"So how's your day going?" asked the post office lady as I bought some colorful Cook Islands postage stamps (I'm very analog and love sending post cards on my travels rather than posting to Facebook).
Funny thing was, the way she asked I had a feeling that she would have lent an ear were I interested in sharing the details of my day, which by the way had gone splendidly. I was in the Cook Islands, after all.
When you ask a Cook Islander what the one reaction visitors have when visiting here, they invariably answer "the people are so friendly." Of course, the Cooks have the sun and sand and aqua waters you've always associated with the South Pacific, as do Tahiti and Fiji. But there are several ways the Cooks stand out from those other destinations.
First, it's the cheapest destination to reach by air. Air New Zealand flies here every Saturday on a Boeing 777, a 9- or 10-hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles, and frequently offers airfares around $899 round-trip, or even less with their occasional $400 off coupon codes, which bring the price down to a ridiculous $499-$598 round-trip (the country subsidizes the flights if you're wondering. Airfare to other South Pacific hot spots are usually $1,200 round-trip or more).
Second, the main island, Roratonga, with its large lagoon, is a continuous land mass. Whereas your resort on Fiji or Tahiti might be isolated on its own island, the ones here are all on the same island so you can easily explore different resorts, restaurants and attractions. The small airport is just a few minutes drive from most resorts. Once you land, you're there.
There are no high-rises, no chain stores, no McDonald's, not even a stop light. This is, as they say, Hawaii like it was 50 years ago.
