Hawaii, Tahiti, or the Cook Islands: Where You Should Go... and Why Jul 09 '03 (Updated Feb 14 '06)    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line These are 3 terrific vacation spots - each with unique pros and cons. As some of you may already know, over the last few years my wife and I have had the opportunity to travel to some terrific places in the tropics. We've walked the famous sands of Waikiki and strolled the empty beaches of Kauai's north shore. We've luxuriated in the sand-bottomed pool of one of Tahiti's finest hotels and stared in stunned silence at the languid lagoons of Bora Bora. And finally (just last year), we snorkeled to our hearts content in the warm sheltered waters of Rarotonga and explored the uninhabited motus of lovely Aitutaki in the wonderful Cook Islands. All of these things were terrific experiences and I highly recommend each and every one of them. We've enjoyed them all very, very much. So much so that I can't help but share the experiences - and so I write these reviews and post photos from the trips so others can see what these places are like and judge for themselves if a vacation there is really right for them. From time to time people write to me with kind words about my efforts and questions about the places we've been. Recently, one particular question seems to be popping up repeatedly: "OK, so which set of islands should I visit - Hawaii, French Polynesia, or the Cooks?" So with this question in mind, I ask each of you to return with me a for a few moments to these places that I so dearly love, so that I might compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of each (at least, as I perceive them). They are all terrific places - extremely beautiful (sometimes stunningly so), and all feature warm tropical water, famously pleasant climates and picturesque swaying palm trees. Beyond these things however, there are major differences between them - differences which may go a long way towards giving you a vacation you merely enjoy (or perhaps even not) - and one which changes your life forever. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS - THE WEATHER: Weather in the Tropical Pacific is very different from what most folks in the continental United States (and other temperate places) are used to. It's not just that it's warmer, or that it rains more, or that the wind blows ALL the time - it's really the combination of these 3 things that produces a truly different kind of environment. As a general rule, I have to say that it probably rains some pretty much everyday (somewhere) in the places I'm comparing. OK, that's somewhat of an exaggeration, but not tooooooo much of one. It certainly rains frequently, more so in the "rainy" season, but also in the "dry" season as well. In some parts of the world the term "Rainy Season" refers to torrential downpours that go on for days and weeks at a time (note the use of capital letters). I'm referring here to the "Monsoon" pattern of weather found in places like India and parts of Southeast Asia. These are places with very distinct seasonal patterns. Part of the year is very, very dry, and part of the year is rainy as all get-out. This is NOT the pattern you will find in any of the 3 places I'm discussing today (at least not as a general rule). The pattern found in each of these places is essentially the same year-round: Rain is typically in the form of brief (though usually heavy) showers that move in and pass out several times a day almost every single day. Usually, they seem to last no more than 20 minutes or so - often, less than 5 Often they occur at night. Rarely do they interfere with your activities. When the rain comes everyone runs for shelter (or not, depending on how hot folks may be) and things come a brief halt. People wait it out under their cover, then pop back out and go about their business when the rain shower moves on. Usually, they're grateful for the refreshing burst of cooler air the showers bring. For ten minutes or so afterwards, the ground is steamy and the air is thick with humidity. Fifteen minutes after the rain ends, the ground is dry and you'd never know it had ever rained at all. You do get more of these rain showers during the "rainy" season, and sometimes (like everywhere else) days and days of rain, but it is NOT USUALLY the continual downpour the term "rainy season" brings to mind. Typhoons do sometime occur during the summer, but they are pretty infrequent compared to places like the Carribean. Think about it a minute. These islands are covered with lush green vegetation. Plants go crazy there. There's a reason for that. Most plants like lots of sun and plenty of moisture and that's what they get. So, if you go to these islands, you have to expect that you will likely get some rain. The thing is however, that often (not always) this rain is very localized. Since these are usually individual clouds dropping their loads of moisture, it may be rainy where you are at the moment, but a mile down the road (or less), it may still be sunny. Later in the day, those situations may be reversed. Hawaii is somewhat of