Need expert help?
|
|
Meet Teresa, one of our travel experts for Cook Islands.
|
Teresa is a Certified Tahiti Travel Specialist and works with the Tahiti Tourism Board making sure her guests enjoy a fabulous holiday in Tahiti.
Teresa lives on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii. She's been a Travel Advisor for 20 years, specializing in tropical islands around the world but her true love is the South Pacific.
Teresa has traveled throughout the South Pacific Islands and is on a first name basis with many of the resort owners. She has visited Fiji 7 times as well as Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand. Her speciality is multi-country holidays. Her agency, Luxury Hideaways, is rated A+ with the Hawaii Better Business Bureau.
We'll Match Any Price
We have access to virtually every travel special out there.
Our agents make a commission from the travel wholesalers, same
as every other agent or online travel site.
Why wouldn't you want a real travel expert on your side...for free?
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"We had the absolute best person to plan our trip for us. Her name is Teresa. She knows everything about this part of the world and took care of every little detail and it was free!!!! I highly recommend her!"
- Anne
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"You were incredible!! I can't say enough how awesome of a job you did. I am a very deliberative person, and I was leery to a point because I didn't not have my hands in any of the scheduling/planning of the trip. So, I might have been on edge a few times until we got to the resort. I was very impressed with your service! So, thank you for all you did."
- Josh and Heather
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"We were trying to plan our honeymoon in Fiji and were so confused and overwhelmed by the number and variety of resorts there. But then we found Teresa! She is very helpful and knowledgeable about Fiji and several different resorts there. When we were specifically trying to decide between two resorts, Teresa was able to help us decide as she provided us with specific differences between the resorts. Whenever we had questions, she responded quickly, even with the huge time difference. We are excited to have finally booked our honeymoon! She sent us a package with helpful information and tips, such as what to expect upon arrival and items to pack. We are looking forward to our honeymoon and to continue working with Teresa."
- B Kurian
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"When we first started communicating with each other I wanted a Honeymoon that was going to be unforgettable and something that would be truly special, you certainly delivered plus more. Koro Sun was paradise on earth and of course we enjoyed the environment but what we loved the most was the staff and all the happy people we were surrounded by. We didn't know what to expect coming into Fiji but with all your wonderful planning and helpful notes we got through our entire Honeymoon with ease. Our Edgewater Bure was breathtaking and my wife literally had a grin from ear to ear since the moment I told her where we were going till our departure. You gave us an unbeatable capstone to our marriage and for that I can't thank you enough. Again thank you so much for helping me plan the honeymoon and it was a pleasure working with you."
- Devin & Jared Chambers
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Your help was AMAZING! I can not express how easy it was working with you when we were looking at different resorts and itineraries. You put so much effort into accommodating us- form budget to activities to an overall idea of what to expect in Fiji. We changed our minds several times and you were so tolerant, a real pleasure to work with. Your knowledge of the islands was a HUGE help in picking our honeymoon spot. I am not going to hesitate recommending you if any family or friends are looking to plan a vacation. Thanks again!"
- Chris
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Bula bula Teresa!
You provided my wife and I with outstanding personalized service in preparing our trip (that due to unexpected wedding budget overruns, we were unfortunately unable to take at that time). It was so outstanding that when my friend Mike said that he was planning his honeymoon to Fiji, I told him that he MUST contact you to plan a trip.
My wife and I still plan on getting to Fiji within the next 2 years, and I promise that you will be the first person that we contact for travel reservations and trip planning.
"
- Bryan
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"I wanted to say again thank you this is absolutely amazing we are having a blast and the upgrade to the honeymoon bure was completely unexpected we have been treated amazingly and even got to fly to the island with the owner of the resort who was super nice to us. You were absolutely right about this place and I am so happy I found you thank you again!!!"
- Mark
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Thank you for the most amazing honeymoon! Wadigi was perfect in everyday! There are no words to express how incredible everything was (the food, the staff, the grounds, the accommodations...and everything in between!) We will definitely be back for our anniversary :-) Vinaka!"
- Bilal & Parisa
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Hello Teresa,
Thanks for your expert help in planning out trip to Tahiti.
