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Cook Islands – A Selection of 26 Pictures

Ranginui´s Retreat, Aitutaki Atoll, Cook Islands

We spent three weeks on the Cook Islands in February 2008 during our Round The World Trip: altogether 9 days on Rarotonga, 7 on Aitutaki and 5 on Atiu. The Cook Islands were definitely a highlight in our trip and finally we discovered some of those Pacific Islands that matched our ideas of the “South Seas”. Continue Reading →

Travel Guide To The Cook Islands

View of a part of the lagoon from the plane, Aitutaki Atoll, Cook Islands

View of a part of the lagoon from the plane, Aitutaki Atoll, Cook Islands

We spent three weeks on the Cook Islands in February 2008 during our Round The World Trip: altogether 9 days on Rarotonga, 7 on Aitutaki and 5 on Atiu. The Cook Islands were definitely a highlight in our trip and finally we discovered some of those Pacific Islands that matched our ideas of the “South Seas”.

Continue Reading →

Coffee & Art In Atiu

 

Coffee cherries, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Coffee cherries, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

As already mentioned, we stayed at the Are Manuiri Guesthouse, a very good choice. This typical bungalow residence in the center of the village, very comfortable and cheap (33 Euros for a double room), offers a pleasant living room, kitchen-use and three bedrooms. And there are no mosquitoes there, a real pleasure after being under attack in Aitutaki! As everywhere on the Cook Islands roosters compete crowing against each other around 03:00 am, something we could not get used to. Continue Reading →

Eco-tour With “Birdman George”

 

George Mateariki, or "Birdman George", Atiu Island, Cook Islands

George Mateariki, or “Birdman George”, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Weeks before we came to Atiu, we had heard and read about George Mateariki, or “Birdman George”, as he is called on the island. He was put in charge of various bird recovery programs, like the one for the almost extinguished Rarotonga Flycatcher. Continue Reading →

Papa Paiere – The Last Storyteller Of Atiu

Beach where Captain Cook landed for the first time in the Cook Islands, in 1777, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Beach where Captain Cook landed for the first time in the Cook Islands, in 1777, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

One morning we spent with Papa Paiere, a retired history teacher and local of Atiu who worked in Rarotonga for many years. After retiring, he returned to Atiu and is now sharing his knowledge with the very few tourists. And this is what we learned… Continue Reading →

Tumunu – Homebrew in the “Bush Pub”

 

Bush Pub on a very remote Pacific Island, Atiu, Cook Islands

Bush Pub on a very remote Pacific Island, Atiu, Cook Islands

Before we came to Atiu, we had read about the Tumunu ritual and immediately realized this was something we had to check out! Nowadays, the Tumunu is best described as a community meeting place, mainly for men, where issues are discussed and problems solved. It turned into an unforgettable evening. Continue Reading →

Rimarau Burial Cave – The Cave Of 500 Leaves

Legend says that in a battle between two tribes, one succeeded in trapping the other in a narrow spot in the Makatea. All the warriors from this tribe were killed and their bodies thrown in a cave. So many lives were lost that nobody at that time had a system to count them, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Legend says that in a battle between two tribes, one succeeded in trapping the other in a narrow spot in the Makatea. All the warriors from this tribe were killed and their bodies thrown in a cave. So many lives were lost that nobody at that time had a system to count them, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Legend says that in a battle between two tribes, one succeeded in trapping the other in a narrow spot and killing all the warriors from this tribe and threw their bodies in a cave. So many lives were lost that nobody in those days had a system to count them. So the cave was given the name of a tree with supposedly 500 leaves, the highest number known, hence being called The Cave of 500 Leaves or Rimarau Cave. Continue Reading →

Atiu, Highlight Of The Cook Islands

Beach where Captain Cook landed for the first time in the Cook Islands, in 1777, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Beach where Captain Cook landed for the first time in the Cook Islands, in 1777

After only two days, it came clear to us that Atiu was definitely THE highlight of the three islands we visited within the Cook Islands. It was here that the words “unspoiled nature” and “Travel Off The Beaten Track” took on a completely new meaning for us. Continue Reading →

First Impressions Of Atiu

Heidi, on the way to Are Manuiri, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

Heidi, on the way to Are Manuiri, Atiu Island, Cook Islands

This island is VERY different from Rarotonga and Aitutaki: here, we finally had that feeling of really being on a remote Pacific Island and not just another tourist destination. On a speck of land, 27 square kilometers in size, in the middle of the Pacific with 630 inhabitants, we are among the seven tourists presently on the island! According to our host, more than in the past few months which had been very quiet, with almost no tourists coming to Atiu.

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