Rarotonga!

[yakers]

We're planning our trip to Rarotonga, pretty much our favorite place on the planet. Been there 3 times.This will be our first visit in their winter, cold, will get down to 75 at night. Great dancing, wonderful drumming and heart rending church music. No traffic signals, no chain stores, great snorkeling. I wish the locals well and that may mean they could use more tourists yet I also wish this place never gets discovered.

 

[Al in Ohio]

We're planning our trip to Rarotonga, pretty much our favorite place on the planet. Been there 3 times.This will be our first visit in their winter, cold, will get down to 75 at night. Great dancing, wonderful drumming and heart rending church music. No traffic signals, no chain stores, great snorkeling. I wish the locals well and that may mean they could use more tourists yet I also wish this place never gets discovered.

Where is it?

 

[yakers]

"Where is it?"

Largest of the Cook Islands, 800 miles NW of NZ, west of Tahiti, 9.5 hour flight, only one nonstop flight a week from the US. Or fly to Hawaii and turn left for an equal distnace.

DW loves the South Pacific (never should have seen the film as a child!) Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bors, Rangiroa, The Marquesas, Fiji and the Cook Islands but my favorite is Rarotonga. Maybe like Hawaii in the 1930s. It is in a political union with New Zealand, sort of like Puerto Rico is to the US, so NZ currency and drive on the left but the locals run the place themselves, own all the land and have preserved their society.

 

[ronin]

I understand that there is pretty good surf there. Do you have any info on the waves for a surf explorer like me?

 

[yakers]

I understand that there is pretty good surf there. Do you have any info on the waves for a surf explorer like me?

You would want details from a surfer, I am a kayaker (=yakers) and I try to minimize surf time. You also have to go out of the ring reef which is over my skill level. The lagoons on Raro and especially on Aitutaki are fameous for kite surfing: large protected lagoon with trade winds. I know there is surfing and have seen big waves in certain seasons but I don't kow how a surfer would handle the outer reef.

 

[veremchuka]

I never heard of Rarotonga so I thought it is either a new African country or an island in the South Pacific. Google id'ed it for me. 21 degrees whether north or south of the equator is just too hot for me. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Powor]

Wow, 75 at night sounds amazing. I'd never heard of it either. I think I'll have to google it so see everything they offer. Even if I never get to actually see it it would be nice to see some photos and other cultural information.