10 Most Unique Things to Do in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands

There are several fantastic crafting workshops on Rarotonga but only Te 'Are Vananga, the creative workshop arm of the popular Te 'Are Tatatau art shop and tattoo studio, offers mother-of-pearl shell carving!

The standout is the "Parau Shell Carving Make-and-Take Workshop," a four-hour session from 12 pm to 4 pm led by Iaveta, a young self-taught artist who has been selling his work since he was 12. After a quick safety rundown, you'll practise on coconut shells before choosing your own design, tracing motifs such as birds, whales or traditional patterns, and engraving them onto your shell piece using machines lighter than a Dremel.

The focus is on doing, not listening; Iaveta demonstrates technique rather than taking over, and by 4 pm you'll leave with a finished pendant ready to wear as earrings, a necklace or a keychain.

There's also the "Pareu Printing Make-and-Take Workshop," where you roll Cook Islands motifs onto a pareu or tea towel using your chosen boards and colours, with a heat-set finish ready to collect the next day.

Why is there a post office on this islet in the Aitutaki Lagoon? We don't know, but it's one of the remotest places to post a postcard and get your passport stamped in the South Pacific! Also known as "Tapuaetai", One Foot Island is the destination of many cruises in Aitutaki that stop here for a barbecue lunch, leaving you plenty of time to explore the sights.

The post office here, which tends to be open on busy tour days, offers a few gifts for sale and the opportunity to get your passport stamped with their foot-shaped "One Foot Island" stamp.

Accessible with Bishop’s Cruises, Teking Lagoon Cruises, Kia Orana Cruise, The Vaka Cruise and Platinum Cruising. Find out more in the 10 Best Lagoon Cruises on Aitutaki.

Location: Southeast side of the Aitutaki Lagoon.

Sure, there are many places to hike over the land on the islands of Rarotonga, Aitutaki and more - just check out the 10 Best Hikes in the Cook Islands.

But on the island of Mangaia, the cave networks are so long and intricate that you can spend hours hiking inside the island. Some spectacular caves to visit include Te Rua Rere, Toru a Poru and Tuatini, all of which you can hire guides to lead you through their complex network of tunnels. Choose your cave using the 5 Best Caves on Mangaia.

Location: Mangaia. See the link above for cave locations.

A unique way to "go out for dinner" on Rarotonga is by dining in local people's homes on the "Progressive Dinner Tour". The tour run by Cook Islands Tours removes the barrier between “tourist” and “local”, transporting you across Rarotonga for a three-course dinner with each course in a different local home.

It’s your opportunity to sample the real flavours of the Cook Islands and experience the generous hospitality of its locals. Intrigued? See alternative food tours in the 10 Best Foodie Experiences in the Cook Islands.

Location: Transfers are included from anywhere on Rarotonga (but pick-ups are from the main road, Ara Tapu).

You may have heard of "kava drinking" that takes place on many South Pacific islands, but in the Cook Islands and particularly on Atiu, their drinking tradition is a more unique substance called "home brew" or "bush beer"; a potent drink made from banana, orange or pawpaw. On Atiu, bush beer is drunk at special bars called tumunu where visitors are welcome to sample some of the good stuff themselves. 

Either visit a tumunu independently (locations and opening hours are listed in The Food Guide to Atiu: Places to Eat & Food Tours) or join Atiu Safari & Fishing Tours, Atiu Villas, Anatakitaki Cave Tours, or Atiu Kia Orana Bungalows for a fully guided experience with transfers and history storytelling included.

Location: All over Atiu! Ask your accommodation or tour guides about the nearby tumunu or transfers are included with Atiu Safari & Fishing Tours. Alternatively, see the link above for locations.

The Cook Islands is home to several endemic bird species but the most unique is the "kopeka", a swiftlet that lives in just one cave on the island of Atiu and uses echolocation to fly around in the dark. It is even thought that this unique little bird can sleep while flying!

Learn more about the kopeka in the 20 Animals & Birds in the Cook Islands and learn more about the cave where it lives in the 5 Best Caves on Atiu.

Location: Anatakitaki Cave, east side of Atiu.

Circle Cook Islands isn't your average souvenir stop; it's one of the few places in the Cook Islands where discarded materials are transformed into wearable art, and where everything you walk away with was made by your own hands.

Run by Sabine, Rarotonga's very own Eco Warrior with over 20 years of upcycling experience, these hands-on workshops at her Nikao studio transform everyday waste (think bike inner tubes, drink cans and plastic chip packets) into jewellery and handmade bags.

The "Make-Your-Own Upcycled Earrings" workshop runs for 2 to 2 hrs 30 mins, requires zero jewellery-making experience and teaches you how to make a seriously awesome souvenir. The "Learn to Weave" workshop, limited to just four guests, teaches the technique behind her famous upcycled bags, and you'll leave with a souvenir, a PDF guide and the skills to make your own bag at home.

Both workshops run rain or shine, indoors, and everything you make is yours to keep.

Visit the Circle Cook Islands shop on Tuesdays from 10 am to 1 pm, or find Sabine at the Punanga Nui Market every Saturday.

This won’t take you too long, but is totally worth doing when doing a road trip around Aitutaki. A giant banyan tree arches across the road and makes for a fun photo opportunity as you drive through! See more road trip highlights in A Self-Guided Day Trip Around Aitutaki.

Location: On the main road between Vaipae and Tautu villages, Aitutaki.

Another cave-related activity and another one of the unique things to do in the Cook Islands is bathing in one of its underground cave pools! Only available at some of the lesser-visited islands of the Southern Group, including Mitiaro, Mauke or Atiu, cave pools like Vai Nauri, Vai Tango and Vai Marere feature dramatic stalactites towering above refreshing pools.

Find all of the best cave pools in the 10 Best Caves in the Cook Islands.

Location: Mitiaro, Mauke and Atiu. See the link above for specific cave locations.

If there's only one aspect of the Cook Islands culture to witness or experience, it has to be Cook Islands dance and music. Standing the test of time and going mostly unchanged since pre-missionary times, Cook Islander dancing is often reputed as some of the best in Polynesia.

The easiest way to witness the uniqueness of Cook Islander dancing is at an "island night", as listed in the 10 Best Island Nights in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands. However, you may be lucky enough to time your trip with one of the many lively events with dancing, some of which we list in The Top Events & Festivals in the Cook Islands.

Location: All islands.