Weather: The best time to visit is June through September, when it's warm and dry. December through March, the rainy season, is hotter and more humid. Shoulder months — April, May, October and November — are variable.
Getting around: You may not need to rent a car. Most activities, cafes and beaches are close enough to go by bicycle. For longer explorations, check out outfitters such as Tik e-tours (tik-etours.com) and Storytellers Eco Cycle Tours (storytellers.co.ck).
Flights: Air New Zealand offers the only nonstop flight from the U.S. to Rarotonga; from Los Angeles, it's a nine-hour flight on a new Boeing 777.
Cook Islands Tourism: Find more information at cookislands.travel. For dinner reservations at the Plantation House, e-mail ilivingoyster.net.ck.
Lodging: Small hotels and family-run inns offering comfortable, affordable lodging are posted online or listed on Cook Islands tourism sites.
Rustic, thatched cottages at the two four-star Pacific Resorts, one on Rarotonga and one on Aitutaki, offer full amenities, including a bar and swimming pool. Some units have kitchenettes. Rates vary according to date, size and ocean or garden views (pacificresort.com).
Lodging at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort ranges from modest self-catering cabins to spacious and attractively furnished cottages. Ten overwater bungalows have lagoon-access outside decks, lagoon-access steps, outdoor showers, large bathrooms with double sinks and a kitchenette corner. The main lodge has a restaurant and adjacent pool; seclusion and lagoon access are its outstanding features (aitutakilagoonresort.com).Anne Z. Cooke
