I have just arrived home from a terrific holiday in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. SUCH a gorgeous place: pristine beaches with white sands, luscious green vegetation everywhere and absolutely beautiful people.
The whole holiday was amazing, but some key parts which I loved about the place include:
Gorgeous beaches: The sand is white, the water is clear and warm. Fantastic for swimming, snorkeling and fish feeding. Enough said!
Tropical fruits and veges: The whole island is dotted with crops and trees overflowing with produce. There are mango trees EVERYWHERE...if you're lucky enough, you might score some free mangoes from the ground...only if you're super stealthy ;o). Other fruits which were spotted included bananas, passionfruit, coffee berries, star fruit, paw paw and of course coconut!
I was intrigued by breadfruit. It grows on HUGE trees which produce large, round, green and spiked breadfruit. I tried it whilst there - it's very starchy, almost like potato and/or bread (hence the name). It's made of mostly water, is a good source of fibre and has some vitamin C and minerals.
Taro is also big in the Cook Islands. It's another starchy vege, which they usually boil, or even chop into 'Island Fries' along with sweet potato. It's high in vitamin E, B6, fibre and potassium. I even tried a local dish called Rukau where they cook the leaves into a mush with coconut milk and onion. I didn't like it...
Noni juice is popular over there too. Noni fruits are small and bright green, and taste absolutely shocking, they need to be fermented into juice (which mind you, doesn't taste that great either!). I visited the Noni juice factory while I was there. It's almost like a secret factory. There's no signage and you wander in off the main road. A worker there agreed to show us the place, absolutely lovely man! They keep the Noni fruits in big blue containers to sit for between 6 months and 4 years for maximum nutrient power. Then they pop the juice into a massive 1000L containers for shipping to other countries such as Australia.
I've always wanted to try it, but it's so expensive in Australia. The guy there gave out free samples though, and then, because I was so excited, he gave me a free bottle of pure Noni juice! I was over the moon! Now I have it every morning before breaky. Gross and bitter, but cleansing (or is it all in my head?).
Noni juice has been said to ease many illnesses and ailments and boost general wellbeing. It helps with allergies, arthritis, asthma, digestion, increased energy, depression, lowering high blood pressure, boosting the immune system, stabilising blood sugar levels in diabetics and cleansing/detox. Noni is rich in vitamin C and A, niacin, potassium, calcium and sodium. Not to mention aussie supermodel Miranda Kerr has drunk it everyday since she was 14, and swears she can't live without it. So there you have it, supermodel elixir in a bottle...just kidding!
At my resort, The Sanctuary at the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa, there was also an SOS smoothie. It was made of fresh pineapple juice, noni juice, spirulina and ice. Looks kinda gross, but I lived on it over there, quite tasty!
Black Pearls: Black pearls are everywhere in the Cook Islands. They come in a range of stunning colours including peacock greens, ocean blues, shades of pink and silver. I got a gorgeous silver statement ring with a large greeny black pearl. I wear it all the time now :o)
Saturday Markets: Every local in Rarotonga will tell you that you MUST go to the Saturday markets in Avarua (7am - 1pm). So I went. And it rained. Torrential rain. Most of the smaller stalls packed up and left, however, luckily some remained. There's gorgeous local arts and crafts, including beautiful bright sarongs, linen and hats. The produce section of the market was amazing! Soooo many tropical fruits and vegetables - mangoes were only 50c NZ each. There were delicious fresh breads, homemade scones, cake loaves and pastries, even banana pudding and sticky date pudding in containers.
I bought another large noni juice bottle for $10 NZ, a homemade scone, a choc chip and banana loaf to share, a drinking coconut (yum!) and some noni face moisturiser made of noni extract, aloe vera, avocado oil and manuka honey amongst other all natural ingredients. It feels divine.
Gorgeous Restaurants:
I really enjoyed the Cook Islands cuisine. It was always VERY fresh, and often tropical fruits were the main attraction of the dish. My only gripe is when ordering 'grilled' fish and/or chicken...it was usually fairly oily.
My favourite restaurants for dinner were...
Beach Pavilion Restaurant at The Sanctuary - This place was an 'adults only' restaurant in The Sanctuary section of the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa. The whole floor is covered in sand and the cuisine is simply gorgeous, very flavoursome and fresh! See some of the dishes ordered below.
Waterline - Waterline was the prettiest restaurant I visited. You have to go at sunset, it's right on the beach, and it's a spectacular view. The place has alot of character - all the tables are on a weather beaten timber deck for a truly open air dining experience, there are glass buoys hanging from the ceiling and the salt and pepper is presented in a shell. The food was simple, fresh island cuisine, just how I like it.
Tamarind House - This place is again on the water, and has a beautiful garden to complement the view. It was originally an old colonial style house with beautiful timber floors. The food was yummy, however it was pretty pricey!
Horse Riding to Wigmore's Waterfall and in the ocean: The horse ride in itself was pretty average, but incredibly relaxing. We rode to the waterfall for a swim. It was very refreshing and very pretty. The best part was riding along the beach then right into the water up to our knees! It was a pretty special moment :D
Duty Free airport: Manuka honey UMF
OK, so not technically in the Cook Islands, but during the stopover at NZ airport on the way home I indulged in some duty free shopping - as any girl would! I bought some Manuka honey with a UMF rating of 15+. I so dearly wanted to buy the UMF 25+ but it was far to expensive. I also bought some lollies made of Manuka Honey, Propolis and Echinacea. Propolis is a sticky resin which comes out of trees which bees collect to reinforce the hive and protect it from bacterial and viral infection. Along with manuka honey and Echinacea it is good for killing bacterial infections, boosting the immune system and as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Why am I obsessed with Manuka Honey? You see, all honeys contain heaps of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants and have been used through the ages to heal all sorts of problems. But this honey is super good for you because of its unique antibacterial properties. Be warned though, it has to have a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) rating over 10 otherwise it does not possess these antibacterial qualities. This UMF property can kill bacteria which causes stomach ulcers and sore throats. It can also be applied directly to the skin to assist healing wounds and burns.
I enjoy it mixed with no fat Jalna yoghurt, cinammon and fruit salad.
