Gap Years and Backpacking in the Cook Islands
What secrets have you got to get you to the Cook Islands?
Show us your secrets and skills for the chance to win the trip of a lifetime...
Upload a really cool blog, video or photo essay to gapyear.com telling us about your best kept secrets and skills - the more creative the better chance you have of winning!
We're sending two lucky people to the Cook Islands for a two week trip of a lifetime! All you have to do is show off your creativity and imagination and tell us a secret or a special skill that you'll be able to use on the Cook Islands. Write us a blog, share a beautiful photo essay or create a really quirky and cool short video - you don't have to be Stephen Spielberg, you could even use your iPhone!
So, what's your best kept secret? Can you make jewellery out of nothing that can make anyone jealous? Are you great at sailing or tying knots? Can you cook the best fish feast known to man? You might be able to brew a bevvy from coconut juice!?
Whatever your secret or skill, we want to know all about it...
Reporting for gapyear.com, winners will discover culture, festivals, cuisine and marine life, uncovering why these Pacific Islands are a best kept secret, and revealing a new side of the Cooks Islands for our gappers. Honestly, this isn't something you want to miss out on...
Sorry, this competition ended on Friday November 16th 2012.
Grand Prize - 2 Week Trip to the Cook Islands
It's a secret! Ha, not really... it's impossible not to rave about this opportunity. Gapyear.com will send you on an exclusive 2 week trip to the Cook Islands. The itinerary will be jam-packed with cultural experiences, delicious food and island activities for you to report on.
2nd Prize - Beautiful Black Pearls
The Cook Islands have some of the most beautiful black pearls in the world. Naturally grown in the clear waters surrounding the Islands and crafted into a stunning necklace, our 2nd Prize brings a little bit of the Cooks to you.
3rd Prize - Stunning Travel Book
A stunning travel book, 'Unforgettable places to see before you die'. Which includes the Cook Islands' very own Aitutaki. Something to inspire future travels, wherever it is you go next!
Meet our Judges
Our very own Travel Editor, Macca Sherifi
Macca Sherifi is gapyear.com's travel editor and writes on a myriad of topics, giving the best travel advice in an easy-to-read style that he would describe as 'cutesy'. Being a bit of a gossip, he will find it hard to get on with anything during the competition - he'll be completely engrossed in hearing about your secrets. Persuade him that you're the right person to go with colourful creative entries of all kinds.
Founder of Tribewanted, Ben Keene
Described in National Geographic as "the Sergey Brin of the South Pacific," Ben Keene's quest in 2006, to bring sustainable living and to create a new cross-cultural sustainable community via a social network, captured international attention. In essence, Ben invited people to create a community that was totally self-sufficient. And it worked. People loved him and it makes him a bit of a hero.
Travel Blogger, Backpacker Becki
Backpacker Becki is a British solo female travel blogger and adventure seeker. She recently left London to embark on an epic trip that is taking her to over 20 countries and she's got no plans to come home any time soon. So far she's travelled to India, Hong Kong, Kenya, Madagasgar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, West Coast America and Mongolia to name a few and she's currently in China. She's well known as an adventurous, outspoken blogger who always manages to discover a secret or two in every place she visits.
Our staff are keeping a close eye out for "Popular Entries" each week. If you're listed then you're in the right place! But are you going to stay there? Make sure you tell everyone about how good your entry is to ensure you stay in the popular entries section!
Make sure you don't miss out on this campaign, submit your entries and share them to stand a chance to be listed with the most popular!
If you haven't already, give yourself a chance and submit your entries. You might be listed here! If you think someone should be here that isn't tweet us Twitter @gapyeardotcom #bestkeptsecrets or let us know on Facebook.
My Best Kept Secret - Katie Rushton
Katie Rushton
Hi gapyear. Do you want to know what my secret is? I'm a mermaid, and if you sent me to the Cook Islands I'll be able to bring back for you some black pearls. All you need to do is get me there!
My Best Kept Secret - Gabrielle Taylor
Gabrielle Taylor
I haven't got any amazing travelling secrets or discoveries to share with you as i'm still saving my money to start that chapter in my life properly, so i'm going to tell you about my genuine biggest, current secret.
My Best Kept Secret - Luke Plastow
lukeplastow
My best kept secret is the ability to capture the place I am in through photography and writing. I have been a member of the site since the year 2000 when I was in school dreaming of taking a gapyear before university.
My Best Kept Secret - Alexander Felos
Travelman7
I have been traveling since I was born. My travels really started taking off when I turned 19 and for the next 6 years I have traveled all over the world. My best kept secret is my fearlessness. I turn into a different person when I travel.
