Diving is a very popular pastime in the Cook Islands, given they are the home of the famous black pearls. Many top quality dive operations are available for tourists, although it does pay to remember the closest decompression chamber is in Auckland New Zealand.

The amazing clear waters give an underwater visibility up to 200 feet, with spectacular canyons, caves and wrecks. The most popular places are the Ngatatangiia Swimthrough, Matavera Drop off, Mataora Wreck, Papu Canyon, Sand River and Koromiri Coral Garden. Fishing is another huge sport and tours range from night fishing with the locals to serious game fishing.

There are a number of fishing charters for both novices and experienced fisher people for deep sea fishing, saltwater fly fishing and light tackle game fishing. Game fishing starts right outside the Avatiu harbour, which is where most of the charter boats are based. Sailing is also available at the Raratonga Sailing Club, based at Avatiu Harbour. This is usually home to most visiting yachties, too.

Rarotonga and Aitutaki are excellent for diving, snorkelling, and fishing. If you have never been diving before, there are qualified instructors who can give you expert tuition. You can even sit your certified dive course in Rarotonga. The outer reef area offers a diverse range of diving locations depending on wind and weather.

Rarotonga boasts crystal clear waters and warm inviting temperatures between 23 and 30 degress celsius. All diving is shore based with trips usually departing in both the morning and afternoon.

A well kept Fishy tale..

It's definitely been one of the Pacific's best-kept secrets. If you are into game fishing, then the Cook Islands offer exceptional opportunities for this as well as saltwater fly and light tackle sports fishing.

Still virtually undiscovered by the world's sea angling fraternity, both Rarotonga and Aitutaki offer a world class style of fishing, with locals who know the waters inside out.

Deepsea game fishing is a speciality in Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Both enjoy the advantage of immediate access. There is no long journey to the fishing grounds, once out of the harbor the fishing begins. Big fish of many species are abundant. The currents, reefs and submarine topography supply ideal conditions for wahoo, barracuda. dolphin fish, yellowfin and skipjack tuna, sailfishand marlin. The Cook Island record for marlin is 616 lb (280 kg).

Aitutaki's magnificent 12,500-acre lagoon is particularly suitable for fly, lures or bait for world class bonefish, trevally, cod, snapper and other reef fish. It holds the world all-tackle record for Hump Head Maori Wrasse, set in October 1989.

A bonus for visitors from July to October is the strong possibility of seeing humpback whales which often come very close to Rarotonga's shoreline on their migration route north from the Antarctic and stop to calve. Both these and the resident pilot whales are often in evidence close to shore and will provide those who see it with an unforgettable memory of their stay in the Cook Islands.

You'll find fine snorkeling in the southern lagoon near the village of Titikaveka where a shallow channel off the sandy beach leads to coral heads populated by schools of small trevally.

 The most favoured swimming place and also the one where you'll see the most action from windsurfers is Muri Beach, where you can wade to four islets lying just offshore. Many restaurants are close by, so its a great place to spend the entire day.

Nagatangiaa is another excellent site for windsurfing and some surfing, the latter being a sport which is not as popular owing to small bays and small wave activity. It is is increasing in popularity, especially near Avarua, Avatiu, Matavera and the wreck of the Matai.

If you are a yachting fan, then the main base is the Rarotonga Sailing Club, at Avatiu Harbour (Avarua).

Muri Beach is situated on the south-eastern coast of the island, sweeping in a small arch for about one kilometre and is backed by palm and ironwood trees. Perfect for many aquatic activities, it also faces four uninhabited islands within the reef and has a lovely shallow lagoon for swimming (it's possible to wade across to two of these islands).

Muri Lagoon is the centre of water activities on the island and is the chosen spot for those who wish to take their families to a place which is safe for swimming. You can rent paddle boats and catamarans or take wind surfing lessons or even go para-surfing.

Muri Beach is one of the most favoured beaches along this stretch of coast simply because of its glorious sand. The shallow depth makes it a great beach for families, and in some areas you are able to literally paddle out to islets like Kokomiri at low tide.

The lagoon, no matter where you are, is perfect for snorkelling, even if you have never done this before. There are a number of places which have a raui in place, that is, the area is a protected marine reserve, so it means fish are plentiful and easily found in the areas where reef rocks are close by. If you want to spear fish, you may be better heading out to one of the outer islands such as Aitutaki.

There are a number of restaurants, clubs and bars overlooking the beach where you can relax and enjoy the scenery.

The trekking by horse back can take care of all levels of expertise, whether you have never been been on horseback in your life, or are an experienced rider, they have a horse available to suit every requirement.

