Q: Do you offer Wifi at Palm Grove?
Answer
Yes, there is a Vodafone Hotspot located at Palm Grove which reaches the common garden areas (restaurant and bar, swimming pool seating area, reception). Prepaid vouchers can be purchased from reception for NZ$10/US$7 for 2.5GB, NZ$20/US$14 for 5GB, NZ$30/US$21 for 7.5GB, and NZ$50/US$35 for 13GB. All usage is based on both upload and download. Prepaid vouchers can also be used at any of the hundreds of Vodafone hotspots around Rarotonga and on Aitutaki.
Q: We’re thinking of streaming some movies from Netflix in the evenings. Will this be possible?
Answer
Yes, by purchasing a larger prepaid Vodafone wifi voucher, download speed and usage are suitable for streaming. However, we do recommend you consider downloading any TV/movies to your device before you leave home, as this will be less expensive and will help you avoid any unexpected wifi outages.
Q: Can I rent a motorbike during my visit?
Answer
If you are interested in renting a motorbike during your stay, we have motorbikes onsite available for rental: NZ$22 for 1 day, NZ$20/day for 3-6 days, NZ$17/day for a 7+days. An additional $8 booking fee applies per rental. Please note you are required to have a valid motorbike license in order to rent a motorbike on Rarotonga. If your overseas license does not include a motorbike license, you will need to obtain a Cook Islands motorbike license from the Cook Islands Police Station. Appointments must be made in advance and licensing includes both a written and practical test. All drivers/passengers are required to wear a helmet at all times. A special note: if you have visited Rarotonga before and gotten a motorbike license, bring it with you on your next visit even if it is expired; then you can simply renew your license at the Police Station rather than having to go through all the testing requirements to get a new one!
Q: How can I get a mobile SIM card?
Answer
Our local telephone company, Vodaone, offers a convenient visitor SIM for tourists. The cost is NZ$49 and the price includes 5GB of mobile data, 300 texts to anywhere in the world, and 300 minutes of international calling to almost anywhere in the world. Visitor SIMs can be purchased at the airport upon arrival or from the Vodafone offices in the main township of Avarua. All visitor SIMs are valid for 14 days.
Q: Do I need to prebook tours or excursions?
Answer
In most cases, there is no need to prebook tours before you arrive. Most tours operate on a daily basis and only need to be booked the day before, and our receptionist is happy to book any local tours or excursions for you. However, if there is something you definitely don’t want to miss out on due to availability, just send us a quick email and we’ll be happy to make an advance booking for you.
Q: We want to self-cater some evenings but we’ve heard food and drink is very expensive on Rarotonga. Should we bring over some of our own food, particularly meat?
Answer
There seems to be a misconception overseas that food and drink are very expensive on Rarotonga. However, take it from us: in the majority of cases, this isn’t true. As an example, fresh local tuna is NZ$30/kg (approx. US$10/pound) and NZ export quality ribeye is NZ$36/kg (approx. US$11.50/pound). But bear in mind that heavy perishable refrigerated items like fresh cheese will definitely be more expensive than overseas, due to the additional freight costs involved with importing perishables. We recommend you save the space/weight in your luggage and purchase any foodstuffs locally.
Q: Will we be able to enjoy several of the local restaurants and still stay within our budget?
Answer
Rarotonga has heaps of cafes and restaurants that cater to a variety of tastes and budgets. For the most part, evening restaurant menu prices would be comparable to New Zealand or Australia – and even cheaper, in some cases. Mid-range restaurants will have main courses for approx. NZ$32 (US$23), with beers for NZ$7 (US$5) and bottles of wine for NZ$40 (US$28). Higher end restaurants will have main courses for approx. NZ$40 (US$28), with beers for NZ$9 (US$6.5) and bottles of wine for NZ$48 (US$34). There are also less expensive options like the Muri Night Food Markets, available Tues/Wed/Thurs/Sun evenings from 5pm.
Q: Do I need to book a rental car in advance?
Answer
If you expect to want a rental car during your visit, we highly recommend you book in advance to secure the lowest rate and to ensure a car is available for you; when the island is busy, most rental companies will run out of available cars. We recommend Island Car and Bike Hire www.islandcarhire.co.ck
Q: We arrive next week and the weather forecast is for rain during our entire stay. Help!?
Answer
Don’t stress. Advance online weather forecasts for Rarotonga almost always show rain. And they’re almost always wrong. There is difficulty with predicting advance weather here, as we are in the middle of nowhere. We wouldn’t recommend you put any stock in forecasts beyond the next 24-48 hours in terms of precipitation. And should you encounter some rain during your visit, there’s still plenty to do and the weather will still be warm!
Q: When’s the best time of year to visit Rarotonga?
