Cook Islands Cultural Holidays
Cook Islands
Beautiful South Pacific Holidays

Culture in the Cook Islands

Traditional culture in the Cook Islands is not as evident in everyday life as it is in many other South Pacific Islands, but that's not to say it is not strong. The community remains an integral part of the individual but Cook Island Maori are far more independent than most other Pacific islanders and it may well have to do with the strong connections it has with New Zealand. For tourists visiting Rarotonga, the easy going happy-go-lucky lifestyle of the people is immediately obvious, but it's not such a common site to see islanders gathered for traditional community events such as fishing, planting and even feasting. Kava drinking, so common in other islands, and in particular the Melanesian islands of Fiji and Vanuatu, is rarely drunk. Bush beer, known as Tamanu, is brewed in Atiu, and this is the best island to visit to experience the traditional Maori way of life.

Music is a huge part of the culture, and if you hear a strange drumming sound it's likely an elder teaching a child the ancient rhythms on a hollow tree trunk. Be sure to check out an island night at one of the larger resorts where fast-paced drumming sets the pace for seductive dancing. Cook Islands dancing is one of the most exotic performances of all South Pacific dancing and can be witnessed at Island Nights at the two large resorts on Rarotonga as well as at entertainment venues in Avarua Town. If you enjoy shopping and art collecting you'll find that the hand-crafted art on the Cook Islands is abundant, varied, and exceptional, including woodcarving, weaving, and tivaevae – handmade patchwork quilts of island scenery. Also, the Cooks are famous for their gorgeous black pearls, cultivated and harvested by highly skilled specialists; it is also the home of the rare, natural golden pearl that grows in the lagoon of Penrhyn, one of the only natural pearls left in the world today. Wood carving has had a recent revival as has the art of making traditional outrigger canoes, and fans and hats are woven frequently in the outer islands and imported to Rarotonga for profit. Tivaevae quilting is still commonplace in Atiu and Mauke. A good place to see these crafts is at the Museum in Avarua Town and you may be able to buy good handicrafts from the Saturday market in Avarua or at the towns leading souvenir shops.

There are several historical sites on Rarotonga worth visiting, more for the story they present than for their visual appearances, and the most important of these is beside the inland road in the north-east side of the island. More appealing visually are its churches with the most impressive built by missionaries in the late 19th Century. Christianity is very much part of the modern day culture in the Cook Islands and visiting a Sunday church service will give you a good insight into the strong community beliefs of the islanders.