After less than 48 hours after leaving Denver we are now at out beach bungalow at the Sofitel Hotel in Moorea Atoll.
The Air Tahiti flight from LAX was less than 8 hours and the service was incredible; 2 nice meals and great service.
Upon arrival in Papeete, Tahiti, we had the private car to the Ferry terminal and then a great ferry ride (30 min) to Moorea Atoll. We got here at about 10 am.
Staying at the Sofitel hotel…………..what can I say: it is French and the service is impeccable.
Your suggestion to spend our first few nights ‘on the beach’ was sterling………..here are pictures from out bungalow. Fortunately we got our bungalow at about 11 am and we went right into the water.
We snorkeled for about 2 hours and it was the very best !!! I bought a new GoPro camera and it is a life-renewing experience to be able to film under water like this, especially in crystal clear water!
Tomorrow we are on a 6 hour snorkeling tour to a ‘private island’ where we are to snorkel with manta rays and sharks..
What a hoot! So far, this is one of our very best trips ever (and we have been to 75 countries)
"
- Walt Whatley
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"It's been more than a week since we've been back but I just wanted to let you know that we had a great time at Tahiti. Thank you for arranging our wonderful trip. My kids are already saying they wanted to go back.
Teresa, I wanted to thank you for you assistance for this wonderful trip.
Don't think we'll be going back to Bora Bora anytime soon, but we may seek your help for some of our future trips and cruises."
- Barry
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"We wanted to give you a summary of our Tahiti trip. In a word, just fabulous. We have never taken such a purely luxury, relaxing type of vacation in the past and it was an absolute delight.
Probably our favorite experience on the trip was the shark and manta ray feeding trip. I thought this would be somewhat hokey but it was great fun. Swimming with the sharks was a novel experience and even Debby with her limited swimming abilities had a great time. I was actually able to dive down and bat one of the lemon sharks on the tail. The mantas were like puppies in the way that they crowded around us, swimming over our shoulders in order to get to the food. We laid out the money for the video of the trip and its been the most popular picture of any trip that we have ever brought home. And we would recommend that anyone who goes to Bora Bora take the opportunity to eat at "Bloody Marys", a superb place to get the fresh seafood that we were looking for and it was very reasonably priced.
I could gush further but suffice it to say that it was a fantastic trip and just the type of relaxation that we needed at this busy time in our lives. Thanks for planning a wonderful trip for us!"
- Ken and Debby Richmond
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Hi Teresa,
Chris and I are back from our trip, and I just wanted to tell you how much we enjoyed it!! The islands were beautiful, and each hotel worked out great!
Our beach bungalow at the Sofitel was the perfect location, close to the beach bar and looking directly out at the beach (#411). Just to give you some feedback, not complaining--The Sofitel was not as plush as I thought it would be and looked a little more worn. I thought the grounds would be more manicured and service a little better, considering the ranking it had. If we went back to Moorea, we would probably stay there again or recommend it to friends, because from other people that we met, it sounded like the Intercontinental there was similar and not necessarily a better option. The location was great though—near both the ferry dock and airport!
The Intercontinental Bora Bora and Thalasso Spa was spectacular!! The room was very tastefully done with beautiful finishes, our hut (110) was in the perfect location, very little construction noise if any, as I think most of the exteriors are finished, and every part of the property was so upscale. The water was so beautiful, and the resort was exactly as I hoped it would be! So glad we went there last!
We were able to meet up with friends from California who happened to be staying at the St Regis Bora Bora. We hadn’t seen them for over 20 years, so it was such a treat that we were all there at the same time. We didn’t realize there wasn’t a road that could easily connect both hotels, and a private water taxi would have been about $200, so we all met on the big island at Bloody Mary’s for dinner. Due to differing ferry location drop offs and times, we were only able to see each other for just over an hour, but it was great to catch up in person!
All of our transfers were so easy, and we were very well taken care of during each one, whether transport, ferry or by plane! Each of the vendors made it easy to find them, and they all had our information down correctly! That was a great feature of the trip!
Thanks again for all of your help with planning our vacation! We thoroughly enjoyed every minute!! Now back to reality...
