Self-governing, in free association with New Zealand
Cook Islands
Small islands, a vast lagoon and a pace of life you quickly make your own.
Photo: Christoph Burgdorfer / Unsplash
The Cook Islands are fifteen islands in the South Pacific, yet their mood is intimate and human in scale. A single coast road circles Rarotonga — you can drive it in under an hour — while the interior rises into steep, forested peaks. On Saturday mornings everyone gathers at Punanga Nui market, and on Sundays the churches fill with rich harmonies.
A short flight takes you to Aitutaki, with its vast turquoise lagoon scattered with tiny motu. Further still lies Atiu, with limestone caves and birdlife. It's a place for those who want peace without isolation: simple, warm island life with the sea always close.
Experiences to consider
- 01
Rarotonga evenings
Kayaking Muri Lagoon at sunset, dinner at a night market and a cross-island hike past the Te Rua Manga needle.
- 02
Aitutaki's lagoon
A day by boat between the motu, swimming in the shallows and lunch on One Foot Island.
- 03
Atiu and the quiet islands
Caves where kopeka birds nest, coffee plantations and villages where life moves at its own gentle pace.
Ways to travel
Ways to experience it
Ways to travel aren't separate paths — the best journeys often bring several together.
Honeymoons & special journeys
Villas by the lagoon, private boat days on Aitutaki and evenings with no plans at all.
Family journeys
Shallow lagoons, short distances and friendly people — relaxed travel with children.
Culture & discovery
Sunday hymns, dance evenings and time with island communities.
Adventure & active travel
The cross-island hike on Rarotonga, reef snorkelling and, in season, humpback whales.
Sample journey
More journey inspiration
9–10 days
Where the plane lands a few times a week: Atiu and Mangaia
Rarotonga on foot, caves and birds on Atiu, makatea cliffs and village life on Mangaia
Culture & discovery · Adventure & active travel
9–12 days
Rarotonga and Aitutaki, slowly
One green island, one great lagoon and plenty of time
Exceptional stays & escapes · Family journeys
The Journal
Visit the JournalWhere & when
Escaping the Lithuanian winter: where to find light and warmth, and what it takes to get there
From November to March, Lithuania runs short of light as much as warmth. Where to find both – from Oman's nearby deserts to the Cook Islands on the far side of the world – and how flight time, time difference and the journey home change what a trip is worth.
7 min read
Inspiration
Where to go when you've already travelled a lot
Once the classic routes are behind you, the next step is usually not further but deeper. Eastern Anatolia, Egypt's Western Desert, Bolivia, Australia's far north and quiet Pacific islands.
3 min read
Related discoveries
More in: OceaniaNew Zealand
Mountains · Self-drive · Māori culture
Fiordland, Queenstown, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Rotorua and the Bay of Islands — two islands best explored at your own pace behind the wheel.
French Polynesia
Lagoons · Islands · Romance
Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, the Tuamotu atolls for divers and the remote Marquesas.
Fiji
Islands · Reefs · Hospitality
The Yasawa and Mamanuca islands, soft-coral reefs off Taveuni and the warm welcome of village life.
Plan your journey