For the first timer, this guide is a great introduction to the Rarotonga and the Cook Islands. It is very thorough and has details about shopping, places to visit, popular tours, places to stay, and eat. Not only does the guide provide information about the main island of Rarotonga, but also include bits on the outer islands, which are very popular to visit. I really enjoyed reading up on Rarotonga and felt this book provided a good orientation of Rarotonga and things to see and do. However, some of the information is outdated. It was published in 1996. Because Rarotonga is such a popular tourists destination things are constantly changing, for example taking the boat (ferry) to Aitutaki was quoted as an inexpensive way to visit this tourist hot spot. However, this service is no longer provided. Many of the shops noted in the book, were no longer open or a detailed description of how to find them was not provided. Locals were very helpful in providing the most recent information. There was not a lot of detail about accomodations in summer homes. This proved to be a very economic way of staying inthe Cooks. it could be improved with more thorough contact information. Overall for the first time visitor,this guide was very useful as far as getting an overall "feeling" or what Rarotonga is like.