Introduction
The developed resorts are situated on Rarotonga and Aitutaki, and provide various amenities (see Sport & Activities section). The best swimming beaches are at Muri Lagoon and Titikaveka. A variety of tours are available, including lagoon cruises, inland trekking, historical tours, guided walking trips, sightseeing by air, and horse-drawn and motorised drives around the islands. A scenic drive into the Takuvaine/Avatiu Valleys offers a panorama of lush tropical scenery. Papua (Wigmore’s) Waterfall, the only waterfall on the island, is located at Vaimaanga. The museum at Takamoa has excellent examples of Cook Islands handicrafts. The three-hour ‘cultural village tour’ offers the opportunity to enjoy demonstrations in weaving, coconut husking, fire making, carving and other Cook islands traditions.
During the year various festivals take place. These are generally celebrated with singing and dancing, often with a strange mixture of traditional ritual grafted on to the somewhat later Christian music and ceremony. The choirs of the Cook Islands are renowned. Places of historical interest include: the Takamoa Mission House, built in 1842, and believed to be the second-oldest building in the South Pacific; the old Palace of Makea at Taputapuatea; Pa’s Palace in Takitumu, which is built of coral and lime; and Arai-Te-Tonga (Marae), consisting of stone structures which, in the islands’ pre-European history, formed a koutu, or royal court, where the investiture of chiefs took place. This spot is still regarded as sacred.
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