YOU CAN TAKE THE SAND FROM YOUR SHOES BUT IT WILL NEVER LEAVE YOUR SOUL

If you are looking for paradise on earth, Aitutaki is it! From white sand beaches and uninhabited islands to water so clear, you can see right through to the bottom… this amazing island in the Cooks truly is heaven on earth. Aitutaki is north of Rarotonga and is the second most visited island in the Cooks. The Polynesians settled in Aitutaki between 1225-1430 AD. In 1942 forces from New Zealand and the United States were stationed on the island which is why you can still see a two-way airstrip (which looks completely out of place on this small island). And… for a celebrity sighting… Aitutaki was the location of Survivor: Cook Islands. Another notable fact about this gorgeous island is that in 2010 it was nominated “the world’s most beautiful Island” in Lonely Planet (and it fits this title in my opinion).

We had been told by locals, friends and travel blogs that when visiting The Cook Islands, seeing the island of Aitutaki was a must. To be honest, we debated this heavily. We had already picked out two-week accommodations on the main island of Rarotonga, and were obsessed with its beauty and thought there was no way a place could be more beautiful than the island we were already on. After humming and hawing for a few days about if we should or should not visit the island, we decided to book the one-day tour… and we do not regret it one bit!

Let me preface this by saying for a one-day excursion it is expensive… it will set you back around CAD 400 per person. But I’ll let you know, it is worth every penny! The tour is operated by Air Rarotonga and can be booked online or directly at the airport. If you are interested in this tour, the bus picks you up right from your accommodation at around 7 am and takes you right to the airport. At the Rarotonga Airport (definitely my favorite airport in the world) you hop onto a small plane for your 50-minute flight to Aitutaki. The service is friendly and calm and the hospitality makes you feel like you are one of the islanders! From here you hop on a bus that takes you on a tour of the island. The tour guide is fantastic and talks all about the history and culture of the area. Driving around this island is so fun as the locals love the tourists. They wave at the bus going by and seem to enjoy others taking part in enjoying their beautiful home.

After touring the island, my favorite part began! The island cruise on the Vaka Titi-Ai-Tonga. From the minute you board, you know this is going to a fun trip! The hosts are outrageously fun and make you feel like you are a part of the family! From here you will begin to tour many of the small islands (motu) including One Foot Island. While you are on the boat cruise, there is a plethora of drinks available (there is a surcharge for alcohol) and the BEST fresh coconut beverage I’ve ever had! I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy coconut so much again!

The onboard experience is amazing. The team teaches some cultural lessons including picking and opening a coconut properly and gives many history lessons and tells stories about the area. The icing on the cake (for me) was the live music, which added the perfect touch to this paradise experience. I mean, what says “relax” more than having a fresh coconut beverage on a traditional Vaka in the middle of the bluest ocean you’ve ever seen with three men playing ukuleles and drums and singing The Temptations and Drake?

A definite highlight of this excursion was the snorkeling! The clear blue water and shallow sand made it the ideal location to view the local marine life. From giant clams to Giant Trevally (GT’s) and all the little creatures between, this snorkeling was unlike anything else. The GT’s were especially amazing! They were large, fast, and comfortable coming up close to you. I have to admit, at first I was terrified of swimming near these beasts, but then I realized, they were calm gentle creatures and just enjoying the beautiful water they live in!

So, would we do it all over again? In a heartbeat! Revisiting these pictures and videos has me itching to go back to Aitutaki right a-now-i! It seems as if the pictures and videos are too good to be true, but to be honest… they don’t even do the location justice. If heaven is a place on earth, that place is Aitutaki… and we are so lucky to be able to visit!

Meitaki Aitutaki,

Kev & Kay