The Cook Islands are becoming a popular holiday destination in the Pacific. Yet not crowded or having mass-tourism, there are good tourist facilities, landscapes are very attractive and prices are very reasonable. The population is Polynesian in origin, so there is typical South Seas hula and flower-lei traditions. Rarotonga is the largest island lying at the southern end of the group. The capital, Avarua is a thriving administrative and shopping centre with restaurants, hotels, banking and other facilities including the international airport. There are first class resorts, reef protected bays in which to snorkel swim and sail and local bus transport which encircles the island every 45 minutes. From Rarotonga tourists can visit other Cook Island destinations such as Aitutaki, a 50 minute flight by Air Rarotonga; Atiu, north east of Rarotonga which offers untouched beaches and coral reefs riddled with caves; Mangaia, south east of Rarotonga surrounded by a narrow fringing reef backed by the formidable cliffs of Makatea which reach heights of up to 60 meters; Mauke, with its fine caves located in the cliffs of the coral reef; Mitiaro which has a large swampy interior; Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Nassau, Palmerston, and Suwarrow which has no permanent residents, only a caretaker.