Tattoo Artists in Rarotonga & Aitutaki: Locations, Reviews & Clive Nicholas

Looking for a tattoo artist in Rarotonga? Start with the artist’s recent portfolio, a conversation about your design and a confirmed appointment. This guide brings together studio locations, booking contacts and review information, with a closer look at Clive Nicholas of Polynesian Tattoo Cook Islands. We have also included an Aitutaki option for visitors spending time on both islands.

Cook Islands tātatau can carry connections to family, identity and place. Tell your artist what matters to you and ask which designs are appropriate for your story. A meaningful consultation is more useful than choosing a pattern from somebody else’s tattoo.

Featured artist: Clive Nicholas, Polynesian Tattoo

Real work from Clive’s portfolio

These are real photographs from Clive’s public portfolio, not AI-generated tattoo examples. They show individual clients’ designs; discuss your own story and placement with the artist.

In his own 2011 biography, Clive describes Cook Islands, Samoan, Tahitian and New Zealand Māori heritage, a Rarotonga birthplace and an early childhood in Ōtara before returning to the islands. His introduction to tattooing came through his brother Boye Nicholas. He learned within that family practice, took on responsibility for its clients and later opened his own shop at the end of 2010. These are background details from an older account, rather than a newly conducted interview.

That connection between family and design is also present in the visitor feedback. In the public discussion linked below, several visible replies recommend Clive and his team; one describes a piece that brings together a whole family’s story. It is a useful reason to look at his work if you want a personal design, while still making your own decision after a consultation.

Before booking, send the body placement, approximate size, travel dates and the story you want the piece to express. Ask whether Clive will personally do the work, how the design will be developed and what the quote includes. If you want an existing tattoo extended, send clear photographs first. View his portfolio directly rather than treating this article’s illustrative cover as an example of his work.

Tattoo studios: locations, contacts and Google reviews

The scores below were read from the named Google Maps listings on 3 November 2026. They are snapshots, not our own ratings or a safety inspection. A five-star score from two or four reviews has much less supporting feedback than a larger review history. “Not verified” means we could not confidently match a current score to that business; it does not mean the artist has no satisfied clients.

This is a researched shortlist, not a complete register of every artist or a ranking by skill. Studio moves, guest spots and duplicate map profiles can cause conflicting information. Where a location is not fully confirmed, the map link opens a search rather than presenting an unverified pin as an exact address. Phone numbers for Clive, Luther, Stormy and Adam come from Cook Islands Tourism; Jason’s is from his studio website, and the other displayed numbers are from their named map listings.

More artists to explore, from Rarotonga to Aitutaki

Te ‘Are Tātatau / Pacific Ink — Stormy Kara

If you have seen the names KareHa or Pacific Ink, start with the current Te ‘Are Tātatau website. The site identifies the studio as formerly KareHa, while Stormy’s artist page describes her Pacific Ink practice and work in Cook Islands tātatau, Māori moko and other Polynesian traditions. We list that studio history together rather than counting the names as three different shops. Ask which artist will take your appointment.

Next Tattoo — Luther Berg

Luther appears in Cook Islands Tourism’s artist contacts and is recommended in the supplied Facebook discussion. A January 2026 visitor guide places Next Tattoo in Nikao, but online location information is inconsistent. Call +682 58202 for a current pin and portfolio before setting off. We have not substituted another studio’s Google rating for his.

Wearing Ink — Hinano Wearing

Hinano’s public portfolio describes freehand Polynesian tātatau. A Cook Islands News profile explains her approach to original designs and the conversation that shapes each client’s piece. Her Instagram biography currently says “Books CLOSED”, so check for a reopening announcement instead of assuming holiday appointments are available. Matavera is the published visitor-guide location; confirm the address if a booking becomes available.

Shade Hut — Jason Teitinga

Shade Hut’s own page places the studio on Back Road in Titikaveka. It recommends appointments, welcomes walk-ins and gives a local mobile number for enquiries. Check the booking calendar and discuss your design and budget directly; we could not verify a current Google review score.

