Cook Islands travel guide

Some people say this is the most beautiful lagoon in the world. Well, we haven't seen them all, but we will spare you for further superlatives. There fifteen tiny islet within the lagoon where most are inhabited, while the others can be visit for a short Robinson Crusoe experience on a lagoon trip. There is of course amazing snorkeling with heaps of corals and psychedelic colored fish. The flight from Rarotonga will offer some spectaculars views of the coral rimmed lagoon and its unreal turquoise water (sorry for the superlatives, we know we promised not to, but this is what honeymoon dreams are made of).

The Cook Islands is pretty fine place and unfortunately did the Sheraton Hotel Group think the same thing in early 1990s. In cooperation with the government they started to build what was suppose to be a five-star resort. When it was almost completed the project shipwrecked due to financial problems (and corruption, according to some rumors). Though they tried to resurrect the hotel several times it never got fully completed, but they got pretty close. The swimming pool is there and some rooms even have spa and fan installed. Today the ghost hotel lies abandoned and overgrown, and does apparently still account for half the national debt. If you have a taste for the bizarre and do not mind a bit of broken glass, it could be an opportunity to have a free night in an almost-complete Sheraton.

Rarotonga island is lined with paradise beaches. The whole shore is pretty much one long narrow white-sand beach with leaning palms and turquoise water protected by the outer reef. But the pearl above them all is Muri Beach. The beach is not prettier than the others, but the lagoon is jaw-dropping beautiful with its crystal-clear water that turns azure blue further out. It has excellent snorkeling and there are four palms fringed islands you can swim out to. It hardly gets any better than this.