a special case in this regard, but I'll cover that in more detail in the Hawaii section. In general however, I'd have to say that it's very, very difficult to make anything more than broad generalizations regarding weather predictions for a specific location on these islands. OVERVIEW: Now, as I hope all of you already know, Hawaii is in the Northern Hemisphere. It sits at roughly the same latitude as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Havana, Cuba. The "rainy" season there is during the Northern Hemisphere winter months (Nov-Mar). They do have somewhat of a summer, where it is on average 8 - 10 degrees warmer than their winter (Honolulu average high is 88 in the summer and 80 in the winter). Tahiti, Bora Bora, and the other islands of French Polynesia as well as the Cook Islands all lie in the Southern Hemisphere - so remember - their seasons are reversed. It's their winter in July and their summer in January. Since Hawaii has their rainy season in the winter, and French Polynesia and the Cooks are "mirror images" of Hawaii (and have the same kind of climate), you'd expect that these last 2 places would mimic Hawaii and have their rainy seasons during their winter as well (ie June-September) - right? Wrong! Interestingly enough, the islands in the Southern Hemisphere have their rainy season at the exact same time as Hawaii - only of course it's during their summer down there. The point I'm trying to make here is that Hawaii, Tahiti, and the Cook Islands ALL have their rainy season at the same time. So in that regard, weather shouldn't be too much of a factor is deciding WHERE you want to go - except that one location will be cooler and another will be a bit warmer. Note that the Cooks are the coolest of the 3 places mentioned and SOME people feel that they are perhaps a bit cool in the winter for swimming (at least on Rarotonga). Typical mid-winter weather is 77 for the average high on Rarotonga - but with a breeze, which can make it feel a bit cooler - and around 80 for the high on Aitutaki - which should be fine for swimming even in winter. Essentially Rarotonga has summer and winter highs and lows virtually identical to either Hana on Maui or Hanalei on Kauai. Thus their winter weather is hardly "winterlike" but depending on your expectations, if you are coming from a hot summer location in North America in say, July, you may find it a bit cooler than you would expect on Rarotonga. It is in fact however the exact same temperature range you'd find on the north shores of the Hawaiian islands in January - when of course that temp would feel just fine to someone from the North American mainland. Remember, temperature is largely relative and how warm or cold it feels is highly dependent on what you have grown used to. Visitors to the main tourist islands in French Polynesia are unlikely to feel cool at any time of the year as the average daily highs never drop below 80 giving FP the warmest overall temperatures of all three of these locations. However,all three places may require a light sweater in the winter evenings (again, mainly because of the breeze). In regards to WHEN you should go, consider this: Many folks will go to Tahiti only during the dry season because they want to minimize their chance of getting rain. This is fine - however, you should consider something else when thinking about the weather - what is the weather like that you are leaving at home? To me, perhaps the biggest reason for going to the tropics is to get away from crappy weather at my house. If you are a resident of the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, do you really want to go to the tropics when you have warm weather at home? I don't know about you, but I'm from Seattle, it's cloudy and cool 9 months of the year. I'm not excited about paying big money to go somewhere else when we're having the best weather we ever get here -especially when there's always a risk (slight though it may be) that it may actually be cooler there than at home. I'd much rather do it when I'm getting away from crud at home so I've always gone during the rainy" season, and plan to continue that pattern. Others will disagree, but we think that the "rainy" season is the best time to go - prices are lower, crowds are less, and the water is warmer (at least in the Southern Hemisphere locations). I'm not really urging you to go that time of year, I'm just asking you to not disregard the possibility simply because it is labeled the "rainy" season. It does indeed rain more at that time of year, but my experience is that it hasn't got in the way. There is really NO bad time to go to these islands. Anyway, just something to consider. Now that we've covered weather, lets talk a little bit about geography (stick with me, this is important): All of these islands had volcanic births. Lava poured from a crack in the ocean floor, and slowly built an undersea mountain. As the volcano grew, that mountain finally broke the ocean surface and became an island. Finally, the volcano sputtered and died and when it did, the islands' fate was sealed. Little by little the island began to go away. It did this in 2 ways: 1) Rainwater slowly washed it into the sea (bit by tiny bit). 