[callumstuart]

Hi all,
I'm travelling to the Cook Islands in July to see the total solar eclipse. The main island of Rarotonga is set to receive a 99.4% eclipse, while the island of Mangaia will get a total for about 3.5 minutes.

Having never seen an eclipse I'm not sure if it is worth paying an extra $600 or so to get to Mangaia to observe the total eclipse for longer. So I have a couple of questions..

Is a 99.4% eclipse 'as good' as a total? I know it won't last for as long, but will things get dark as if it was total, even just briefly? Will the sun still appear covered with corona visible (briefly)?
Also, the eclipse occurs when the sun is 15 degrees above the horizon. Will the fact that it is not higher in the sky make any difference to the spectacle?

Cheers