Oceania
Turquoise lagoons, mountain trails and a slow island rhythm.
The Cook Islands are fifteen small islands scattered across the South Pacific, in free association with New Zealand. Rarotonga, the main island, is ringed by a coral lagoon, with Muri Beach for snorkelling and paddleboarding and a jagged volcanic interior crossed by the cross-island walk past Te Rua Manga, the Needle. A short flight away, Aitutaki's vast lagoon of sandbanks and motu is the postcard view.
Days drift between the reef, roadside fruit stands and evenings of drumming and dance at island nights. Rarotonga is small enough to circle by scooter, and a bus simply runs clockwise or anticlockwise around the coast road. The dry season from May to October is the sweet spot, with cooler nights; December to March is hotter, wetter and cyclone season.
June, July, August, September.