2) It actually began to sink back into the crust of the earth, carried down by its' own massive weight, much as a newly built house will begin to settle. Of course this processes takes thousands of years, and other things are happening in the meantime. One of these things is the slow growth of a coral reef. Coral is made up of millions of tiny plant-like animals that grow into enormous colonies. As young polyps (floating baby corals), they drift on the ocean currents until they find a nice place to settle down. These places have to be in warm (but not too warm) water, near the surface. Usually, they take root in the shallow water just offshore of a tropical island. Here they grow and multiply. If conditions are good, the coral colony prospers. As one generation of coral dies, new polyps take root on the calcium 'skeletons' of the old and thus the coral piles up, one generation atop another. When the coral has piled up so high that it reaches the surface of the water, it can't grow upwards anymore and instead begins to spread out sideways. This happens all along the shore, so that eventually a ring of coral grows up in the shallows, forming a coral reef around the island. Remember now, that the island is slowly sinking and washing away. As it sinks, it of course drags the coral reef (growing along its' sides) down with it but the coral continues to grow upon itself, maintaining its' position just below the surface of the water. Little by little, the shore and the reef get further and further apart from each other, as the mountain begins to settle back into the sea (remember that the reef is still growing on top of its' original position, but islands' shore contracts as the island sinks and the water level climbs up the side of the sinking mountain). Meanwhile, the tiny granules of rock and sand (that are slowly washing away from the island with every rain) begin to fill in the area between the reef and the shore. This debris, combined with even greater volumes of sand derived from the ocean surf pounding and breaking up the coral near the surface of the reef, fills in the lagoon, making it shallower and shallower as the centuries pass. Eventually, the central island sinks away completely, leaving just the encircling reef and a rather shallow lagoon. This is known as an atoll. Just as the island gets smaller and smaller as it sinks, the lagoon gets wider and shallower as the line of the reef and the shore of the shrinking island get further and further apart with each passing century. Meanwhile, the coral ring itself gets wider and wider (or thicker and thinker, depending on how you want to look at it) with every generation as it continues to grow on the inner and outer sides. Eventually it becomes so wide that ocean debris (floating dead vegetable matter, logs, seaweed etc) gets hung up on it and begins to decompose, making soil. Into this soil, floating coconuts and other things take root, living out their lives on this tiny little patch of earth far out on the reef. Over very long periods of time, this stuff piles up and low-lying little islands (known as motus) are formed. Elsewhere, since the top of the reef almost breaks the surface, incoming ocean waves shatter themselves against it, losing much of their momentum in the process. That water which breaks over the reef is left almost calm. Thus outside the reef, you have the rough, wild water of the open sea, while inside, the surface is smooth as a lake. This is the lagoon, and it looks extremely idyllic. The Hawaiian Islands don't have much in the way of reefs, motus or lagoons because they are still far too young (in fact, the "Big Island" of Hawaii is indeed still in the growing stage of its' development). Many of the islands of the South Pacific are far older however their volcanoes long dead, their reefs fully developed, their lagoons calm and still. This is important to keep in mind because it will dictate the water conditions, and the water conditions will drive the types of available activities. All, right, I'm done boring you with geography. Lets get on with the comparisons. HAWAII: Of the 3 distinct island groups of which I speak, the Hawaiian Islands are by far the largest (because they are the newest and have not yet worn way that much) and have the greatest diversity of both things to do and natural environments. Each of the main Hawaiian Islands is large enough (or more to the point - high enough) to have very distinct climate zones (remember I told you that Hawaii is somewhat of a special case in this regards to rain). So - after having gone on and on about the weather and how every day will likely bring you some rain - I have to admit that in regards to Hawaii, that's not entirely true depending on where you are. Those rain showers that move across the islands almost everyday? - well in Hawaii they often dump their rain on only one side of the island while the other side of the island stays pretty dry. We see this same "rain shadow" effect here in the Pacific Northwest - one