Rarotonga, Cook Islands travel guide and things to do: The three-minute guide

WHY?

Chilled, low rise, low key and staggeringly beautiful, Rarotonga makes a strong play for being the perfect Pacific paradise. The largest of the Cook Islands, but with a population of around 11,000, it is surrounded by a camera-friendly lagoon and takes roughly an hour to drive around. But infrastructure is good – there's no slumming it here – local character bursts through and the swaying coconut palms feel an integral part of the package rather than a tacky add-on.

VISIT

Relatively new, and providing a cultural alternative to the beachy goodness elsewhere, Te Ara in Muri doubles as place for local artists to sell their works and a museum about the Islands' history. The latter delves into traditional hierarchies and beliefs, the changes brought by European missionaries and – most fascinating of all – the spread of the Polynesian people by canoe across the Pacific.

EAT

The Nautilus Resort's restaurant is open to outsiders, and makes a commendable effort to use Polynesian ingredients. This might mean parrotfish as a main, sea grapes as part of a starter, taro puree or coconut twists to sauces. The cocktail list also makes admirable, inventive deviations from the old standards thrown together elsewhere. See nautilusresortrarotonga.com.

LOOK

Storytellers Eco Tours hands guests a bike and helmet, then takes them away from the coast to explore snatches of genuine Rarotongan life. In practice, this means dodging strutting chickens, plucking ultra-fresh fruit from gardens, hearing legends deeply ingrained in the local culture and stopping off for a swim under a waterfall. See storytellers.co.ck.

MUST