July 11, 2023
One of my favorite experiences in the Cook Islands was a Storytellers Discovery Tour, which was hosted on bicycle!! Yes, even at my age, I got on that bike, believe it or not. And I was sweating my boo-boobs off! We rode through trails on the main island of Rarotonga, with two tour guides who gave us an amazing adventure.
Deborah, a CI Azumano Travel Expert, talks about the storytelling bicycle tour she took on Rarotonga Island
Our main host was a guy who was born and raised there and has spent 15 years along those trails. He pointed out and told us about the native fruit as we rode by, and how they used native materials to live off the land. We learned about the different cultural traditions on the island, and the history of war between tribes.
At one point, he climbed a coconut tree and brought it down, and showed us all the many different ways to use it. He cut it open and illustrated how it can be rubbed on mosquito bites, for example. So many of the fruits, plants, trees, and ocean have been for cures and not just food. They harvest and use medicine from the earth.
The adventure also included picnic lunch with fresh fish at nice beautiful picnic spot on Titikaveka Beach. We were able to go for a swim, and I spent some lovely time chatting and catching up with an old friend while sitting out in water up to our neck! It was a nice little break before we got back to sweating it out on the bicycle ride.
I even had a little bit of a problem with my bike, but there was a caravan truck that followed us with repair gear and our supplies (which was helpful to be able to change out of our wet bathing suits too). I barely even noticed the issues with my bike, because it was such a fun experience!