side of the mountains (the Seattle side) is wet, lush, and green - the other side of the mountains (what is referred to as "Eastern Washington") is pretty much dry as a bone. The Cook Islands and French Polynesia don't really see this situation because the islands there (even Tahiti itself) are just plain too small to really achieve this effect. The mountains there aren't high enough and the islands themselves aren't wide enough. One side of the island might be slightly dryer than the other, but in general, they are pretty much the same. The Hawaiian Islands on the other hand have very distinct sides. One side is rather dry (in some cases very dry) while the other side is quite wet. So, if more or less constant sunshine and a complete absence of rain is an absolute requirement, go to Hawaii and stay on the leeward side of the island of your choice. Anyway, enough about the weather, lets move on to other things. As I've said, Hawaii is a great place. You have a number of different islands to choose from (each with their own character). If you want a lot of nightlife, great dining and tons of shopping then you should definitely put Hawaii at the top of your list. Honolulu is one of the largest city in the US, and like New York, Las Vegas and other such places, rarely sleeps. Waikiki Beach is surprisingly clean for the beach in such a large city and though crowded (I'm sure) at some times of the year, it was refreshingly empty when we were there in mid-March - though keep in mind that any stay at Waikiki is an URBAN vacation. The good news is there are tons of things to see and do, both in the city itself and on the other parts of the island. If you want a vacation where you are on the go a lot, once again, put Hawaii (especially Oahu) on the top of your list - but even if you want peace and quiet, you shouldn't rule Hawaii out. Kauai is very quiet and laid back as are parts of Maui (though the main tourist area are pretty well developed), but even Oahu can offer this. People sometimes equate Oahu with Honolulu and perceive the entire island as part of the city. Nothing could be further from the truth. The north and windward shores of Oahu are very quiet and rural, with loads of empty beaches. Hawaii can offer pretty much whatever you want. It has waterfalls (which are pretty rare in French Polynesia and the Cooks), high (sometimes even snow-clad) mountains, active volcanoes, and wild waves for surfing and boogyboarding. It has deserts and rainforests, cities and small towns. There are even a few reef-protected lagoon locations, notable Anini Beach on Kauai and beautiful Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. You name it, and (pretty much) Hawaii has it all in a manageably sized package. Conclusion: Overall, I think Hawaii is the best choice if dining, shopping, and nightlife are very important to you. Also the best choice if (more or less) guaranteed sun is critical or if you like big wave sports like surfing… or just like to be on the go a lot (as opposed to laying around reading a book or just playing in the water) TAHITI (FRENCH POLYNESIA): The first thing you must keep in mind about Tahiti, is that when most people say they went to Tahiti, they don't really mean they stayed on Tahiti. The fact is, Tahiti really mostly serves as a gateway to the other islands of French Polynesia. From what we saw of it (not much admittedly), Tahiti was lush, green and lovely. It seems however, that there is a definite lack of the warm, shallow lagoons that French Polynesia is so famous for (there are some lagoons but they tend to be rather deep). The end result is that most tourists spend maybe a day or two there, then move on to Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, or the northern atolls. There is some terrific shopping on Tahiti itself - especially in Papeete, which is a rather large city, complete with traffic jambs and crowded sidewalks. Mostly though, if you are looking for a beach-type of vacation, Tahiti itself should probably not be your final destination. As for the other islands... repeat after me: Lagoons, lagoons, lagoons. If one word were to summarize the islands of French Polynesia, it would be "lagoons". As I have alluded, this is THE major physical difference between Hawaii and the islands of the South Pacific. These islands are tiny by Hawaiian standards (or any other for that matter), with wide, calm lagoons that are separated from the open sea by a thin necklace of motus and an open reef. The water is typically calm, clear and very warm. There are few waves, so if surfing and bodysurfing are your passion, go elsewhere (as I said, Hawaii is a fine choice for this). Snorkeling however tends to be terrific, with excellent visibility and thousands of multicolored fish. If you tend to be a poor swimmer (as I am) or afraid of deep, rough water (as I have to admit I am as well), this is a great choice, as large areas of these lagoons are very shallow (remember all that soil washing into the lagoon?). In many areas, you can wade out a long, long way (sometimes to the reef itself). The motus too are terrific. Think