kkg

hello
we are planning an august trip to the cooks, rarotonga, aitutaki and mauke. we are looking to stay at palm grove and are tamanu. but cant find much info on mauke, any help out there? many thanks!

LordBalfor

LOVE your choices of accomodations (snorkeling is wonderful at both of those places).

Some folks on Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree board (http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/ca...s.cfm?catid=20) can likely answer your questions about Mauke. Not much on the island. It's pretty much off the beaten track - but if you are looking for a "cultural" experience and a more isolated feel than even Aitutaki offers, them Mauke may suit. It certainly would be different.

Only heard of 2 places to stay on the island - both listed here:

http://www.jetsave.co.ck/mauke_island.htm

Ken

kkg

thanks very much ken. i have read many of your helpful replies and saw your amazing photos of are tamanu-they actually made the decision for me!
i am coming from nyc and have been told to bring food along with us, are we permitted to do this?
also, initially we were going to go rar-mau-ait and then nyc. but after reading this site i think we would be wiser to do rar-mau-ait-rar and then nyc. do you have any other recommendations for a differnent part of rar to stay on for a couple of nights? thanks again!

LordBalfor

You're welcome. Glad to help.

Are you referring to bringing food into the Cooks from the USA or bringing food from Raro to Aitutaki? We did bring some sugar-free cookies into the Cooks (I'm diabetic) and had no problem (not sure about fresh food though). Also brought it on the plane to Aitutaki and no problem there (I don't think there are any restrictions there). If fact, I've seen many recommendations that folks bring some groceries from Raro since prices on Aitutaki are so MUCH higher and the selection so MUCH more limited.

For your last days on Raro before you return home you might want to consider staying at either Muri Beach or somewhere on the west side so you can catch the sunsets. However, considering that the Are Tamanu on Aititaki has great sunsets (and you'll have just been there), I'd probably go for Muri. I do not like the water conditions at Muri anywhere near as much as at the Palm Grove or at the Are Tamanu but Muri has such wonderful motus to explore and it's sooooooo beautiful (especially the northern end of the lagoon). Muri is of course more crowded than anywhere else in the Cooks, but that's a relative term and it does mean you will have a selection of restaurants. Not sure what your budget is but you may want to consider a place like the Muri Beach Hideaway or Elliot Smiths' Shangri-La resort - or if you really have the money - the Sokala Villas. It may be though that they won't accept reservations for that short of a stay, in which case you may want to consider the Rarotonga Pacific Resort or the Muri Beachcomber (which probably do).

Ken

kkg

great, i will look at muri beach.
bringing food from the us, other than veggies, meat, etc. naturally, my husband has a pretty long list of cannot eat foods.
did you fly air nz coach? if so, how are they?
i can hardly wait to go, its been a dream for a while!

LordBalfor

Yeah, we flew Air New Zealand in coach (in spite of my travels I'm not made of money) in an older 767 and it was a good flight - especially considering the length and the fact that my wife was a bit cranky - just because I had dropped a HUGE suitcase on her foot that morning in LA (how could she possibly be mad about the fact that she was going to be limping for the next week?).

Ah, yeah. Well anyway, if was a very pleasant flight. We left LAX at 9PM and arrived on Raro about sunrise. It was a direct flight. I think they may stop on Tahiti now. Started right out with a late dinner (very good food for airplane food) followed by 2 movies. Fell asleep partway through the second one and actually slept fairly well for being on a plane.

Ken