We had a GREAT experience working with Dianne and her firm GoWalkAbout Travel. (…) She has deep knowledge of the accommodations, sights and adventures, earned over many years of experience, but happily finds the new and innovative.
The Cook Islands
The Cook Islands offer tourists an incredible experience that they will never forget! The islands are famous for their luxury resorts, relaxing beaches, dream vacations, crystal water, and white sand. Guests can also take the chance to explore the island’s natural beauty with its lush palm trees and stunning sunsets.
The warm sun and soft sand and one of our favourite South Pacific Island destinations – this is the Cook Islands.
Located in the South Pacific and made up of 15 different islands spread over an area the size of India with a population no bigger than a small country town, approx, 14000 people. These unique and friendly Polynesians have their own language and government and enjoy a vigorous and diverse culture with significant differences between each island.
Despite some 70,000 visitors a year to the capital island Rarotonga, the Cook Islands are largely unspoiled by tourism. As the entire island is only 32 kilometres in circumference, getting around is easy. The main International Airport for The Cook Islands is also located on the island. There are two main roads on Rarotonga, you can circle the island on the Ara Tapu sealed road, through the villages, and past the beaches; or you can take the older inland road, which winds through fields of taro, pawpaw, bananas, and local farmlands.
Where Should I Stay In The Cook Islands
While there are no buildings taller than a Coconut Tree in The Cook Islands there are many choices of accommodation to suit budget and style.
Stay in a family-operated bungalow-style accommodation with a kitchenette or upper-end resorts during your Cook Islands Vacation.
Aitutaki
A visit to the Cook Islands is not complete without seeing the beautiful island of Aitutaki. The breathtaking allure of its crystal clear turquoise waters and sparkling white beaches is an essential ingredient in any Cook Islands Honeymoon. This is a place of unsurpassed natural beauty and tranquillity, providing a simple tonic to soothe away the pressures of the outside world.
Aitutaki is 220 kilometres north of Rarotonga and less than an hour’s flight away. It is partly volcanic and partly of atoll origin. The highest hill, Maungapu is said to be the top of Rarotonga’s Raemaru Peak, brought back by victorious warriors. The spectacular lagoon (45 kilometres around) is abundant with colored fish of many varieties, its perimeter sprinkled with many small and charming uninhabited islands (Motus).
How to Get to the Cook Islands
Air New Zealand flies from Los Angeles to Rarotonga once per week on Saturdays. The flight is about 11 hours long.
The only way to travel to The Cook Islands from Canada is to take a flight with Air New Zealand.
The airline has flights once per week from Los Angeles to Rarotonga, which is the closest airport in The Cook Islands. We can book you on a connecting flight with Air Canada.
Flying time from Auckland to Rarotonga is approx 5 hours. These flights operate almost daily so it may be a better option to have your stopover in The Cook Islands on the way home if having a New Zealand and The Cook Islands vacation.
Flying time from Sydney to The Cook Islands nonstop is approx 10 hours. Depending on if there is a direct flight operating you may have to fly via Auckland to connect.
When Is The Best Time To Visit The Cook Islands?
The Cook Islands is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Pacific. With its mild year-round climate, tourists can visit at any time of the year.
Rainfall is usually heavier in November and December, but this should not deter you from visiting. The Cook Islands has plenty to offer its visitors. If you want to experience sunshine and warm weather without having to deal with humidity, then it is best to visit between April and October. The other months are also great for experiencing rainfall which adds another dimension to your vacation.
Your Cook Islands specialist can design you a trip of a lifetime that either encompasses one island or many different islands. Our Cook Island Honeymoon clients have been located right across Canada and the USA from New York, Atlanta, Denver, Tampa, Boston to Toronto and Calgary.
When you are deciding on the best pacific island to visit please do not forget about the Cook Islands!
What Our Past Travelers Have to Say
G’day Dianne. Thank you! You listened well and organized our trip extremely well. Pick up and delivery times were spot on. The hotels were all good to great. (…) I just wanted to let you know that we appreciated everything you did to arrange a wonderful trip.
42 Days, 2 Countries, 6 States, 1 Territory, 15 Cities/Locations, 14 Flights and not a single mishap. On top of that, we had a GREAT TIME! A TRIP OF A LIFE-TIME! Our six week adventure to Australia and Singapore was our most memorable vacation to date. (…) Dianne is a wonderful find and without hesitation we recommend her to family and friends. Dianne will certainly be organizing our next adventure.
(…) Dianne put together an incredible New Zealand trip for us – we travelled from one tip to the other, East and West included. I would have thought Dianne knew me from childhood as every spot we visited or stayed at – was exactly what I would have chosen myself (had I known the country). (…)
Dianne planned a fantastic honeymoon for us. (…) We gave her an idea of the things and activities that we like to do and she just rolled with it! We didn’t really know much about either place, so didn’t have too much of a preference of where we wanted to go, but with her knowledge she was able to send us to some amazing places. (…) Thanks for planning us a wonderful honeymoon!
(…) Everything went very smoothly, thanks to you and your organizational skills! We really appreciate everything you did for us! (…) I want to thank you (Dianne) for all the work you & your colleagues did to ensure that we had an enjoyable holiday.
(…) Dianne, there are so many things you did for us that I cannot list them all in a letter. However, I can say that I have never worked with a travel agent before who took as much time to deal with all the details – big and small. It was like we were part of your extended family and you took full responsibility for our wellbeing. I would recommend you to anyone looking for a great travel agent, and I wish you the best of success in the future.
(…) From the beginning, Dianne really stood out. She spent a significant amount of time on the front end learning what we were interested in and what we did not like about previous tours. (…) I would definitely recommend GoWalkabout Travel to any of my friends and family. Thanks again for our trip! We had a fantastic time!
It was a trip of a lifetime!! (…) Every thing was working like clockwork. (…) Thanks Dianne and it was a pleasure meeting you and you taking the time to meet us in Sydney.
We really enjoyed working with Dianne in planning our trip to Australia. She was very efficient and gave us great recommendations. Prior to our departure, she ensured we had everything we needed including packing tips, in order to have a great trip. We would highly recommend using her services.
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