The Cultural Village

Besides the artists and artwork pictured on this site, we also went to the Cultural Village for a morning's tour detailing the culture and crafts of Rarotonga. Each stop on the tour found us sitting in a grass hut learning about the history, making of the grass skirts and costumes, fishing, Maori medicine, the weaving, carving, cooking, everything they do with coconuts (and how to open one) and, lastly, dancing, drumming and a traditional Maori feast!


James at the Coconut Hut, ready to teach us about the hundreds of ways the islanders use coconuts.	This is a young boy picking coconuts to throw down to his little brother. National Geographic photo.	This is the pandanas tree. The Maori make their grass skirts and hats from the long leaves.

These are just a few of the handmade grass skirts and hats we were shown in the weaving hut.	Here is the beautifully woven handbag that I purchased in one of the shops in town.	These women are sitting on a woven mat in front of a traditional Maori house with their weavings. National Geographic photo.

We found this huge intricately carved turtle bowl in the Museum!	My friend Lori is standing underneath a poinsetta tree. That's the Christmas flower we only see in pots.	A very large tapa cloth being prepared. Click here to learn more about what tapa cloth is. National Geographic photo. Use your "Back" key to return here.