Much of the weaving sold in Rarotonga’s markets is made on the outer islands. Pandanus hats, baskets, fans and mats are made by women in the villages, often in groups.

Buying well

• Ask at your accommodation who is weaving. There is rarely a shop.
• Pay the asking price. Haggling over work that took days is not received the way it might be elsewhere.
• Bring cash in small notes.

Why it is worth doing

Because it is the same object you would buy in Avarua, at a lower price, with the whole amount going to the person who made it — and because you will remember who that was.

Black pearls are farmed in the northern Cook Islands, principally Manihiki and Penrhyn, and sold in Rarotonga. They are one of the few genuinely local things you can buy here.

What determines value

• Lustre — the depth of the shine. This matters most and is the easiest to judge by eye.
• Surface — blemishes reduce price. Few pearls are perfect.
• Shape — round costs most; baroque shapes are often more interesting and much cheaper.
• Size and colour — larger costs more; the peacock and aubergine tones are prized.

Where to buy

Established showrooms in Avarua will explain grading and provide certification for serious purchases. The market is good for lower-priced pieces. Either way, ask questions — reputable sellers are happy to answer them.

Punanga Nui is best known for Saturday mornings, but the site is also used for evening markets at some points in the year, with food stalls and live music.

What it is like

Smaller and more relaxed than the morning market, and more about eating than shopping.

Before you go

Schedules vary by season and are not always well advertised. Ask at your accommodation on the day rather than planning around it a week ahead.

Punanga Nui is the market on the Avarua waterfront, and Saturday morning is when the whole island seems to pass through it. It is the most reliable place to eat well and cheaply, buy something made locally rather than imported, and get a sense of Rarotonga that a resort will not give you.

What is there

Produce from local growers — paw paw, bananas, taro, whatever is in season. Cooked food from a row of stalls: fish, curries, raw fish in coconut cream, doughnuts. Crafts, carving, pareu, shell and pearl work. Usually music, and usually someone selling coconuts opened in front of you.

Timing

This is a morning market. Stalls are set up early, the food stalls do their trade over breakfast and into the late morning, and by early afternoon it is packing up. Arriving at midday means seeing the tail end of it.

Practical notes

• Bring cash in small notes. Some stalls take cards; plenty do not.
• Parking near the market fills up. It is walkable from most of central Avarua.
• Black pearls are sold here and vary enormously in quality and price. If you are spending real money, it is worth understanding what you are looking at first.