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About Tipani Tours
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Kia Orana and a warm welcome to our website.
When I began the task of writing about who Tipani tours are, I gave a lot of thought to what it was we wanted to tell you about ourselves, and our company. My first thought had been to follow on from what others do and remind you that…
- Yes, we are experts in travel to the Cook Islands…
- Yes, we do this better than anyone else.…
- Yes, we do offer one-on-one personalized service
- Yes, we do arrange top-end or luxury accommodation
- And, Yes, you should come to Tipani Tours for all your travel plans to the Cook Islands.
But then I thought about all of the things we really wanted you to remember about us. I decided I didn’t just want to paint a picture of your Cook Islands visit only acknowledging the excellence of our performance. Instead, we wanted to create for you a vision of the entire experience, and tell you a little about the people who are behind our company, providing you with an insight into the personality and faces of those who are responsible for making this journey to the Cook Islands something you would want to do again, as well as enthuse others to do. So that‘s what we’ve done here, and kept this page just as it should be…
“About Us”
Tipani Tours started its humble beginnings with a few rickety buses over 35 years ago and a gentleman going by the name of Malcolm MacQuarie. Malcolm had the idea that he wanted to help people find accommodation in Rarotonga, because back in those days there weren’t a lot of places for visitors to stay. At that time the main tar-sealed road, which today encircles our island, was only half completed. And forget about the internet, and the cell phone coverage we now have. Back then you had to wait in a queue, just to receive any kind of telephone service. But even so, Malcolm knew he wanted to leave a legacy that Tipani Tours would forever be known for providing the warmest Polynesian experience imaginable.
As Rarotonga grew, and tourism developed, Tipani Tours also blossomed, evolving and changing with the times. With each new owner, a new idea of what Tipani Tours could be was born.
Tipani Tours has grown and re-invented itself into what we are today, with a vision of where we want to be tomorrow. We seek to appeal to the discerning traveler, with a taste for unique experiences, and one who may want a touch of refined luxury mixed into their vacation. Someone who requires a relationship built on trust and confidence in the people who are helping them to plan their Cook Islands holiday.
Nearly all of our staff members can trace their Polynesian ancestry back over one thousand years, so we are very knowledgeable at providing an insight into the Polynesian culture. Most of us have read history books that name tribes dating back to the year 1100AD and can say with pride that we are direct descendants of those people. In most cases our names have remained the same as our ancestral forefathers.
Some of those Cook Island names you may come across as you work with us follow here. Each comes with a little personal background about that member of the Tipani Tours staff so that you can get to know us better.
Leanne Kiria hails from Aitutaki, and is the youngest of our team. She is our Sales Supervisor, overseeing the complete operational aspects of the company. Before joining us in 2005, she worked for one of our most popular resorts on Aitutaki. She is the mother of 2 beautiful girls, and along with her husband, she is an avid golfer. So, if you’re looking for a round of golf when you get here, don’t hesitate to speak to Leanne.
Joe Haurua, who is also from Aitutaki (and possibly related to Leanne), is our Supervisor for Groups and Airport Operations. Joe is responsible for making sure that one of us will be at the airport in the wee hours of the morning to greet you, smiling welcomingly with a “Kia Orana, hello” and a fresh flower ei. Joe has been with our organization since 2000, when he joined us at the tender age of 22. Prior to that he worked at Crown Beach Resort. Now 8 years and 4 children later, he is one of the senior members of our staff with a wealth of experience, and we affectionately refer to him as “our computer geek”.
Maria Tauirarii, who is originally from the charming little island of Mauke in the southern group, also joined us in the year 2005, and has a background in international ticketing. Maria is the mother of a lovely little girl, with another one on the way – let’s pray it’s a boy! She is responsible for many of our key accounts, also assisting with those added ‘special touches’ that are the key ingredient to our Tipani weddings. She is likely to be one of the first to greet you with her warm friendly smile when you disembark from your plane.
Miss G is our nickname for Maria Ngatikao, since we have two Maria’s in the office. Those of you who already know us well might remember her husband George worked for us too, and is another of our success stories, moving on to become a wizard in the IT field. Miss G is from Rarotonga, and is also part Tahitian, along with being the mother of 2 gorgeous young children. She joined us as our wedding specialist several years ago, bringing with her a background in massage and beauty therapy. But Miss G’s real skill is in taking all the worry and stress out of planning our clients unique and special wedding ceremonies here in the Cook Islands, leaving them free to get on and enjoy all that our beautiful country has to offer.
Teresa Reed, who has lived here so long we’ve adopted her as an honorary Cook Islander, has been with the company for the lengthiest time, at 15 years, but she definitely needs to spend more time in the sun to get that real Cook Island tan! She is leader and a mentor for all of us, with more than 30 years experience in the travel industry. Teresa has been instrumental in developing Tipani Tours to get where we are today. She is the problem solver, who sometimes tries to hide, but we always find her when we really need her advice. By the way, she was born in the United States, and we suspect she might be a Democrat.
And lastly there’s me. I’m Keren Aviu, and my family heritage has links with the island of Atiu in the southern group. There are also traces of some wanderers from Tahiti. Add a little Kiwi, and Scottish heritage, and you have a regular fruit salad. But my home has always been Rarotonga. My career background comes from time spent working at one of our prominent resorts on the island. Then it was on to Cook Islands Tourism as the Long Haul Marketing officer. Now I am the Sales & Marketing Manager for Tipani Tours. So if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m responsible for enticing visitors to come and meet all of us in person, become our good friends, and then let us we show you around our unique Pacific island home.
So from the moment you make contact with us, until long after you finally depart our shores we would like you to feel that you can get in touch with us at any time, confident we will remain available to you throughout every step of your vacation. Our goal is to provide you with the highest levels of personal assistance and knowledgeable advice to make sure that the time you spend with us in the Cook Islands is a treasured experience for you and that lasting friendships are made.
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