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Voykit pocket guide · Cook Islands
Palmerston Island
Skip unless you have your own yacht and at least a week to spare: no airstrip, supply boats every few months, homestay only.
Palmerston Island is a remote coral atoll in the Southern Cook Islands with no airstrip and a population of a few dozen English-speaking residents. Access is by private yacht or rare supply boat. Visitors stay with the family that greets them first. There are no hotels, shops or restaurants. A trip here is a commitment, not a stopover.
- Country
- Cook Islands
- Best months
- May–Oct (dry season, calmer seas)
- Avoid
- Nov–Apr (cyclone season, rough seas)
- Stay
- 7+ nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD), alongside local Cook Islands coins and notes, which are not exchangeable outside the country.
- Daily spend
- Budget No commercial services: your own vessel and supplies · Mid No commercial services: your own vessel and supplies · High No commercial services: your own vessel and supplies (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone Cook Islands sells prepaid SIMs and data packs at the airport and in Avarua.
- Emergency
- Police 999 · Ambulance 998 · Fire 996
- Plugs
- Types I · 240 V · 50 Hz · Same angled three-pin plug as Australia and New Zealand.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: Not expected.; Tours: Not expected; thanks and a review are appreciated.
- Water
- Rarotonga's supply is being upgraded; many hotels filter it. Drink bottled or boiled on outer islands.
- Toilets
- Western toilets; public ones at Punanga Nui market and beaches.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Supply boat passage from Rarotonga | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
Typical fares
- Supply boat Rarotonga → Palmerston
- No scheduled service; arrange with the boat operator.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
On foot or by boat between the five islets; the lagoon passage is narrow and treacherous — islanders guide you in.
See and do
Known for
- Remote coral atoll with no airstrip
- Hospitality to yachts
- Small English-speaking population
- Supply boat access only
Sleep
- Homestay with the greeting family
- By custom, the family that first meets you offshore offers you a room. No hotels or resorts.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Kia orana |
| Thank you | Meitaki |
| Yes / No | Ae / Kare |
| Please | Kāre e tika |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia orana and a handshake; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Church: Dress neatly, women in dresses, men in long trousers; avoid: Beachwear and photos during worship
- Villages: Ask before walking on family land; avoid: Picking fruit from trees
- Food: Accept food when offered; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
Scams and watch-outs
- No airstrip: you must arrive by sea. Supply boats come 2–3 times a year; you could be stuck until the next one.
- Sailing conditions are rough; do not attempt unless you are an accomplished sailor.
- Monsoon and hurricane seasons (Nov–Apr) can be extremely wild.
- No shops, restaurants or formal accommodation: bring everything you need.
- Call ahead by telephone to coordinate arrival and ask if islanders need goods or mail from Rarotonga.
The main risk is the sea: rough sailing conditions, treacherous lagoon passage and cyclone season. Once on land, the community is safe and welcoming.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Palmerston Island yet. Suggested stay: 7+ nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Remote coral atoll with no airstrip
- Hospitality to yachts
- Small English-speaking population
- Supply boat access only
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Palmerston Island, revision 4465247 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4465247
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/palmerston-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.