Rarotonga is the main volcanic island of the Cook Islands, its territory is part of New Zealand. Snorkel at Muri Lagoon or Aroa Lagoonarium, take a hike, or shop at the Punanga Nui Saturday market. Tourists hop on and off the clockwise or the anti-clockwise casual bus to get around the island. Only an hour to drive around straight through but there are not that many buses. Don’t miss it!
The Kingdom of Tonga is an independent nation with a constitutional monarchy, an archipelago of over 170 islands, many uninhabited, and beautiful white sand and coral beaches with tropical rainforests. The main island and capital is Tongatapu. The island of Vava’u is home to Mt Talau National Park with a gorgeous viewpoint, a < 3-mi roundtrip hike up to the viewpoint towering over the island from the dock in Neiafu.
