Away To Rarotonga

Rarotonga Reef Explorer Tour With Ariimoana Walkabouts Cook Islands.

Sarah Steiner

If you are looking for a Rarotonga tour that captures everything about the magic of this tropical paradise island; with a genuine, local and personable adventure this is absolutely it. 

A Reef Walk with Ariimoana Walkabouts offers a truly local experience.  

You get the chance to be up close and personal with the ocean life that is so vital to the Cook Islands.  Exploring the island with guides Kura and Jacopo offers a unique insight to Rarotonga that can only be experienced with locals.

Read on to learn about the incredible life in the lagoon and make your plan to experience a Reef Walk and Rarotonga Tour with Ariimoana too.  

What is the Reef Explorer Tour with Ariimoana Walkabouts? 

Connecting with nature and culture are two of most memorable parts to any holiday or visit to Rarotonga.  Which is exactly what this Rarotonga Tour with Ariimoana shares. 

The Reef Explorer Tour is an eco-friendly low-tide reef walk. 

The tour is a way to discover the island culture and marine life from a different point of view.  Walking carefully on the reef at low tide, being sure not to disturb the coral, you can experience the special marine environment within the reef, without having to snorkel or dive.  

Then following the reef walk, you will be provided with light refreshments on the beach or at Kura’s beachside home. 

Rarotonga Tour reef walk with Ariimoana Walkabouts.
Out on the incredible Rarotonga reef with Kura and Jacopo.

Choosing Ariimoana Walkabouts – Reef Explorer Rarotonga Tour

The Reef Explorer Tour with Ariimoana is hosted by local guides, Kura and Jacopo.  

Together Kura, and her partner Jacopo live and breathe life in the waters of Rarotonga offering the kind of personable and memorable Rarotonga tour that can only be experienced with locals. 

Kura is an iconic figure of Rarotonga having grown up on the shores of Vaimaanga on the south of the island.  She now leads the way as an eco-warrior in the moana (sea) and enua (land). 

Jacopo complements this with a wealth of island knowledge, energy and a passion for the inland jungles and mountains of the Cook Islands. 

Having grown up on the reef, Kura gives a real insight into how important the ocean is to the people of the Cook Islands. She tells stories of learning about the ocean and the reef from her grandparents as they told stories passed down to them by their ancestors too. 

Together, Kura and Jacopo guide the Reef Tour with an uplifting and contagious energy for the magnificent Cook Islands!

Jacopo with guests plus canine companions Mahi and Tama.

About the Rarotonga reef – Ariimoana Rarotonga Tour

The island of Rarotonga is surrounded entirely by a lagoon. In parts, the lagoon extends more than a hundred metres to the reef before sloping steeply into deep water. 

To the north of the island, the reef fronts the shore making the lagoon there unsuitable for swimming and exploring. 

But to the South, the lagoon is at its widest and deepest.  Here on each of the south east and west coastline it is suitable for swimming, water sports and exploring. 

Different parts of the reef and lagoon around the island are protected by areas of Ra’ui.  

A Ra’ui is a section of the reef, lagoon and shoreline that has been sanctioned so that there is no fishing or collecting of kai moana (seafood). 

The idea of this is to help the ecosystem to be sustainable and allow the herbivorous and carnivorous fish and marine life to get back into balance. 

Kura and Jacopo explain this with passion for protecting and preserving the marine wildlife and life in the incredible Rarotonga reef. 

There is all kinds of marine life in the reef.

The Reef Walk with Ariimoana – Reef Explorer Rarotonga Tour

The Reef Walk Tour starts in Vaimaanga; a village on the south coast of Rarotonga. 

This is a perfect spot to explore the extended reef and lagoon at low tide. Here the lagoon stretches out almost half a kilometre to the edge of the reef before the drop off into deep water. 

From the beach, Kura and Jacopo lead the way out onto the reef.  They show carefully where to walk so as not to disturb the coral and explain the different creatures and wildlife that calls the reef home. 

As Kura gently picks them up for you to admire, she’ll share her knowledge on these creatures before returning them safely to their homes. 

The tour is a unique, eye-opening experience that will leave you in wonderment of mother nature and eco-warriors like Kura who strive to protect her.

Kura with a huge octopus on a Reef Walk just last week!

Learning about coral – Ariimoana Rarotonga Tour

In a welcoming chat before we leave the beach, Kura explains carefully about the importance of coral and how to recognize coral in the lagoon. 

Coral are fragile and can easily be killed or damaged. Not to mention they can sometimes also be very sharp!

So, it is in your best interest to ensure you do not come into direct contact with them. 

There are different types of coral in the lagoon but the main coral visible is a soft yellowy colour. 

All of the corals are vital to the lagoon, so make sure to walk carefully and away from them.

Learning about the different types of coral in the Rarotonga reef.

Different creatures from the sea 

There is a myriad of sea creatures to discover on this Rarotonga tour of the reef, including: 

Plus much, much more! 

An amazing type of starfish on the Reef Explorer Tour.

Learning the Reo – Ariimoana Rarotonga Tour

The reo (language) of the Cook Islands is central in expressing the things that make the country and culture unique. 

Thus, experiencing this Rarotonga tour with Kura is a humbling opportunity to hear about and learn some of the reo for the life in the water: 

Learning about all kinds of sea cucumbers and marine life.

What to bring – Ariimoana Rarotonga Tour

There are a few things you need to bring with you for the Reef Walk with Ariimoana: 

Parking right opposite the beach in Vaimaanga.

How long does the walk take? 

The Reef Walk Tour takes around 2 – 3 hours in total. 

This is including a delicious fruit platter to enjoy afterwards. 

What time of day is best to do the reef walk? 

The best time to walk in the lagoon is the hour either side of low tide.  

Though note because the reef walks are tide dependant it means the operating times differ from month to month. 

Contact Ariimoana Walkabouts – Rarotonga Tour

If you are interested in the Reef Walk Rarotonga tour with Ariimoana more information is available on their Facebook page and Instagram.

Give Kura and Jacopo a call and find out when the next best time is to explore the incredible reef life of this magical island. 

Read more about travel to Rarotonga

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