Rarotonga

Top Places to Eat

Saltwater Cafe

halfway around the island , Rarotonga

Carey and Ake Hosea Winterford have created a coffeehouse atmosphere at this little cafe, exactly halfway around Rarotonga from Avarua (it's a fine place to ... more

Trader Jack's Bar & Grill

Trader Jack's Bar & Grill

Waterfront at traffic circle , Rarotonga

You won't be on Rarotonga long before you hear about New Zealander "Trader Jack" Cooper's harborside joint. Floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides open to the ... more

Vaima Restaurant & Bar

1km/ 1/2 mile east of The Rarotongan Beach Resort

Right on the beach, the best local food on the island is under new ownership as of June 2010. Lots of island ambience prevails at this bamboo-clad beachside ... more

Tamarind House Restuarant & Bar

1.5km (1 mile) east of traffic circle , Rarotonga

Sue Curruthers, who grew up in Kenya and founded the Flame Tree restaurant here , and partner Robert Brown renovated this 1920s seaside home and turned it into ... more

Windjammer Restaurant

Windjammer Restaurant

Between Manuia Beach Boutique Hotel and Edgewater Resort , Rarotonga

Talented chef Daniel Forsyth and his partner, Maire Porter, are both of Cook Island descent but were trained in New Zealand. Together they make this roadside ... more

Waterline Beach Bar & Grill

behind Joyce Peyroux Garments , Rarotonga

This little beachside restaurant is so charming it has been used as a movie stage set. Also charming are its owners, Chris and Akisi Musselle, an English-Fijian... more

Top Shopping Places

Ellena Tavioni

on 2nd road inland behind Lotus China Restaurant , Rarotonga

Check out Ellena Tavioni's workshop for one of the island's best selections of block-printed swimwear, sundresses, and other items for men, women, and children... more

Paka's Pearls

C.I.T.C. shopping center , Rarotonga

Cook Islander Paka Worthington attended American University in Washington, D.C. His specialties are tension-set designs (where tension, instead of a hole, ... more

Bergman & Sons (the Pearl Shop)

In Cook's Corner, and next to Banana Court , Rarotonga

Mike and Marge Bergman and sons Trevor and Ben helped pioneer the pearl industry in the Cook Islands, and their shops (plus Beachcomber Ltd.) are the place to ... more