Cook Islands, that is 15 islands with a total area of ​​only 240 km, which are spread over a sea area of ​​2.2 million square kilometers. Of the approximately 18,000 inhabitants of these islands, 4,500 live in the capital, Avarua, on Rarotonga. The Cook Islands are 12 hours behind Central European Time during our summertime and 11 hours in winter.

Rarotonga is an island with a circumference of 32 km. Life here is a contemplative and leisurely pace. The islanders in the Cook Islands are friendly and cheerful, as almost everywhere in the South Seas. In the temperatures prevailing in the Cook Islands, you can always use a little refreshment.

In the shops is often offered specially prepared for the tourists cheap goods. But you can also find well-made original Polynesian works in a few selected stores.

The Roratongan Express stops at the marked bus stops. The ride is a small experience of a special kind. You sit in the longitudinal direction next to each other and enjoy the cooling wind (no windows) or chats with his neighbors. The buses are operated by one-man businesses. The technical condition is not to be assessed by European standards. They are colorfully decorated for that. It takes a long time for us to decide where our further journey should go now on this South Sea-style town sign with the most important destinations.