Cook Islands resorts offer a great vacation experience for everyone, from couples and families to groups of friends and colleagues. It’s the perfect place to let your hair down, try something new and relax away from the everyday pressures of home life. The main island is Rarotonga, which is surrounded by the convenient Ara Tapu Ring Road that links all the towns and villages on the perimeter of the island. The ring road makes transportation fun and easy, whether you choose to travel by bus, rental car, motorcycle, bicycle or on foot.

Most of the Cook Islands resorts are located on the island of Rarotonga. They are always close to the beach with all its associated water activities such as swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling. The tempting turquoise waters of the lagoon are crystal clear, making boat rides particularly enjoyable. The Koka Lagoon glass-bottom boat cruise lasts three hours and includes a stopover at Motu Koromiri Island off Muri Beach, where you can enjoy an island barbecue feast and traditional singing with the ukulele A different cruising option can be found with the Rare Reef Sub, which some call the Yellow Submarine. The submarine takes you over a 1916 shipwreck, as well as through schools of colorful tropical fish, eels, sharks, rays, and turtles.

Several companies make it easy for you to explore the island, with a guide or on your own. Coconut Tours offers self-drive tours where you can follow the tour guide on a jungle quad bike or island buggy, as well as a 4×4 land cruiser tour with a driver and expert island guide. The Rare Safari Tour is another good option. You will board a 4×4 vehicle and explore the hills above the island that offer incredible views. If you like technology, you can even be guided by MP3. With Mai tours, you don’t need to follow the schedule, just hire the MP3 player and drive by car or scooter to the tour guide’s recorded commentary. You will hear about historical monuments, ancient marae sites and legends.

For those who love to walk in nature, there are plenty of opportunities close to the Cook Islands resorts on offer. You can explore the trails yourself or join a guided tour. One such walk is known as Pa’s Mountain Walks, which offers several tours, including one where you can learn about native medicinal plants. Another option is the Takitimu Nature Walk, where you can see native plants and birds.

For something a little different, Atiu Tours offers a trip to the Rimarau Burial Cave or the Anatakitaki Kopeka Bird Caves. The burial cave tour gives you insight into the archaeological history of the area and the bird cave tour takes you into the unforgettable world of the unique kopeka birds that navigate through the caverns using an echo-location click system .

Cook Islands resort hosts will be happy to provide you with all the information you need to stay active during your stay.