Atiu is around 45 minutes from Rarotonga by air. Flights do not run daily, so the schedule shapes your trip rather than the other way round.

Before you go

• Confirm airport transfer with your accommodation — there is no taxi waiting.
• Arrange a scooter or bike if you want one. Supply is limited.
• Bring cash. Card facilities are minimal.
• Bring anything specific you need — the shops are small and stock depends on the boat.

Getting about

One main road, a handful of villages on the central plateau, and very little traffic. A scooter covers the island easily. Distances are short but the makatea tracks to the caves are not walkable without a guide.

Rarotonga is flat, small and circled by one road, which makes cycling an obvious choice and yet relatively few visitors do it.

The circuit

Roughly 32km on the coast road. Unhurried, with stops, it is a comfortable half day. The inland Ara Metua is rougher, greener and more interesting if you do not mind the surface.

Safety

• Traffic is light but drivers are not always expecting cyclists.
• Dogs will chase. Slowing down usually works better than sprinting.
• Lights after dark — the road is unlit in stretches.
• Water. The heat and humidity catch people out on a bike more than on foot.

Rarotonga has two ring roads. The coastal Ara Tapu is the one everyone uses. The Ara Metua runs inland, and parts of it follow a route laid down centuries before European contact.

Why take it

Because it passes through taro patches, banana plantations, family graves in front gardens, small churches and back-yard workshops. It is the working island rather than the resort island.

Practical

• The surface is patchier than the coast road, with potholes in places.
• It is not continuous everywhere — you will occasionally be routed back toward the coast.
• Good on a scooter, better on a bike if you are reasonably fit.

Aitutaki is around 260 kilometres north of Rarotonga and the flight takes roughly 45 minutes. For most visitors it is a day trip or a two-to-four night stay, and the logistics are simple once you know them.

Flights

Air Rarotonga operates the route with small aircraft. Book ahead in peak season — capacity is genuinely limited and the flights fill. Schedules are reduced on Sundays.

Baggage

This catches people out. The baggage allowance on inter-island flights is smaller than on the international flight that brought you to Rarotonga. Most Rarotonga accommodation will store your main bag while you are away, which is easier than paying excess or repacking at the airport.

Getting around once you are there

The island is small and flat. Scooters and bicycles are the usual choice and will get you anywhere on the main island comfortably. Some accommodation includes bikes. Distances are short enough that walking is realistic in parts.

The important limitation

None of that gets you onto the lagoon. The motu — One Foot Island, Honeymoon Island, Maina — are boat access only. Whatever else you arrange, budget for at least one day on the water.

Rarotonga has one main road, the Ara Tapu, running around the coast for roughly 32 kilometres. There is a second, older inland road, the Ara Metua. You cannot get properly lost, and the whole circuit takes about an hour by car at the speeds people actually drive.

The bus

The island bus runs the ring road in both directions. Buses are marked Clockwise and Anti-Clockwise, which is all the information a circular route needs. You can flag one down anywhere along the road. Service is reduced on Sundays and in the evenings.

For a stay based around one area — Muri, say, or Arorangi — the bus covers most of what you need.

When you want your own transport

If you are staying somewhere without much within walking distance, want to be out after the buses stop, or are travelling with children and beach gear, hiring makes the trip considerably easier. Scooters are the classic Rarotonga option; small cars are more practical in the wet season.

Driving here

• Drive on the left.
• Speed limits are low — 50km/h on the open road, lower in villages and around schools.
• Dogs, chickens and pedestrians use the road. So do people on scooters at night without lights.
• A local driving licence has historically been required for visitors, and rules around this have changed over the years. Check the current position with your hire operator before you ride.

Sunday

Sunday is quiet in the Cook Islands in a way that catches visitors out. Many businesses close, bus services thin, and church is the centre of the day. Plan accordingly rather than discovering it at lunchtime.