between Sydney and Rarotonga in 2023, so Australians are now able to travel to the Cook Islands with ease. Prices remain pretty similar throughout the year, usually between 800 and 1000 AUD for a return ticket.
New Zealand: Flights to and from Rarotonga and Auckland run every day of the week. Flight prices obviously vary wildly throughout the year, depending on whether you’ll be visiting in high season (April – November) or low season (December – March). In general, you can except a return flight to cost around 750 NZD per person in the quieter season to 1000 NZD when travel is at its busiest.
Tahiti: If you’re going to be island-hopping the South Pacific, you can fly direct between Tahiti and Rarotonga every Wednesday and Friday with Air Tahiti and Air Rarotonga. Prices are around 800 AUD in the low season and and 1000 AUD in the high season.
If you’re looking at those somewhat-irregularly running flights and wondering how long to spend on the Cook Islands, I recommend between seven and 10 nights — you’ll want a minimum of four days on Rarotonga and three days on Aitutaki.
If you’re keen on getting off the beaten track and visiting some of the little-known outer islands, like Atiu, you’ll want to plan for a minimum of two weeks
Tourism in the Cook Islands is unsurprisingly seasonal, so if you’re looking to save money, visiting in the rainy season (November – March) can help you save money. Flights and accommodation will both be 20-30% cheaper, and there’ll be great availability at hotels, too.
The downsides are obvious: you run the risk of flying straight into a cyclone! Still, keep in mind that cyclones in the South Pacific are relatively rare. The island nation receives between one and two cyclones a year, but when you consider that 60% of the cyclones didn’t cause any damage and only lasted for a day or so — you’d have to be very unlucky if one occurred over your holiday!
Almost 40% of the cyclones have occurred in February, so that’s the riskiest month for travel. I’d probably avoid travelling during this month, or book a last-minute flight when I could be certain that the weather would be fine.
I’m speaking from personal experience here, because I visited the Cook Islands in January and felt like I was taking such a risk by doing so. Do you know how much rain I encountered? None! There were zero rainy days while I was in the Cook Islands and most of the time, I had bright-blue skies. This is all anecdotal, of course — just because I had a dry holiday, it doesn’t mean that you will, too!
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