Answer
Anytime! Rarotonga is a year-round warm weather destination, so there’s really not a bad time to visit. However, we do have seasons like anywhere else. You can expect our summer to be very warm and humid, with a higher chance of afternoon thunderstorms; daytime temps average 32C/90F. Our winter comes with cooler and less humid weather, and consequently less chance of rain showers; daytime temps average 27C/80F.
Q: Do I need to bring beach towels with me?
Answer
Nope, save the room in your luggage. We supply beach towels for all guests, which housekeeping will happily exchange for you daily.
Q: We’re travelling with young kids – do you offer a kids’ club or babysitting services?
Answer
Palm Grove accepts children of all ages, and children age 5 and under stay for free. Unfortunately our accommodation is not large enough to offer a kids’ club. We have a small paddle pool attached to our children’s pool, and we have a selection of sand toys available from reception. We have highchairs for use at the restaurant as well. If you’re travelling with infant/toddlers, we recommend you consider renting some baby equipment; you can contact Rarotonga Baby Hire on rarobabyhire@gmail.com They have a selection of infant/toddler items for rental at very reasonable prices, including prams, car seats, highchairs, and even age-appropriate toy chests. So skip the hassle of lugging everything with you from home!
Q: What voltage power is used on Rarotonga and will I need to bring a plug adaptor?
Answer
Rarotonga uses 240V and a 2 (or 3) prong slanted plug, the same as New Zealand and Australia. If you are visiting from a country that uses 110V power, please ensure your device is dual voltage (110/240) or it will not work here without a power convertor. Palm Grove has universal plug adaptors available for purchase. However, we do not have power convertors. But most modern cell phones/tablets/laptops/digital cameras all have dual voltage chargers. If you are unsure whether your device will work here, please email us for clarification.
Q: Do you offer hairdryers in your bungalows?
Answer
Yes, all of our bungalows have hairdryers in the bathrooms.
Q: Will there be a safe in my bungalow?
Answer
Yes, all of our bungalows have in-room electronic safes. If you are booked to stay at one of our offsite rental houses, these houses do not have safes, but we will happily store your valuables in the office safe at Palm Grove reception.
Q: What currency do you use in Rarotonga?
Answer
We use New Zealand currency, and there are also some Cook Islands coins in circulation (equivalent to New Zealand currency, but can only be used in the Cook Islands).
Q: Should I convert my cash to New Zealand Dollars before I travel?
Answer
You can opt to bring a small amount of NZ$ with you upon arrival, if you wish. However, most businesses on Rarotonga accept Visa/Mastercard and there are ATMS available at the airport, in town, and several places on Rarotonga including right down the road from Palm Grove. The banks here no longer do currency exchange, so please don’t bring non-NZ currency with you. We would recommend for security purposes that you do not travel with more cash than necessary.
Q: I’ve heard everything on the island is closed on Sundays. Is this true?
Answer
No, not entirely. The Cook Islands is quite a religious country and observance of Sundays is more prevalent than you might be used to at home. As a result, all stores in town will close at about midday on Saturday and will not reopen until Monday morning. There will also be quite a few restaurants and some tours that choose not to open/operate on Sundays. However, most small convenience stores around the island will be open on Sundays and some tours and private restaurants will also be open. If you’re arriving on a Sunday or have a question about what you can plan to do on a Sunday during your visit, just send us a quick email and we’ll be happy to make some suggestions.
Q: What is on offer for your daily tropical breakfast buffet?
Answer
Our room rates include daily tropical breakfast buffet. The buffet includes 3 types of toast, 4-5 types of fruit, 4-5 types of cereal, banana bread, lemon bread, homemade yogurt, hard boiled eggs, 3 types of juice, coffee, teas, milk, and a variety of jams/spreads. For those that may want a cooked breakfast some mornings, we have a cooked breakfast menu available for an additional charge which includes eggs, omelettes, French toast, pancakes, and sides such as bacon, hash browns, mushrooms, and sausage. Breakfast is served daily 8am to 10am at our onsite restaurant, The Yellow Hibiscus.
Q: Is your onsite restaurant The Yellow Hibiscus open daily? Can I get room service?
Answer
Our onsite restaurant, The Yellow Hibiscus, is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The tropical breakfast buffet is included in our room rates and a cooked breakfast menu is available at an additional cost; breakfast is served 8am to 10am. Lunch is served daily 12pm to 2pm. A la carte dinner is served Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 9pm. Sunday evening is our popular BBQ night with choice of steak or fish; bookings are essential. We also offer live music on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Takeaway/room service meals can be ordered during regular restaurant hours only.
Q: Our flight arrives in the middle of the night. Can we checkin at that time?
Answer
While morning and afternoon flights are available, some of the flights to Rarotonga arrive between 10pm and 2am. While our reception is not open 24 hours, our airport transfer driver can meet overnight flights and provide checkin upon arrival to the Palm Grove. Please contact us to book your airport transfers directly with us, whether your arrival is overnight or during reception hours. Overnight flight arrivals are required to book their room at Palm Grove for the night before in order to have access to their room upon arrival.
