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Cook Islands Backpackers Guide

Beautiful Cook Islands Backpackers Guide is a dedicated south pacific islands travel expert offering personalized holiday planning with a reliable and unbiased south pacific resorts booking service. We are based in the South Pacific. It is our aim to help you select the ideal destination and resorts for your holiday

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Cook Islands Backpacker Guide

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Cook Islands backpackers are required to have proof of confirmed accommodation booking when they arrive at Rarotonga International Airport. Most flights arrive in the early hours of the morning when there is no public transport available. Having pre-booked accommodation is a good idea as you will be met at the airport and, in most cases, shuttled to your hostel free of charge.

The majority of backpackers spend their entire stay on Rarotonga which is one of only a handful of islands with tourist accommodation. Rarotonga has high volcanic mountains, excellent treks through rain forest to rugged mountain peaks and lots of fine stretches of white sand. The main centre is at Avarua Town on the north coast. Here you'll find boutique shops, banks with ATM machines, internet cafes, restaurants and several excellent bars and nightclubs. On the east coast is picturesque Muri Beach which has a sandy bottom lagoon great for swimming and water activities. The lagoon at Muri is fringed by four small uninhabited islands that can be waded to at low tide or paddles to at high tide and makes a great place to daydream. The other beaches around Rarotonga are picturesque but don't offer great swimming. The best snorkelling lagoon is on the South East coast opposite the Fruits of Rarotonga. There are about a dozen backpacker hostels in all around the island, most of which are on the mountain side of the road but a few offer beachfront accommodation. The island has a very friendly and laid back atmosphere and is undoubtedly the most relaxed island to explore with virtually no crime and few restrictions on where you can explore.

Getting around Rarotonga is very easy - the island takes under an hour to circumnavigate by car. There is a public bus running in both directions every hour between 6am and 6pm with a more limited night time service. You can purchase multiple-trip tickets from the bus driver. Mopeds are the preferred way of getting around with lots of special deals being offered - roughly NZ$55 for 3 days. Several hostels have their own mopeds for hire or there are lots of options around Avarua Town. It is compulsory to get a Cook Islands driving license before being allowed on the roads -the moped test costs NZ$15 and is arranged through the Police Station in Avarua Town. Bicycle hire is also available at most hostels.

The second most popular island to visit in the Cook Islands is Aitutaki, a gorgeous lagoon island 40-minutes flight to the north of Rarotonga (costs around NZ$170 one way). Aitutaki is for beach lovers and offers an even more laid back atmosphere than Rarotonga with several quaint fishing villages. The beauty of Aitutaki is its uninhabited small islands fringing the reef and snorkelling in the lagoon. Day cruises explore the lagoon and picnic on the islands but there is no backpacker accommodation on these offshore islets.

Adventurers will enjoy the peacefulness and unusual beauty of Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro or Mangaia Islands, all about a 40 minute flight to the east of Rarotonga. The most popular of these eco-destinations is Atiu which offers cliffs, caves, cove beaches, bush beer and traditional villages. The other islands are similar in geological appearance but are less equipped for tourism. There are a handful of budget style bungalows on these islands, but few organized activities )except Atiu) and the beaches do not offer swimming or snorkelling.

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