Cook Islanders originated from Tahiti

The first Polynesian settlers to arrive in the Cook Islands came from Tahiti — pretty impressive considering they came by canoe and Tahiti is around 1,200km away!

There are more Cook Islanders in New Zealand than the Cook Islands

Over 61,000 people identify as Cook Island Maori in New Zealand compared to the total population of the Cook Islands at around 17,000. The Cook Islands have a free association relationship with New Zealand which means their citizens automatically get New Zealand citizenship too.

Cook Islanders are the best singers/dancers in the world

This one may be a little subjective and we are admittedly pretty bias but it doesn’t take away from the fact that Cook Islanders are pretty good singers and dancers. It helps that Cook Islanders have to study singing and dancing as a mandatory part of their education at school.

They are also the best scooter drivers in the world

Again, a little subjective, but it’s because the scooter is such an essential part of the daily life in the Cook Islands. Given how small the islands are, hopping on a scooter to get from one place to the other is the best way to go. Many tourists do this themselves when they visit!  The main circular road in Rarotonga is 32km long taking about 45 mins to do a full loop by scooter.

No snakes to worry about

There are no snakes in the Cook Islands and barely any spiders too. It’s not too surprising when you think about it, given the remoteness of the islands and the lack of wings those species have.

TV stars

In 2006, the well-known ‘Survivor’ reality TV show came to the Cook Islands in its 13th edition of the series. The contestants that year probably couldn’t have believed their luck to end up in the tropical oasis that is the Cook Islands. They were nevertheless kept busy with the usual tasks and challenges on the show.  There have also been a few films shot in the Cook Islands like ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence’ and ‘The Other Side of Heaven’.

No McDonalds, KFC or Starbucks

Given how prevalent these big international brands are you sort of just naturally expect them to be everywhere you go. Well, things are a bit different in the Cook Islands and despite repeated attempts to try and get in, local businesses are all that you’ll find.

A few more facts that we found:

• It only takes 45 minutes to drive around the entire island of Rarotonga
• During whale season (June-October), you can be a whale researcher for a day

The Cook Islands is like Hawaii from 50 years ago.  It’s great for those who feel that Tahiti and Fiji may be too busy for them.

Is this the right destination for your dream honeymoon or vacation?  Let the team at My Vacation Lady help figure it out for you.