About the Kia Orana Podcast
Chantal and Haydn, a Rarotongan and an American
In 2019, Haydn wrote a book about the Cook Islands; How I Fell In Love With an Island. Chantal ran across the book while on holiday on Aitutaki and got in contact with him. A friendship was formed and before too long, a podcast came out of their friendship. Chantal brings to the Kia Orana podcast a local perspective of the island, while Haydn comes from a tourist, let alone an American perpsective.
In each podcast episode, they bring their knowledge together to inform you of what you'll expect to find, and what you won't find in the Cook Islands. They both believe that the islands are special, unlike anywhere else on earth. It's their unique perspectives that truly makes the Kia Orana Podcast special.
A ‘happy virus’ goes out to the world
A Cook Islands podcaster has celebrated a milestone in connecting the nation to more than 60 countries.
Tourism operator Chantal Napa has spent the past 12 months building an international audience after travel bans forced her to look at other options.
Napa, with the help of her United States business partner Haydn Adams, has set about taking the Cook Islands to the world through the Kia Orana Podcast.
‘When Chantal is quiet, she’s learning’
Even after 13 years of being back home, Napa still finds herself learning more and more everyday about Cook Islands people, history and culture.
Through the Kia Orana podcast which she co-hosts with American author Haydn Adams, she is now able to share what she’s learnt with other people worldwide.
“I can multitask when I’m listening to a podcast. I can drive my car, weed my garden, rake my yard tree leaves, tackle household chores, go for a walk, meditate or enjoying the company of friends and family, all while listening to a podcast,” she says.
Featured in the Cook Islands News: Chantal’s recipe for success
Award-winning tourism operator Chantal Napa barely paused for breath after the travels bans shut down her business; now she has launched a Cook Islands podcast with US business partners Haydn Adams. Rashneel Kumar conducts a three-way trans-Pacific interview with the podcasters.
When Chantal Napa started her online holiday and tour booking company in 2016, people doubted the concept.
They said Chantal’s Concierge was new to the local market and would not work.
Napa proved them wrong – the business became a major success within months and performed well.
The Book: How I Fell in Love With an Island
There’s a magical place in the middle of nowhere in the South Pacific. Devoid of stoplights, Starbucks or free wifi. Where coconut juice is refreshing and the beauty pristine. It’s a place where people often ask, “What exactly do you do there?” Author Haydn Adams discovered the answer to that question with every day he spent on the island nation.
But it wasn’t the white sandy beaches or the world’s most beautiful lagoon that drew him back to the Cook Islands a second time. It was the islanders who showed Haydn how to live, laugh and enjoy paradise. Pride and love are interwoven into daily life in this island nation. Enjoy reading how Haydn fell in love with an island, maybe you will too.
Purchase the eBook or Softcover on Amazon