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Rating: 
Summary: Dreaming of a Pacific Island...
Review: For the first timer, this guide is a great introduction to the Rarotonga and the Cook Islands. It is very thorough and has details about shopping, places to visit, popular tours, places to stay, and eat. Not only does the guide provide information about the main island of Rarotonga, but also include bits on the outer islands, which are very popular to visit. I really enjoyed reading up on Rarotonga and felt this book provided a good orientation of Rarotonga and things to see and do. However, some of the information is outdated. It was published in 1996. Because Rarotonga is such a popular tourists destination things are constantly changing, for example taking the boat (ferry) to Aitutaki was quoted as an inexpensive way to visit this tourist hot spot. However, this service is no longer provided. Many of the shops noted in the book, were no longer open or a detailed description of how to find them was not provided. Locals were very helpful in providing the most recent information. There was not a lot of detail about accomodations in summer homes. This proved to be a very economic way of staying inthe Cooks. it could be improved with more thorough contact information. Overall for the first time visitor,this guide was very useful as far as getting an overall "feeling" or what Rarotonga is like.
Rating: 
Summary: Tons of Info on the Cook Islands
Review: For the first timer, this guide is a great introduction to the Rarotonga and the Cook Islands. It is very thorough and has details about shopping, places to visit, popular tours, places to stay, and eat. Not only does the guide provide information about the main island of Rarotonga, but also include bits on the outer islands, which are very popular to visit. I really enjoyed reading up on Rarotonga and felt this book provided a good orientation of Rarotonga and things to see and do. However, some of the information is outdated. It was published in 1996. Because Rarotonga is such a popular tourists destination things are constantly changing, for example taking the boat (ferry) to Aitutaki was quoted as an inexpensive way to visit this tourist hot spot. However, this service is no longer provided. Many of the shops noted in the book, were no longer open or a detailed description of how to find them was not provided. Locals were very helpful in providing the most recent information. There was not a lot of detail about accomodations in summer homes. This proved to be a very economic way of staying inthe Cooks. it could be improved with more thorough contact information. Overall for the first time visitor,this guide was very useful as far as getting an overall "feeling" or what Rarotonga is like.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, unfortunately out of date
Review: Having recently returned from the Cook Islands, I cannot highly recommend this book. While the history and culture sections are interesting, the lodging and shopping/restaurants sections leave a lot to be desired. Most of the businesses mentioned have either gone out of business or changed hands. This is especially true on Aitutaki, where only one of the businesses recommended was still in its present form! As another reader recommended, the book does not sufficiently cover home rentals which are a great way to stay on these islands for a reasonable amount (and most can be viewed and reserved on the internet!). David Stanley's Moon Handbooks South Pacific guide is a much better choice--it is more up to date and covers all the major South Pacific islands for almost the same amount of money.
Rating:
Summary: Dreaming of a Pacific Island...
Review: I became interested in the Cook Islands after recently readingTom Neale's book: An Island to Myself (also published as An Island to Oneself), in which he describes his solitary life on the tiny island of Suvarov (Suwarrow) in the South Pacific Cook Islands. More inspiritation came from Florence Frisbie's book, Miss Ulysses of Puka Puka, written about 1947 about her life in these islands. These books enchanted me and made me start considering a possible trip to the Cook Islands, so I picked up "Rarotonga & the Cook Islands". It's a very slender book, but has all the information I was looking for, in particular regarding lodging. Maps and descriptions of the different areas of Rarotonga are helpful in deciding what side of the island appeals to one's taste in beaches, privacy, and comfort. Rarotonga is the most featured island, with the most facilities for tourists. The other islands are more difficult to reach, but the book explains ways to get to the other islands, if so desired. There doesn't seem to be a lot to do on these small islands other than biking, swimming, hiking, and eating, and this may be exactly what appeals to some. I wasn't convinced to go though, because I can do these same things more cheaply in lovely parts of Mexico; yet I would go if I could, if only to meet Florence (Johnnie) Frisbie, who I understand still lives there.
Rating: 
Summary: Lost but not Lonely in Paradise
Review: I found the Rarotonga and Cook Islands Lonely Planet quite informative. I did however have a few problems but I think the overall content allays my initial hesitations. The volume is lightweight which makes it a great read on the aeroplane. I planned my holiday mainly through reading this book and the information is practical and informative. The advice on things not to miss and where to go is detailed enough to give the reader a good idea of what to expect when they arrive. My main problem was the maps. I thought that they were not detailed enough and left off salient features (such as the Muri Lagoon) that were talked about repeatedly in the text. Additionally much of the information is too generalised. I have just purchased "The Cook Islands Companion" through Amazon and already I am enjoying it more because the style is laconic but detailed with information that tells me about the country, it's people and its history and how to enjoy this while travelling rather than what to do and where to go. The Lonely Planet guide fails in some aspects but overall most of the information is more than adequate; in fact pretty much everything is covered to some degree. I recommend it to all those who enjoy dreaming of paradise as well as those planning to travel to the Country.
Rating:
Summary: lonely planet, raro and cook islands
Review: If you are headed out to the Cook Islands (absolutely fabulous, beautiful place to visit), you MUST bring this book with you. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
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Summary: A MUST read if you are heading for the Cooks!
Review: We just got back from a two week exploration of the Cooks and found this book VERY helpful. The Cooks will quickly convince you that if you've only been to Hawaii, you've only gone half way to Heaven! Unfortunately, we required hospital services (because of tainted food), and this book over simplifies issues of needed medical care. (Details that should be included in EVERY travel guide!) Naturally, most prices quoted are actually higher, but that's just dealing with reality. We observed "newbies" arriving without this book, and therefore, without a clue of where to go or what to do.
FOUR Stars because this book was so valuable, but as with most, there is room for improvement.
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