My Best Kept Secret - Ben Turland
btone6seven
I thought it would be fitting to share some things I've learnt from travels, some the hard way. Instead of giving you just one best kept secret, I thought I'd give you 20. Who knows, maybe you'll use one or two of these!
My Best Kept Secret - Jessica Crisp
JessicaCrisp
Ok, so it's probably about time I come clean about this anyway. I love writing, I love writing about travel, but, and this is a big BUT, I have never actually been 'travelling'. I'm just another one of those armchair travellers.
My Best Kept Secret - Darren Crocker
Rollingcrock
Fickle, jaded, wasting precious time, One, last, spin - left a mountain yet to climb. Of course, money isn't everything - but to leave it's what I needed; A penny left, a bottom reached and a person left conceded.
My Best Kept Secret - Laura Kanan
Flora-rose
I have a secret to share. A secret that could possibly change your outlook on life and the way and the way in which you live it. For centuries people believed that man's biggest fear is to die - it's not.
My Best Kept Secret - Greg Lewry
Greg Lewry
Let me make you my best kept secret - it's called a Captain Cook Cocktail. All you need is a little gin, some cherry liqueur and some orange juice. Shake it all up and you've got yourself a best kept secret.
My Best Kept Secret - Charleane Taylor
trippety
My best kept secret is (at somewhat of a discovery to me!) completely aligned to the Pacific's best kept secret, the beautiful Cook Islands. Apparently I'm a bit of a dancer and we all know those Pacific Islanders love to dance.
My Best Kept Secret - Gemma Knight
gemknight88
Only three people in the whole world know my best kept secret - and to everyone else, my predilection for curling up on sofas, obliging walls and cross-country trains with a dog-eared notebook and biro is a total mystery.
My Best Kept Secret - Marta Napierala
Pocketrocket82
I'll tell you something. My mum and dad, both in their 60's have never been abroad, ever! Not that they didn't want to. They didn't have passports and couldn't leave the country without explaining why, where and how long for.
My Best Kept Secret - Becky McGillveray
Becky McGillveray
To win Gapyear.com's adventure of a lifetime to the Cook Islands, I'm going to reveal my best kept secret. I am currently studying in Oslo which means two things: 1) great clothes 2) not so great prices.
My Best Kept Secret - Natalie Williams
missnat
I can't start a fire with two sticks. I can't play any musical instruments. I can't catch a fish with my bare hands (although I'm not half bad with a fishing rod). But I can take a damn good photo of a cat, if I do say so myself.
My Best Kept Secret - Rusja Foster
rusjafoster
Having just returned from an epic trip I've been having a serious case of the post-travel blues. When I found out about this competition I was possibly more excited than when I booked my round the world flights back in 2011.
My Best Kept Secret - Lauren Razavi
Lauren Razavi
My favourite part of travelling is coming home. That's not to say that I don't passionately love venturing out into the world; I love that more than I could ever put into words. I love it all; new people, new food, new sights, everything.
My Best Kept Secret - Christina Ableman
Xtina1207
So, I'll let you all in on a little secret... Everyone is good at making friends, you do it every day, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. But who can say that they can 'make' their friends, quite literally.
Example 2: Monica Stott's Blog
Monica
As a newbie to London Monica is constantly coming across new sights, new sounds and new things to see and do, but, more importantly, always finding new places to eat and drink. She shares her experiences here.
Example 1: Macca Sherifi's Video
Macca
This is an example of Macca's best kept secret. He reckons it will get him to the Cook Islands. Except he's not allowed to enter. And this is an example. And he kind of comes across as a bit lazy!
Gap Years and Backpacking in the Cook Islands
Cook Islands Tourism Corporation
The Cook Islands are an exciting new gap year destination. This is a place for genuine backpackers in search of Pacific culture and lifestyle - there are no high rise hotels on the Cooks; just a relaxed pace of life and good times.
Spread over two million square kilometres in the South Pacific, the 15 islands that make up the Cooks will attract backpackers and travellers after more than the typical beach holiday. The Cook Islands offers awesome diving, great hospitality and a super laid back, relaxing attitude.
The Cooks are broadly divided into two groups. The remote Northern Group of islands comprise of six beautiful lagoons surrounded by tiny flat coral atolls. Manihiki supports the largest population in the Northern Group, with around 1,000 people from a total population of around 19,000.
The Southern Group of islands has about 90% of the total Cooks land area. They're volcanic and have fewer coral atolls. Rarotonga, the main island with the capital city Avarua, is the largest island.
If you're heading to Australia and New Zealand on your gap year, make sure you also check out the Cook Islands - it's not something you're likely to regret...
Map of Cook Islands
Idea of the Month
Idea of the Week
Gap Facts - Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are made up of 15 small islands. The capital is Avarua, based on the island of Rarotonga, with over half the national population.
