The Best Donuts in the Cook Islands

By
Fe'ena Syme-Buchanan
Photography By
Fe'ena Syme-Buchanan

Mangaia has arguably the best donuts in the Cook Islands. Best eaten fresh with a hot cuppa tea, you will have to fly there to experience the sweet delicacies, but well worth the trip - as there is so much to see, and not to mention eat!

Tracy Kareroa bakes 130 of the largest Cook Islands donuts I have seen, every other morning, for a local diary called Akeke Trading. She bakes this many donuts for good reason, they're a favourite local treat! Considering their generous size, they sell for only $1 each! 

If you're staying at Babe's Place, you can ask either Ura or Metu to have them for breakfast! 

If your family is very hungry, Mangaian donuts can be bought by the box

How do you find these local delicacies? Well it's easy. When in Oneroa, drive through the 'Cutting' be careful of oncoming 'traffic' (You’ll know what I mean when you get there). Continue until you get to a T-section then make a slight right. You will see the sign "Akeke Trading", this is the small store that sells the donuts! These donuts are so good that they are often taken back to the mainland (Rarotonga) to be enjoyed by families looking for a taste of home. 

If you get a chance to visit the Cook Islands, be sure to fit in Mangaia - that's not just for the donuts.
There is a lot more to do on this fascinating rock than meets the eye. Check out the Top 10 Things to do in Mangaia

Fe'ena Syme-Buchanan was raised in the Cook Islands and recently returned home after completing a Bachelor of Creative Enterprise at Unitech, Auckland. A fine artist and photographer, she is currently serving an internship with the Cook Islands Tourism Corporation's digital team. 

-21.930008, -157.952033

-21.930008, -157.952033