We were off on a long overdue holiday with the awesome group of girls I call friends, to the beautiful Cook Islands.

We landed in Rarotonga to ukulele music accompanying us as we waited to pass through immigration. Duty free purchases made, we collected our bags and headed out front.

The buses in Raro are super easy as they go clockwise or anti clockwise and that is it. We jumped on the bus with our luggage while the driver assisted with bags, told us the price (cheap) and off we went, happily dropped off at the driveway to our accomodation. He also offered his services as a date while we were there which we politely declined and laughed about many times in the week to come.

Our accommodation was an Airbnb in Turangi Lagoon near Muri. The villa was all we needed and more. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a pool and verandah with a roof. A beautiful fresh tropical fruit platter awaited our arrival. It was so very pretty. We spent loads of time in the pool and on the verandah, snacking when we weren’t eating out. It really became “home.”

Our first night was spent in, as we settled in to the villa, sorting beds and making dinner as we bought quite a lot of food from NZ. So much for party girls, we were in bed by 8 pm, the early start taking its toll, not being in our 20’s anymore 🤣

Day two we got on the bus and headed to Muri beach quite early. We found LBV cafe and enjoyed great coffee and breakfast. The eggs and bacon on the island are delicious. This would not be our only breakfast at LBV. The huge covered verandah is a great spot to chill, sip coffee and chat. Photo credit to DC and AR.

Tummies full and coffee doing its job, we started the walk back to the villa. As we passed Island Rentals, we did some quick maths and decided that a week of bus fares for 6 would soon be more than a rental car which gave us much more flexibility. A 5 seater and one in the back of a station wagon was the perfect fit. The girls rotated round as I was the driver for the week. The speed limits were 30/40 and 50, but mostly 40 so it was a pleasure to drive around the island with everyone very chilled on the road.

Muri has so much to offer in the way of refreshments. Another place we went to more than once was the juice bar. An amazing blend of local fruits that tasted divine.

Also in Muri is the famous Moorings Fish Cafe. The best fish burger or fish sandwich you will ever have. Fish so fresh it melts in the mouth. The service is so friendly and while you are enjoying the food, you may be treated to live music as we were. Photo credit DC.

The main centre is Avarua and this is where we had breakfast twice at The Lucky Rooster Cafe, ( used to be Cafe Salsa ) and once again treated to fantastic flavours, freshness and friendly service. The smoked marlin hash brown was soooo good. I should mention that coffee was great everywhere too.

Saturday morning is market day in Avarua so we spent a few hours wandering the stalls and buying a few locally made items. Along with food, produce and crafts, live entertainment made the morning magical.

I took the girls to the Edgewater for happy hour and Ika Mata, (raw fish). Even our Fiji guru loved the Ika Mata here. The flavours and the amount both 10/10. We returned to the Edgewater for an island night of dancing, food and fun.

Now cocktails are something we are fond of and many were made at the villa by our cocktail maker extraordinaire, who shall remain nameless, but we also enjoyed the ambience of Cococktail bar. One of my favourite cocktails was not on the menu but they happily made it for me. The tapas here were divine ….. once again the flavours were astounding. To top this place off, the view over Blackrock and on to the ocean is mesmerising. Photo credit KR.

On our second to last morning we did a drive all around the island, and found a hidden gem of an art place, Blue Moon Art. Not only was this guy a talented artist, his frames, also made by him were stunning. I recommend a visit here.

The Waterline Restaurant is also at the top of our list as one of the best spots on the island, with easy beach access to enjoy your drink or just sit on the deck and breathe it all in. The service here also inviting, friendly and warm.

Speaking of best spots, close to Waterline is Wilson’s Bar at Castaway Motel. This is truly on the beach dining and drinking. While it was not the best food and drink we had, the setting was fantastic, and the nods to the Tom Hanks movie were fun.

We decided one day to turn off the one main road and venture down the back roads. This is a great way to see the other side, non tourist side, people’s houses and gardens. This took us up to the hospital and some of the best views of that beautiful ocean surrounding Rarotonga.

Our group of girls are animal lovers and we spotted the sign for Paws and Claws cat sanctuary not far from our villa. Off we went to the supermarket to load up with cat food and visit the sanctuary. This was run by a kiwi lady and it was so lovely to spend an hour with her and cuddle loads of cats and kittens. Raro has many island dogs who wander and appear well fed and well versed with crossing roads, but not many cats are visible so we were really interested to hear the views and opinions of this lady and her plans for education and ongoing desexing of the cats. I really admire people who selflessly put animal welfare at the top of the way they live, committing to improve the lives of our furry friends.

Rarotonga has beautiful beaches that is not in doubt but they also have beautiful botanic gardens to wander. It is a deliciously serene place to spend some time. The settings for weddings here is idyllic.

A visit to Rarotonga is not complete without a night at the iconic Trader Jacks. It is situated in town right over the water at the harbour. Great seafood, and fun singalong live music. It gets really busy so booking is needed.

Rarotonga you were relaxing, refreshing and you recharged our minds and souls. Thanks to my most gorgeous friends for your company and all the photo shares.

Kia orana till next time ❤️

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