Aitutaki Cook Islands
Aitutaki Lagoon
The Aitutaki Lagoon is the jewel of the Cook Islands. Aitutaki's Lagoon is one of the most beautiful environments in the world. I worked my sailing business on the Aitutaki Lagoon for ten years.
Site Published by
Ben Grummels, 10 Year Resident of Aitutaki.
VIDEO OF THE AITUTAKI
LAGOON
Aitutaki, Cook Islands has the same longitude as Hawaii and the same latitude as Hawaii except south of the equator instead of North; ie similar climate of Hawaii. Aitutaki, Cook Islands is in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean and centre of the Polynesian Triangle. See Travel to Aitutaki about getting to the Cook Islands and on to Aitutaki. Photos link on the right of this webpage will show you some of the 14 uninhabited islets (motus) on the barrier reef surrounding the Aitutaki Lagoon offering some of the best beach holidays in the world. Motu Akitua near the south eastern end of the US army built aeroplane runway has a resort which I used to relief manage when my yachts operated from this 15th islet.
AITUTAKI NEWS 2021
There is no Corona virus on Aitutaki.
April 2021 opens a travel buble between Australia and New Zealand.
2021, Aitutaki is the first island in the South Pacific
to get cabled high speed internet access (HSIA).
Snorkelling in Aitutaki Lagoon's protected water will reveal all types of living coral inhabited by spectacularly coloured tropical fish. To get full enjoyment out of snorkelling it is VERY important to understand "Ben's Law of Lagoon Turbidity". While the Aitutaki lagoon is calm, the prevailing south east trade winds do build a small swell which after a couple of days is enough to stir sediments on the leeward side of the Aitutaki island.
On these days snorkelling gets better the closer you get to the windward
side of Aitutaki's triangular fringing reef, including just inside the
Aitutaki's reef. One Foot Island, and
Motu Maina southern reef side of Aitutaki
Island are fine with the South East Trade winds This wind direction
is good for standing on the northern reef of Aitutaki, casting a wind assisted
fishing lure. In the wet season wind / swell directions are less predictable.
A northerly wind means that snorkelling the Aitutaki barrier reef near the
western end of the runway is clear visibility (low turbidity) while surf
casting (fishing) from the reef is wind assisted on the southern barrier
reef where the big trevalli GTs swim.
I could never understand why
some tourists would fly to Rarotonga Cook Islands; then fly to enjoy Aitutaki
but miss out on the best thing of Aitutaki: THE Aitutaki lagoon. Tourists
who'd previously visited Bora Bora, French
Polynesia's geographic version of the "almost
atoll" of Aitutaki told me that Aitutaki's lagoon was just
as nice but that Aitutakians were more friendly and prices were much cheaper
than Bora Bora.
Check activities
for things to do such as exploring the enchanted Chestnut forest, SCUBA
diving, game fishing or climbing Munga Poo.
The Polynesian people of Aitutaki are friendly and hospitable. Many still
lead a subsistence life style with a small supplementary income from the
hospitality industry. When I lived on Aitutaki I saw the collapse of the
banana growing industry and development of tourism; income which helps Cook
Islands form of Polynesian culture to continue. For example hula dancing
still thrives with Aitutaki winning many national cultural competitions
at Rarotonga, capital of the independent country
of the Cook Islands. My favourite Cook Island's music is the "Drum
Dance" Total immersive fun dancing with beautiful seductive hula
girls wearing grass skirts, coconut shell bra, flower necklace and flower
crowns, while a well muscled Aitutakian drumming team beat out a fantastic
rhythm from their authentic pig skin and hand carved wooden drums.
Aitutaki Best beach holiday travel destinations
are written by dedicated photo journalists, published and edited by the
Best Beach Holidays
travel writer who still thinks of Aitutaki as home. Contact Best Beach Holidays
to submit your Aitutaki Island beach holiday review. Kia Manuia.
