Rarotonga for Families: Your Complete Overview

Rarotonga in the Cook Islands is one island paradise that truly awaits. The Cook Islands are made up of 15 islands with Rarotonga being the main island.

Rarotonga is surrounded by a coral reef and there are many great spots to swim. There is also plenty of accommodation all over the island to suit everyone’s budget. There are plenty of activities on the water and land to keep you entertained.

One thing is for sure Cook Islanders are warm friendly people who constantly smile and wave. If you are looking for the perfect spot to relax and unwind as a family then you have just found it.

Rarotonga is around a 4 hour flight from New Zealand and is serviced mainly by Air New Zealand 

Accommodation

Rarotonga is made up of little districts, having visited over 10 years ago I had an idea of where I thought it was best to stay with our families.

See there was 15 of us celebrating our 20th anniversary of living together in London.

I located a place in Muri that could take us all, Muri Hillside Guesthouse. We were 500m from Muri lagoon, it had a pool and great write-ups from previous guests. Serena is an amazing host, contact via email was always quick and they arranged everything we needed.

They are also connected with Koka Lagoon Cruises and offer guests a discount. Serena’s place is made up of 5 different accommodation areas; the cottage (upstairs and down), the bungalow, studio and the apartment.

We rented everything except for the studio. All in all, we couldn’t have asked for more, each was perfect for us. For us this is the best place for families in the Cook Islands.

Muri Hillside Guesthouse accommodation, perfect place to stay

As we spent a couple of extra nights we also choose to stay on the other side of the island at the Edgewater Resort and Spa. We are not resort people but as far as resorts go it was fine.

The rooms were spacious and the buffet breakfast was pretty good too. The beach is great but swimming as a little more limited as it’s fairly rocky.

I prefer Muri lagoon but you can get reef shoes and wander around the coral reef. One morning at breakfast we watched whales swim past so that was awesome.

Otherwise, it just reaffirmed our reasons that we are not resort type people.

Our Top Tips 

Rarotonga, in facts al the islands in the Cook Islands, is expensive so we brought plenty of food, mainly snacks, breakfast cereals etc the only thing you can’t bring in our fruits and vegetables.

If you are keen for a drink then I would also purchase duty-free in my home country rather than get it at Rarotonga’s airport. Their amount per adult is quite small.

It’s recommended that you don’t drink the tap water so if the place you are staying at doesn’t have filtered water then you’ll need to buy bottled water from the shop.

Looking back we wish we had done a little research into Filtered Water Bottles For Travel at the time. 

Things to do

Muri lagoon

Welcome to paradise is what everyone said! The lagoon is huge, surrounded by smaller islands and crystal clear water.

This was the perfect place for the kids to swim and the adults to relax. We spent most of our day’s snorkelling, there is plenty of fish to see and coral to explore.

We also rented paddleboards and kayaks where everyone took the opportunity to paddle around the lagoon.

Plus it’s a great way to get the little ones out on the water.

One thing you do need to watch is the placement of your towels and belongings on the beach. When the tide is coming in now and then there is a small surge of water and if you are not careful everything will be wet.

Sadly we learnt this a couple of times.

Muri lagoon is also a great place to watch the sunrise too, the perfect start to your day.

Koka Lagoon Cruise (glass bottom boat)

Definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Koka Lagoon Cruises is a 4-hour experience and worth every penny.

Our day started at 10 am where we were welcomed on board, met the crew and sailed off to a marine reserve. The crew make the trip, they are entertaining and energetic non-stop.

Along our way to the reserve we learnt about the surrounding islands, what the plan for the day looked like, and the crew as well as manning the boat they were also the string band and sang and played.

On arriving at the reserve we learnt about the fish, coral rejuvenation, the lagoon itself and the dos and don’ts when in the water. We spent around 40 minutes snorkelling.

No fins were allowed on less you couldn’t swim. This is to protect the reef. However then are steel platforms in the water to rest on.

Afterwards, we made our way to Koromiri island (opposite Muri beach) once more entertained musically by the boys all the way.

Upon arrival, an incredible buffet lunch including meat, yellowfin tuna, papaya salad, rice, bread, fruits and more was waiting.

From there the boys kept us entertained with songs, demonstrations including coconut tree climbing from Captain Awesome who holds a pacific record for climbing a coconut tree in 6 and a half seconds and sarong tieing.

These were all done with audience participation.

To be honest we laughed pretty much the whole way through the show like I said the Koka crew know how to entertain.

Before we knew it our 4 hours where up and we were on our way back.

If you only do one thing in your visit to Rarotonga then do this, you will learn about the lagoon and be entertained nonstop.

Punanga Nui market 

This is located near the waterfront in Avarua. Saturday is the main market day opening at 7 am and finishing at noon. This is a must-do.

Here you can purchase your fresh fruit and veg, coffee, food stalls are set up and it’s delicious, clothing as well as souvenirs. These range from artworks, handmade ukuleles to jewellery, even black pearls.

There is even a bonus of a live cultural display. It really is the perfect way to start a Saturday.

Kitesurfing/SUP

These guys are opposite Koka Lagoon Cruise and we believe gave the best value for hiring Kayaks and Paddleboards at Muri Lagoon. They also offer kitesurfing lessons and arrange of SUP activities including yoga, fitness and the popular night tour.

We opted just to hire the equipment and entertain ourselves.

Te Ara Museum 

This place gives you an insight into the history of the Cook Islands. Te Ara involves a lot of reading and there are a few things to look at including 4 fish tasks with information about the reef.