of that perfect picture you have in your mind of a low-lying little tropical island covered with palm trees - you are thinking of a motu. Many of the motus of French Polynesia are uninhabited, but remember, that they ALL belong to somebody (even if the owners don't live there) - and these owners don't always welcome guests so visit them uninvited at your own risk. Aside from the occasional unwelcoming motu owner, French Polynesia is pretty much perfect. The islands are beautiful beyond description - far more so (in my opinion) than Hawaii (which is pretty darned incredible itself) perhaps because they so perfectly fit the image that everyone has of a tropical paradise. Bora Bora and Moorea in particular are absolutely gorgeous. I consider Bora Bora to be the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The waters of all the outer islands however, are warm, clear, still, and thousands of shades of blue and are just lovely. By Hawaiian standards these islands are largely underdeveloped. There are NO high-rise hotels. The resorts tend to be much smaller and more spread out, and crowds tend to be fairly minor. Far fewer people go to French Polynesia than go to Hawaii, though keep in mind that the islands are much, much smaller too. Some consider Bora Bora to be somewhat overbuilt. This may be true to a point and indeed I suspect that Bora Bora probably is approaching the saturation point - especially once the new (and very large) Ritz-Carlton is completed near the area where we had our brief motu picnic. Overall however, these islands are still pretty empty compared to the main tourist haunts of Hawaii - but if your really want to avoid other visitors you may want to hit Tahaa or Huahine instead of Bora Bora or Moorea. Besides the lagoons themselves, the other main advantage of French Polynesia, is the presence of those wonderful overwater bungalows. These are also found in the Maldives (at the "Maldives Hilton"), Panama (at the "Punta Caracol Resort"), the Philippines (at the "El Nido Lagen Island Resort"), and Independent (not American) Samoa (at the "Coconuts Beach Resort"), New Caledonia (at the "Kuendu Beach Resort" and "Coral Palms Island Resort") and there's even a few "partially overwater" bungalows at the "Aitutaki Pearl Beach Resort" (now known as the "Aitutaki Lagoon Resort") in the Cooks. However, it is in French Polynesia where the bulk of these structures are found. They are, quite simply, wonderful. To stay in one is an amazing experience and incredibly romantic, but be prepared to pay through the nose. Rack rates on these places are typically $600 USD/night and up (though they can be found for a bit cheaper). There are a few discount booking places (like Costco) that can save you a few bucks, but no matter how you look at it, it won't be cheap to stay in one of these units. In addition to the terrific overwater bungalows, French Polynesia offers really great food (a wonderful combination of Polynesian and French cuisine). This should surprise no one. Remember, this is FRENCH Polynesia, and the French have a worldwide reputation for fine cooking. On the downside, there is certainly not as much to do as in Hawaii (remember, these islands are much, much smaller). Shopping and dining choices are limited (though if your stay is brief, you will still probably find plenty in this regard). People that are very active do sometimes tend to get bored here however - particularly in regards to clubbing, dancing and partying. Repeat after me: THERE IS ALMOST NO NIGHTLIFE. These islands are not a party place. After dark they pretty much roll up the sidewalks. This is one area where it is very different from many places in the Caribbean (for example). This complete lack of nightlife really puzzled me until it was brought to my attention that the time zone difference really impacts you in that part of the world. Think about it, for Americans, even West Coasters are off by 2 hours (3 during Daylight Savings Time). East Coasters are 5/6 hours off - so at 8 PM you're feeling like it's 1 or 2 AM. Folks from Australia and New Zealand won't have such an impact but but for Americans (and Canadians) it's a significant change (and of course Europeans are WAY off). So by the time visitors are starting to acclimate to the time zone change it's almost time to go home. Thus, since everyone gets tired by 8-9 PM there's not much nightlife going on. If you absolutely need nightlife, then go to Honolulu (a big city with lots of locals who are adjusted to the time zone) and stay on Waikiki - or go to Mexico or the Caribbean where time zone changes are not a factor for folks from North America. Another downside about French Polynesia is cost - it tends to be very expensive. The problem here is that there are virtually no mid-range type hotels. All the major places offer the wonderful overwater bungalows French Polynesia is so famous for, but the fact is, they're all very pricey. There are a few Mom & Pop type small hotels (none with overwater bungalows) but they are kind of hard to locate. Do a web search on "Bora Bora pension" or "Tahiti Pension" to find some (or take a look at my "Comparison of Bora Bora Resorts" review to get some links directly to a few places). In addition, be prepared to pay dearly for meals. I'm sure it is possible to find some cheaper places to eat if you search out restaurants frequented by the locals, but all the eating establishments at the main hotels will soak you (you didn't really think all that fine dining was going to be cheap, did you?). Conclusion: Overall I think that French Polynesia is the best choice if you are seeking calm-water sports such as snorkeling along with overwater bungalows and the ultimate in romance and exotic scenery - and price is not really an issue. COOK ISLANDS: Like French Polynesia, the Cook Islands are tiny compared to Hawaii and offer the same terrific lagoon environments. Though there are 15 islands that make up the country, most folks only visit Rarotonga (the largest island, it has the most to do) and Aitutaki (the island with the most beautiful lagoon). Because these islands are so similar in appearance and offer the same lagoon conditions as Tahiti and her smaller companions, the Cooks are sometimes described as "a poor man's French Polynesia". It's an apt description since it is so much cheaper there than in French Polynesia (more on this later). In addition, Rarotonga has been described as "the way Hawaii was 50 years ago" (ie - before it was built up). This too is an accurate description. There is not a single traffic light anywhere in the Cooks, and no structure taller than a coconut tree. The hotels are of a modest size and the beaches are usually pretty empty. Like French Polynesia, the lagoons are calm, clear and full of colorful fish. The waters there are safe and for the most part fairly shallow. There are also jagged mountains (on Raro at least) - not as high as those in Hawaii, but at least as lofty as those in French Polynesia. There are plenty of tropical ferns and gently swaying palm trees. The scenery is more idyllic than Hawaii, and nearly a much so as French Polynesia. It is easy to fall in love with the Cooks. It is a quiet, laid-back kind of place. Not as famous as French Polynesia, the Cooks most important plus is this very lack of notoriety. By most standards, the Cooks are "undiscovered" (hence the comparison to Hawaii of 50 years ago). This is a great thing. This means people are still friendly and not yet burned out by the constant influx of tourists. Locals have time to stop and chat with you. You feel WELCOME. We found there was a certain hominess to the Cooks that neither Hawaii nor French Polynesia could begin to match. It had the beauty and water conditions of French Polynesia, together with the daily pleasure of dealing with a truly friendly population. The Cook Islanders really made us feel at home. More than any other place we've been, we really did NOT want to leave the Cooks. At the airport as we boarded our plane for the flight back to the States, my wife could barely keep from crying (even after 3 weeks in the place). I understood her feelings completely. The Cooks are quite honestly, our favorite destination, and we would live there if we could. But enough of mindless sentimentality, I need to try and keep this objective and unbiased. In general, the Cooks offer the same advantages as French Polynesia: calm clear water, great snorkeling, no crowds, romantic beaches, picturesque motus. You know the story by now. They also have many of the same disadvantages - specifically, a distinct lack of nightlife and a smaller choice in shopping and dining. In addition, I have to say in all honesty, that the food in the Cooks is not all that remarkable. This is not surprising when you remember that French Polynesia is a combination of Polynesian and FRENCH (remember what I just said about the food in FP), and that the Cooks are a combination of Polynesian and BRITISH (the Cooks used to be part of New Zealand). Lets face it folks, the British are just not known for their food in the same way that the French are. So, dining in the Cooks is all right, but not as scrumptious as in FP. Besides the already mentioned friendliness of the Cook Islanders, there is one major advantage that the Cooks offer over FP - cost. The Cooks are pretty inexpensive, especially for Americans. This is because the currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand dollar, worth (more or less) 50 cents US. This means you have a great exchange rate and get a lot for your money. In addition, even without factoring in the exchange rate advantage, prices (with a few exceptions) in the Cooks are not anywhere near those found in nearby FP. You can stay in a very nice place directly on the water for less than the cost of staying in a garden bungalow in FP. There are (unfortunately) no true overwater bungalows in the Cooks, but this is quickly forgotten when you remember that you can stay much longer in this island paradise for the same amount of money a much shorter in stay in FP would cost. Relatively speaking, the Cooks are a bargain - even for people traveling on a very limited budget. We rented a house directly on the lagoon