Akairo Creative, T’s Tattoos and Raro Ink

Raniera Ellison’s Akairo Creative is another tourism-listed option. Its linked Ara Metua map profile has a small five-review sample, so check the official Facebook page for current directions and work. For T’s Tattoos in Arorangi, visible Google reviews particularly discuss Tetini Pekepo’s cultural knowledge, conversation and personal approach. At Raro Ink, visible reviews describe personal design discussions and a beachside setting. These are paraphrased customer experiences, without reviewer names, rather than guarantees about every appointment.

Maroitiki Tribal Tattoo

This is an additional Google-listed tattoo shop at the CITC shopping centre in Rarotonga. Its two-review sample is too small for a strong comparison. Use the map and phone number in the table to check the artist’s name, portfolio and availability before making plans.

Aitutaki: 682 Tattoo’s — Adam Winchester

Cook Islands Tourism places 682 Tattoo’s in Vaipae, near Neibaa Store, and describes work spanning lettering, cultural/tribal styles and images. Its artist contact list names Adam Winchester. The matching Google map entry uses the name “682 tattoo shop” and the same phone number. Call ahead to confirm the current shop location, artist and appointment.

What visitors recommended in the Facebook discussion

We read the publicly visible replies to the 3 November 2026 tattoo recommendation discussion. Several recommend Clive Nicholas / Polynesian Tattoo, including the family-story example mentioned above. Other visible recommendations name T’s Tattoos, KareHa and Next Tattoo. The thread also points readers to Three Flowers Tattoo.

We could not independently confirm Three Flowers’ current Rarotonga address or a matching Google review score, so treat that social link as a lead to contact, rather than a verified walk-in location. One reply also mentions Tama Nicholas and a shop above Vili’s burger business; confirm that lead directly instead of assuming it is the same appointment location as Clive’s market studio.

Facebook controls which replies are visible and how they are ordered. This is an anonymous summary of the comments we could read, not a vote count, a claim to have read every reply or a representative survey. We have not reproduced commenters’ names or their personal photographs. The artist-sourced portfolio images elsewhere in this guide are credited separately.

Booking a tattoo around your Cook Islands holiday

• Choose the artist before the time slot. Ask to see recent work in the style and placement you want, including healed examples if available.
• Discuss the meaning. Explain your own connections and let the artist guide the design. Avoid copying another person’s family or identity-based piece.
• Get a written quote. Confirm size, design time, deposit, cancellation terms, session length and aftercare. We have not carried forward old minimum prices as current offers.
• Plan swimming first. Mayo Clinic advises avoiding swimming and sun exposure while a tattoo heals. Finish lagoon and pool activities before your appointment and follow the artist’s written aftercare instructions. A tattoo near the end of the trip still needs care after you fly home.
• Ask about the setup. Check the studio’s use of fresh gloves, sealed needles and single-use ink cups. A review score cannot verify those practices for you.

For general health information, see Mayo Clinic’s tattoo precautions and aftercare guidance. If healing worries you or you think a tattoo may be infected, seek advice from a healthcare professional.

Planning your days around an appointment? Explore our Rarotonga guide, Aitutaki guide and Rarotonga transport comparison.

Research and editorial note: Checked 3 November 2026 using the linked studio websites, public portfolios, Google Maps and the public Facebook discussion. Additional sources: Cook Islands Tourism’s tātatau artist contacts and Away to Rarotonga’s January 2026 studio guide. Clive is our featured subject for this article; the placement is not a Google-rating ranking. We did not interview the artists or inspect their studios. Real photographs were added from Clive’s public portfolio and the official Te ‘Are Tātatau and Shade Hut websites, with credits beside each image. The cover remains an AI-generated watercolour illustration, not Clive’s studio or an example of any listed artist’s tattoo work.