We loved learning about the stick chart. This was the way their journeys were mapped, very impressive.

Upstairs there is a plastics video you can watch. Lukas enjoyed this and learnt a lot about protecting our oceans and supporting the Cook Islands ecosystem. Adults are $15 and kids under 12 were free.

Island nights

Sadly we can’t comment on this as we ran out of time to attend one. However, we heard Te Vara Nui is meant to be pretty amazing.

Mountain Trek

Now we planned to take all the kids, except the very little ones up to the lookout however, the weather changed towards the end of the week so sadly we didn’t get to do this.

But speaking to other people who did it they recommend it was worth it for the views alone. Oh well, just that means we need to return to Rarotonga one day.

Wigmore’s waterfall

To be honest Wigmore’s waterfall was not really worth it, maybe it was the time of the year but there wasn’t much to see other than a trickle of water and plenty of mosquitoes.

There is also a small charge of $5 per car and $2 per motorbike to use the car park. This is around halfway up the road.

Cruise around the island 

The best way to do this is by car or scooter (motorbike) this way you can just pull over at places you see and like. The speed limit is 50kms in most areas while 30kms in others.

Gallery Tavioni and Vananga 

If you are looking for a master carver then this is the place. Mike Tavioni and his wife Awhitia are very welcoming.

A couple of the boys had a piece each designed and beautifully carved out of local timber. To be honest each of the pieces was amazing. The craftsmanship is incredible, best in the Cook Islands. There also offer artworks as well.

You can select your design and then add your personal touch. Make sure you visit well in advance as Mike needs time to carve your design. On Fridays, they host local children to try their hand at carving and learn the techniques.

Their gallery is located on the back road in Atupa.

Places To Eat And Drink

Muri Night market 

We spent a couple of nights here, food prices are around $15 and no one was disappointed with their choice. There is a large range of food to choose from, all cooked right in front of you.

A personal favourite was Island Crepes, I know it’s a pudding but at the end of the night, it’s worth it. While there are lots of favours I recommend Strawberries and Custard.

The night market is open from 5 pm to 7 pm. Make sure you get there for 5 pm because once they run out you will be disappointed. We learnt this the hard way, arriving just before 7 pm.

Only 4 stalls weren’t sold out however the food from those stalls was still amazing.

Vili’s Burger Joint

We ate at the one in Muri but it looks like they are a few more around the island. The burgers are filling, offer a selection of beef, chicken and even something for us vegetarians.

All at reasonable prices too.

What we liked about Vili’s was its layout with plenty of amusing signs to make you giggle. Make sure you read the sign directly under where you order.

Charlie’s 

This is a great little spot just south of Muri and a restaurant not to be missed. The food here is plentiful in fact I couldn’t even finish my fish sandwich it was that big.

The view across the lagoon at Charlie’s is pretty amazing too. Get there at opening time as it’s very popular and there can be long wait times. But it is worth it. 

LBV Cafe

This is a great cafe that even does dinners 3 nights a week. This is where we picked up our coffee most mornings of the week.

Inside there is a selection of cakes, pastries and salads. Very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Delicious Cafe

Opposite LBV Cafe, set a bit closer to the road but the food is great. It too has a selection of homemade cabinet food and freshly cooked from its menu.

Trader Jacks

This spot is in town and right on the water. Great views as the sunsets. The food here was amazing, most of us opted for the fish in which there are a few varieties to choose from. Portion sizes were big too.

Drinks again were reasonable and they even brew their own lager. It the end of the night, not one person had a pudding as everyone was full.

Sails and Isobar

Set right on the beach at Muri, this has location, location written all over it. We chose to have a drink at happy hour here before heading to the night markets.

Happy hour is from 3 pm to 6 pm. Cocktails cost around $12 and beer from $5 though if you order a jug it works out even cheaper. Isobar was a nice way to sit/relax on the deck and watch the kids play on the beach.

Transport

Local Bus

There are two bus routes in Rarotonga, one clockwise the other anticlockwise. To get on just wave it down.

Make sure you check with your accommodation to see when the bus passes your area.

If you miss your bus you will have an hour wait on less you decide to go the other way which means your wait time is shorter.

Car hire

There are plenty of places to hire cars around Rarotonga, Avis, Island car rentals and Polynesian car. Again these are all over the island, prices vary only a little between companies.

You only need your drives license from your home country and away you go. We hired our car in Muri and opted to pay an extra $30 to drop it at the airport. 

Motorbike hire

These are much cheaper than cars, starting around $12.50 per day. However, you need to get a Cook Islands licence.

First you need to head to the Cook Islands police station in Avarua and sit a $5 theory test, then rent a bike from a rental company (see car companies above) return to the police station for a quick $5 practical test and if all goes well pay $20 for your Cook Islands license.

Make sure you always wear your helmet even passengers, failure to do this could result in a $100 fine. Locals don’t need to wear helmets.

Bike hire

If you are keen on biking around there are places you can rent bikes, Ride Rarotonga is one and Polynesian Rental Car and Bikes is another. I’m unsure of the cost.

Remember in Rarotonga you share the road with other transportation so if you are out at night make sure you can be seen.

Remaining Online In The Cook Islands

The best option in Rarotonga and the Cook Islands is to get a visitor sim from BlueSky, there are a few locations around the island. The cost is $49 and this includes 3GB, 30 minutes of call time and 300 texts worldwide.

There are also wifi hotspots around Rarotonga where you can purchase data then sit back and surf the web. Prices start from $5 for 150MB.

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