Aitutaki, Cook Islands
What can be said about this pristine beautiful little jewel of an island? Aitutaki in so many ways typifies the perfect south sea island. There is the stunning shallow lagoon, with its varied iridescent blues, created by the surrounding fringing reef dotted with lovely sand fringed Motu. The island itself is the remnant of a volcano that only reaches 405 feet in elevation. It is covered in a vast palette of green vegetation.
Our day began with an exciting Zodiac ride to the landing at the main village of Arutanga. We were greeted by two fierce warriors in traditional costume, three lovely maidens with broad smiles and fragrant Ai’s for each of us. Of course many of us found it to be a perfect photo opportunity!! We all crossed the large flat black stone next to the landing site as is tradition; to insure our safe future return to Aitutaki.
We were all treated to a great traditional dance performance by several of the young people of the village. They were accompanied by the rhythms of the traditional drums and singing by fellow islanders. We all soon departed for our around the island tour in open air buses with friendly local villagers as guides. We drove through several of the small villages, past a huge church made from coral blocks and limestone, and several plots of crops: noni, bananas, manioc, sweet potato and taro. Our guide pointed out the other primary types of trees that grow and produce important crops of fruit: breadfruit, mango, oranges and star apple. We stopped at several points of interest; the remains of a Marae, an ancient religious site, and a huge magnificent Banyan tree that spanned both sides of the road.
We ended our tour at a lovely beach at the far end of the island where we had a cold drink and a quick dip in the exquisite clear water. We were then transported to a charming resort nearby for an impromptu buffet lunch of fresh fish, chicken, steak and a variety of salads. Several of us stayed at the resort for the remainder of the afternoon, where we walked the beach, napped and swam in both the ocean and fresh water pool. Several more went back to the ship after lunch for a leisurely afternoon on board. The adventurous opted for the boat ride out to the Motu for an opportunity to walk the wide sand beaches, explore the vegetated inner portion of the island and observe the red tailed tropic birds and their downy chicks in their nesting habitat.
We returned to the ship and quickly readied ourselves for the Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party and Captain’s Dinner. As we departed Aitutaki, we all felt it is an island to remember, for its beauty, charm and friendliness, an island worthy to return to for a longer stay…
What can be said about this pristine beautiful little jewel of an island? Aitutaki in so many ways typifies the perfect south sea island. There is the stunning shallow lagoon, with its varied iridescent blues, created by the surrounding fringing reef dotted with lovely sand fringed Motu. The island itself is the remnant of a volcano that only reaches 405 feet in elevation. It is covered in a vast palette of green vegetation.
Our day began with an exciting Zodiac ride to the landing at the main village of Arutanga. We were greeted by two fierce warriors in traditional costume, three lovely maidens with broad smiles and fragrant Ai’s for each of us. Of course many of us found it to be a perfect photo opportunity!! We all crossed the large flat black stone next to the landing site as is tradition; to insure our safe future return to Aitutaki.
We were all treated to a great traditional dance performance by several of the young people of the village. They were accompanied by the rhythms of the traditional drums and singing by fellow islanders. We all soon departed for our around the island tour in open air buses with friendly local villagers as guides. We drove through several of the small villages, past a huge church made from coral blocks and limestone, and several plots of crops: noni, bananas, manioc, sweet potato and taro. Our guide pointed out the other primary types of trees that grow and produce important crops of fruit: breadfruit, mango, oranges and star apple. We stopped at several points of interest; the remains of a Marae, an ancient religious site, and a huge magnificent Banyan tree that spanned both sides of the road.
We ended our tour at a lovely beach at the far end of the island where we had a cold drink and a quick dip in the exquisite clear water. We were then transported to a charming resort nearby for an impromptu buffet lunch of fresh fish, chicken, steak and a variety of salads. Several of us stayed at the resort for the remainder of the afternoon, where we walked the beach, napped and swam in both the ocean and fresh water pool. Several more went back to the ship after lunch for a leisurely afternoon on board. The adventurous opted for the boat ride out to the Motu for an opportunity to walk the wide sand beaches, explore the vegetated inner portion of the island and observe the red tailed tropic birds and their downy chicks in their nesting habitat.
We returned to the ship and quickly readied ourselves for the Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party and Captain’s Dinner. As we departed Aitutaki, we all felt it is an island to remember, for its beauty, charm and friendliness, an island worthy to return to for a longer stay…