for less than $100 USD/night. Backpacker accomodations are available for as little as $12 USD/night. What a deal! Conclusion: Overall, I think you should consider the Cooks if you are seeking a quiet, stress-free vacation with a beautiful lagoon environment (and all that goes with that -such as great snorkeling conditions) but don't want to bust the bank. Well, I hope my comparison gave you some idea of the differences between these 3 wonderful locations. Keep in mind that these are purely my opinions and observations and other people may/will disagree. I think however, that most folks who have been to these places will back me up on what I say. In any event, if I've stirred your interest at all, you might want to take a look at my detailed reviews of the individual destinations. You can find them here: http://www.epinions.com/user-lordbalfor/show_~content/sec_~public_profile_opinion_list/pp_~1/pa_~1#list Also, my photos of all the places discussed are here (so you can decide for yourself): http://community.webshots.com/user/lordbalfor Take a peek. They are quite nice (if I say so myself). So long. Travel the world while you can, and (as always), be safe, Update as of Jan 17th, 2003: Just a heads-up that currency fluctuations over the last year or so have really hammered the US dollar and thus the USD to NZD exchange rate has been hit hard. Whereas we found the NZD to be worth 45 cents US, it is now worth 67 cents US. Thus the Cooks are still good value for US visitors, but not quite the bargain it was when we were there. French Polynesia of course is now even more expensive as well for the very same reasons. Update as of Nov 24th, 2004: Well, for what it's worth, the Dec 2004 issue of Islands magazine proclaims Rarotonga (in the Cook Islands), Kauai, and the "big island" of Hawaii as 3 of "The 20 Most Beautiful Islands" on earth. Certainly think the first 2 belong on the list and suspect the big island does too (I've not been there). None of the islands of French Polynesia made the cut. Definitely don't agree with that, but then again these lists are always a bit arbitrary as I think the writers want to "spread the honors" around a bit, and the selection criteria vary from person to person and list to list. Still, it's always nice to see places you like make the cut, so I'm pleased about Raro & Kauai. Update as of Dec 7th, 2004: If you are interested in taking a look at French Polynesia promotional material (Calendars etc), here's a link to a terrific French Polynesia promotion site featuring lots of cool stuff, including some VERY beautiful PC wallpaper photos (many of which are available as free downloads) and a video that's pretty darned nice (I bought the DVD version). You may want to take a look as it's the best such site I've found: http://www.tahitisouvenirs.com/IndexEN.htm I'm told that if you specify the following sponsor code you will be credited with a 5% rebate on your purchase: MXSTHPCNLRTC I feel compelled to issue a couple of disclosures here: 1) I do get credited for discounts myself if any of you out there use this promotional code. Since I do NOT write these reviews for the money (it's just a hobby - and a way of passing on the favor for those that helped me with my trip planning), I struggled with whether or not I should mention this sponsor code (a sort of "journalist ethics" I suppose) but finally decided that the bottom line is that anyone who does decide to buy something (and there IS some pretty nice stuff there) WILL save a bit of money and the truth is that I just couldn't argue with that. 2) Remember this is FRENCH Polynesia we are talking about here, where they have a slightly different view of nudity, so be aware that some of the free wallpapers are rather risque. The categories of these are pretty obvious from the titles (things like "Girls of the South Seas" and "Artistic Nudes"), so if such shots offend you, just don't choose those categories - but DO take a look at the other wallpapers as there are some simply stunning shots there. As I've already mentioned, French Polynesia is drop-dead gorgeous, and these free wallpapers (by some of the most aclaimed photographers in the world) do a pretty good job of capturing that beauty. I'm pretty happy with my photos on Webshots, but these pictures obviously put mine to shame, so take a look. Ken Additional comment as of 2/14/06: I will be returning to both Raro and Aitutaki in April. This is the first time we have ever returned to the same location and is an indication of how much we like the Cooks. I've heard that the islands have gotten quite a bit busier since we were last there so I guess we'll have a chance to see for ourselves. If you have any specific questions that you'd like me to try and find out the answer to I'm certainly willing to see what I can find out. Keep in mind however that I am NOT a travel agent so it's not like places are going to open their doors for me to tour, but I can ask questions and/or take photos of the exterior of places and or beaches. My e-mail address is: LordBalfor@comcast.net

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