"
- Vicki Daltorio
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Hi, Teresa! Never got around to telling you how great a time we had in Hawaii. You did a great job! We enjoyed every minute, even the nerve-wracking Hana Highway. It all went smoothly, without flaw, and we have taken away with us precious and unforgettable memories.
Thanks again for your splendid assistance in helping us plan this vacation!
"
- Jeffrey
Testimonials from Teresa's clients:
"Hello Teresa,
OMG! What a fabulous trip!
Where do I start?
Start with: how or who do we notify so we can share what a fabulous trip you planned for us?
The itinerary from start to finish was perfect! Airline tickets, all transfers both going and coming were spot on!
Moorea was the perfect island for our goals; romance, culture and beauty.
Manava Resort was an excellent selection. Pool, spa, beach, ocean all beautiful just sitting there waiting for us to choose. Over water bungalow was phenomenal!
Excursions were reasonably priced and wonderful experiences.
Oh, and Pearl Romance in town was exceptional! Mary really loved it!
Thank you Thank you! Our best vacation ever!
"
- Steve Anderson
|
|
Punanga Nui Cultural Markets
> > >
Background Information
History
The Punanga Nui Cultural Market was established in 1995 with the purpose of assisting micro indigenous business enterprises. Since then, the market has expanded and undergone various changes and improvements. The market place has grown in popularity as a community gathering spot and this has resulted in an increased number of temporary vendors as well as a growing list of potential tenants wanting to operate and build a fixed permanent hut.
The Huts and Stalls
Exploring the many huts and stalls on Saturdays is a great way to experience our Cook Islands culture and customs. There is a variety of arts and crafts, local produce or cooked food for sale, hand painted/tie dyed pareus (sarong), tivaivai (embroidered appliqué quilts) bedspread, cushion covers, pillow cases and wall hangings will make a perfect Cook Islands Souvenir. Why not get a traditional Polynesian tattoo as a reminder of your holiday? Last but not least, remember to purchase the most romantic souvenir of all, the Cook Islands Black Pearl.
Arts and Crafts
Some local arts and crafts are very hard to make. Take for example our local ei pupu, which hails from the island of Mangaia and also Rarotonga. The process involves the mamas spending long hours on the beach picking the snail shells. The shells are then cooked, dried, drilled with holes and threaded using a fishing wire. The final product is the beautiful white and yellow ei pupu jewelry that is sold at the market.
Market Activities
On Saturdays the Market is filled with the fragrance of fresh tropical flowers. Tiare for the head and neck eis made with white gardenia, tiare maori and tipani (frangipani) mixed with the delicious aromas from the food stalls such as barbequed meat and fish, are an instant attraction! This is the perfect opportunity to hear the chatter and laughter of locals mingling in with visitors to our shores. Everyone enjoys good food and the sounds of Pacific music.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday three individual groups of mamas (Vainetini) meet at the Market to chat, create their traditional hand sewn tivaivai and to just enjoy each others company. Visitors are most welcome - pick a day and join the mamas!
The market is still undergoing expansion with more huts being built along the beach side. These huts will be ready to open soon with some of them selling cooked food up to 10pm.
The Punanga Nui Marketplace is open from Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm and on Saturday 7am to midday
See thumbnails of all photos for this point of interest.
|
Overview
It is a hard choice whether to list The Farmers Markets known as the Punanga Nui Cultural Markets, as a place of things to do and see , or list it with the ' cheap eats ' section. Whatever way it really is combination of both.
The Farmers Market is buzzing on Saturday mornings. To enjoy the Punanga Nui Markets like a local, drag yourself out of bed early (7-8am). You'll get to see the mountains of local seasonal produce on offer.
The favorites - passion fruit, mangoes, etc sell out quickly. Ask the friendly locals for advice on the ripest fruit and best eating. If you haven't tried "nu" (the juice of a young coconut) you can pick up a drinking coconut for $1 - great for curing queasy stomachs from the night before.
The Truly Cook Islands dish called Ika Mata which is marinated fish in lime and coconut juice is a must. Race down to the Lazy Diner a.k.a. the Red Hut for this treat, freshly made each day.
If you like to cook or prepare your own meals ,or just enjoy a side bowl of fresh fruits whilst you are on vacation then the market is a must-visit on a Saturday.
|
