Being a tourist mecca the Cook Islands usually has plenty of accommodation for visitors, but it has become so popular you should book before you arrive.

An expected 160,000 tourists fly in each year - which doubles the population of Rarotonga each month. There are a lot of foreign workers on the island and so accommodation can be hard to find.

This means there are very few "cheap" places to stay.

And, just to let you know from the outset, a five or four-star hotel on Rarotonga does not necessarily equate to a four or five-star hotel in London, New York or Melbourne.

Once you get past that mindset what you will find is clean, comfortable accommodation that will meet your needs.

Obviously the less you pay the further down the ratings you will drop.

You pay for what you get.

When we were in Rarotonga we stayed at the Edgewater Resort and Spa, which is a short drive from the airport and the main town of Avarua.

The Edgewater has a big range of rooms and units at varying prices, although it is looking- how shall we put it - tired.

We had a lagoon view room and it was comfortable and clean. It had air-conditioning, a ceiling fan, Sky TV - very important for watching the Australian Football League and the news - tea and coffee-making facilities, a nice little balcony overlooking the pool and a good shower room.

Next we won't get a room overlooking the pool as it is pretty noisy and it is right next door to where the shows are put on.

I love Cook Islands drumming, which I regard as being the best in the world, but - if you are trying to sleep - it's a bit of a pain.