Planning your Honeymoon in the Cook Islands

couple on honeymoon in rarotonga cook islands

Overview

With beautiful beaches backed by tropical mountains and a lazy laid-back atmosphere, romantic holidays in the the Cook Islands are hard to beat. The two main tourist islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki both have a charming atmosphere that seems to captivate holiday-makers as soon as they step off the plane and into the warm balmy weather. The scent of flowers fill the air and palms sway alongside the single lane road that has more mopeds and chickens on it than cars. With long stretches of sandy coastline on both Rarotonga and Aitutaki, beach walks at sunset are a popular pastime while cooling off in turquoise lagoons is one of the more active pastimes in the heat of the day.

Tourism reflects this romantic ambience with the most popular style of accommodation being small boutique resorts most of which have simple bungalows instead of box-like rooms, and many of these directly on the beach. Such is the popularity of a honeymoon in the Cook Islands that quite a few accommodations disallow children to ensure a quiet ambience.

Honeymoons on Rarotonga Island

The main island of Rarotonga may not be the first choice destination for a romantic honeymoon in the Cook islands but it does have its own unique appeal. The beach resorts on the south coast offer a more private setting than popular Muri Beach or the family resorts on the west coast so this is probably the best place to look. If finding a nice quiet beach with a turquoise lagoon isn't the end of your list then Rarotonga does make a great destination for a little exploring and sightseeing. Hire a car or moped and take in island life along the roadside where quaint villages and small art galleries sit side by side. Or explore some of the islands safe hiking trails to experience the wonder of the tropical rainforest. Dining choices are excellent on Rarotonga, with some fantastic independent restaurants on the beach front serving fresh fish and often with a local band playing melodic South Sea tunes in the background. How romantic is that!

Honeymoons on Aitutaki Lagoon

A honeymoon in Aitutaki ticks all the boxes. This is an uncommercialized island destination with a very laid back feel. The star attraction is it's lagoon best explored on a day cruise. Visit uninhabited islands with stunning white sand beaches backed by towering coconut palm trees and snorkel in the incredibly turquoise lagoon - there are even sand bars and shallow lagoons. Aitutaki is a small island with a handful of independent restaurants if you want to go exploring at night and a few of the resorts have island nights with traditional dance shows where you can join in without having to be a guest.

Aitutaki Lagoon Resort$$$$$

picture of aitutaki lagoon resort beach
Located on a small motu off Ootu Point., this upmarket resort features a lovely beachside restaurant, beautiful overwater bungalows and lots of coconut palms. The beachfront is exquisite and there's a turquoise lagoon protected by a sand spit that makes the ideal spot to sunbath and swim.

Etu Moana Villas$$$$

picture of Etu Moana Villas beach
Etu Moana is a small beachfront property situated on the west coast of Aitutaki. Each of the eight Polynesian style open-plan Villas offers lagoon views and are staggered around a small swimming pool featuring black volcanic rocks with a wooden deck furnished where you can enjoy a drink at the bar and Complimentary breakfast.

Aitutaki Beach Villas$$

picture of aitutaki beachvillas beach
Aitutaki Beach Villas is everything Aitutaki typifies - a down to earth atmosphere in a quiet beachfront location. The self-catering bungalows offer an island style ambience with simple kitchenettes for self-catering making this one of the best value accommodations on Aitutaki.