Comprehensive travel insurance is recommended. There is one government hospital (on Rarotonga).
Situated on the north coast of Rarotonga, Avarua is the capital of the Cook Islands. This relaxed little town has a friendly feel, and visitors will find shops, restaurants, and several tourist attractions here. On Sunday mornings, the sweet strains of Maori hymns waft from the CICC (Cook Islands Christian Church).
The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and American Samoa.