Aitutaki

One of the world's most beautiful lagoons: cruise to One Foot Island and Honeymoon Island, snorkel among giant clams and tropical fish, and climb Maungapu for a view over the whole lagoon.

Aitutaki is an "almost atoll" in the southern Cook Islands, about 260 km north of Rarotonga, home to the capital. The island consists of a volcanic main island and 15 coral islets (motu) encircling a triangular lagoon of roughly 50 square km. The water is mostly only a few meters deep, shading from milky white to Tiffany blue, and the lagoon is widely considered one of the most beautiful in the world. The highlight is a full-day lagoon cruise: snorkel among giant clams and tropical fish by boat, go ashore on One Foot Island to get your passport stamped with a "footprint," stroll the sandbars of Honeymoon Island, and pass Akaiami, the former seaplane stopover. On the main island, you can ride an electric scooter around the island (about 18 km in total), climb Maungapu for a panoramic view of the lagoon, visit the century-old coral-stone church in Arutanga village, watch the sunset at Ootu Beach in the evening, and catch an Island Night for traditional dance and an earth-oven (umu) feast. Getting there: Air Rarotonga runs several flights a day, taking about 50 minutes. On the island you can rent an electric scooter (a local temporary driving license is required) or a bicycle, or arrange transfers. The climate is warm: May–October is the cool dry season, when the lagoon is at its clearest; November–April is hot, humid and rainy, and is also cyclone season. We recommend staying 3–4 nights. Notes: the currency is the New Zealand dollar and ATMs are scarce, so bring plenty of cash; most shops close on Sundays, a good day to attend a church service and hear the choir; please use reef-safe sunscreen and do not step on coral or giant clams.

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