Cook Islands: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Cook Islands feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 35 written places.
Church, family and gentle humour set the pace; Kia orana - may you live long - starts every conversation.
✓ Considered polite
- Greet with Kia orana and expect it back with a smile
- Attend a Sunday service for the singing - dress up and bring a coin for the tithe bag
- Cover swimwear before leaving the beach - villages and Avarua town are conservative
- Ride the round-island bus - clockwise and anti-clockwise services circle Rarotonga hourly
✗ Better avoided
- Plan shopping or tours for Sunday - nearly everything pauses for the day
- Take photos inside a church during the service
- Book Aitutaki activities on a Sunday - the island holds the day especially sacred
- Sunbathe topless - it is frowned upon everywhere
Worth knowing
- New Zealand dollars are the currency and NZ-style plugs fit
- Tipping is not customary - good service is simply thanked
- The few shops that open Sunday are not allowed to sell alcohol that day
- Only the clockwise bus runs after dark on Rarotonga, and not on Sundays
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.