Rarotonga Cook Islands
My husband and I were very fortunate to spend the last three weeks on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. From high volcanic peaks to calm turquoise waters it is an island paradise. If you are looking for the ultimate relaxing get away, this was certainly the place to be. Set back in time with no huge developments and little commercialism, we revelled in the simplicity of this island life. The native people are very friendly and make you feel welcome. I was also very impressed how they keep very close to their traditions and have retained their culture.
Most of the accommodations are similar to where we stayed in a small bungalow. You can either choose a garden view or be directly on the beach. The island is quite small, roughly only a 32 km drive around. There is a Cook Island bus that comes every half an hour and goes both clockwise and anti-clockwise. You can also rent a car or scooter. We decided on the scooter and had great fun exploring despite being caught out several times in a tropical rain storm. 
Eating out turned out to be quite expensive however with large plates my husband and I were able to share. The grocery prices were high too; we soon found out where the locals shopped though and the costs seemed more reasonable.
If you love to snorkel and/or scuba dive there are plenty of calm bay areas to do this in. The island is mainly surrounded by a coral reef which creates calmer water within the reef area and there was no short supply of brightly coloured tropical fish.
Calm Bay Areas to Snorkel In
Being a gardener I am always in awe of the tropical flowers and lush green foliage. We did visit a small botanical garden (Marie Nui) which the owner had created over a period of 20 years. There were an abundance of red hibiscus as well as the yellow tree hibiscus. Other notable plants – red ginger, frangipani, bird of paradise and giant red ixora. There were red flame trees in bloom everywhere.
Marie NFor Canadian snowbirds February is a good time to visit Rarotonga. It is actually their off-season and if you don’t mind the odd tropical storm, it is an ideal time. Most of the Australians and New Zealanders visit in June, July and August (during their winter months) and it gets extremely busy.
We will most definitely visit this part of the world again and extend our visit to include some of the other exotic islands in the South Pacific.