You will thoroughly enjoy a two hour pony trek with the riding trails leading through the tropical plantations, up to Wigmore's Waterfall where you can have a swim before heading home along white sands beaches.

Do take along with you a good supply of insect repellant hower. Wigmore's Waterfall's are truly stunning, but so too is the mosquito population and you will need to be more than adequately prepared to combat it.

Horse treks are run twice daily with a maximum of 6 persons per trip. Bookings are essential for this.

While you won't find antiques or haute couture clothing here, you will discover the lustrous and beautiful black pearls which the Cook Islands are renowned for, handicrafts of excellent quality, colourful clothing and electrical goods at very reasonable prices.

Retail shopping hours are normally from 8am to 4pm during the week and from 8am to noon on Saturdays. Do remember that almost everything is closed on Sundays, which are regarded as days of religious observation.

Some resort and village shops are open during the evening and on Sunday and the airport shops are open for international flights. The Cook Islands way of selling is relaxed and friendly and most of all helpful. In fact, the retailers in general are extremely obliging and are inclined to refer you to another shop if they think a certain item will better suit your needs. You will rarely find here sellers who try to push their wares at you and bargaining is not an accepted custom in the Cook islands.

The duty free traders are mainly centered in Avarua with a few shops in resorts and at the airport. The several duty free shops offer an array of competitively priced goods ranging from cameras, watches, stereos, fine china and famous brand perfumes.

There are also a number of smaller island-style general stores where you could purchase some of the tropical jams and preserves which also make inexpensive gift items.

Other specialty stores in Rarotonga include fashions, gifts, stationery, chemists, camera shops, arts and crafts and of course exquisite pearl shops. Mother of pearl and other highly polished shells make distinctive pieces which are often admired. Black and red coral also make popular jewellery items, whether locally produced or imported they make most unusual forms of jewellery.

Rarotonga is blessed with many fragrant and exotic flowers and these are used in locally produced perfumes, oils and soaps. The most fragrant scents are tipani (frangipani), tiare (gardenia), and pitate (jasmine). The islands' handicrafts are highly prized. Wood carvings, fine grass skirts and baskets are all locally produced.

The Whale Outreach Organisation for the Pacific region is based in Avarua on Rarotonga and a new and colourful interpretive centre has been established to educate people about the whales and their habits and to monitor sightings.

Visitors to the Cook Islands Whale Education Centre will be introduced to the fascinating world of whales and dolphins and experience a plethora of awareness, knowledge and fun. The centre offers hands on educational activities, extensive outreach presentations, videos, guest lecturers, visual displays, posters, murals and photographs thereby teaching environmental awareness, the protection of ecosystems and ultimately all life in the sea.

This is a display of the local native costume and dance routines and they do not boast when they say that Cook Island dancers are among the best in the world. Music is to the Pacific Islanders, much more than just the beat of a drum or twang of a catgut chord.

For most of these cultures, their music is their oral history, handed down from generation to generation, remembering their ancestors’ feats. Accompanied by a row of drummers and – of course – the guitar/ukulele, half a dozen of the islands finest strapping young men appear in their wild hibiscus bark skirts with matching calf and arm racks.

They strut their stuff, ring out their challenges (amid the odd giggle or two!) and give you a dazzling display of just how attuned to the beat of a drum a body can really be. The highlight of the evening has to be the island girls however. Absolute sensuality is the only way to describe the way they move, with curves as gentle as the bays of the island and movement as languid as the palm trees we sit underneath, they are a sight to behold.

If that’s what the men of the Bounty saw when they left Tahiti, I am not surprised they planned a mutiny. Who’d want to go back to England’s fog after seeing that? It stands to reason Aitutaki was Captain Bligh’s last visit before he lost command of his ship on Norfolk Island. And that’s not all… with a well timed upbeat of the background drummers, the girls turn and with a flick of their grass skirts, give you an eyeball-stretching demonstration of what one’s feminine hips can really do at high speed. When one knows what one is doing of course!

The other highlight is when they choose members of the crowd to be given a very impromptu lesson in how to dance ‘island style”. Some are naturally inclined to have a reasonable idea, some just haven’t got a clue – but they all have fun, as do those watching them and the camera flashes work overtime!

The other highlight of the evening is the buffet, where you get a chance to taste island cuisine at its best. Some resorts will include food cooked in the umu (oven in the ground), others won’t, so it does pay to ask. But you’ll certainly get the idea of what taro, breadfruit, pawpaw, mango, puki and yams, for example are all about.