Aitutaki
Aitutaki is sometimes called the Bora Bora of the Cook Islands. The main attraction of the island is the lagoon, which has so many shades of blue water you will run out of adjectives attempting to describe them. A must is a lagoon cruise – and some tourists fly to Aitutaki from Rarotonga for the day to do this. There are several operators who do these cruises. Bishops is one company that offers both large and small pontoon cruises. Most of the cruises stop for a snorkeling break near Honeymoon Island and visit One Foot Island (where you can find one of the smallest post offices in the world). Lunch is provided as part of the cruise.
A hike up to Maungapu Lookout, the highest point on the island, will give you a 360 view of the island, motus, lagoon and the vast ocean beyond the reef. Here you can get a real sense of being out in the middle of nowhere!
Experience Island Night
Be sure to attend an Island Night on Aitutaki. You can choose between a resort Island Night or one held at a smaller venue. The show at the smaller venue will be a little less polished but will give you a sense of how the local children learn the dances. You can see them practicing their moves behind the performers.
Although there are not a great number of resorts to choose from on Aitutaki, you will find that there are many very good ones. At the top of the list is the Pacific Resort, located on the sunset side of the island. A few minutes walk away from the Pacific Resort are the Tamanu Beach resort or the Etu Moana.
Aitutaki has a number of excellent restaurants, most of which are located at resorts. For an elegant meal, try the five star Rapae Bay Restaurant at the Pacific Resort or the Te Vaka at the Tamanu Beach resort.
