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 Aitutaki: Just Your Average Tropical Island Paradise Kia orana, once again. I'm writing this entry on Aitutaki, a lovely island in the south Pacific and part of the Cook Islands group. If you haven't read my December 10 update yet from Rarotonga, you might want to check it out before reading this page so you'll know how I got here. Picking up where I left off on that update, let me tell you a bit about Aitutaki.
My plans to visit to Aitutaki started about a year ago. While I was working last winter at my office job in downtown Portland, I took out my Lonely Planet book on the Cook Islands every day during lunch and read about Aitutaki (pronounced "eye-two-talky"). The book described Aitutaki as a beautiful island with a huge lagoon, located about 150 miles north of Rarotonga, the main island in the Cook Islands. After looking at the beautiful pictures in the book and staring outside at the cold, rainy streets below, I decided to visit Aitutaki if and when I ever got to the Cook Islands.
I spent two days on Rarotonga (see News: December 10, 2001), then flew out to Aitutaki on a small Air Rarotonga turboprop. After getting off the plane, I walked into the Aitutaki “air terminal" which is actually a large thatched hut. It definitely sets the tone for this island paradise. I hopped on a rickety-but-colorful bus and got a ride into "town," hopping off at my lodge, the Vaikoa Units, where I was greeted by the owner, a pleasant woman in her 40s.
Above left: No movie on THIS flight. Above right: After a 30-minute flight, I arrived at the Aitutaki "airport." No metal detectors here – and no need for one. The landing strip was built during World War II by U.S. Marines and is one of the longest in the south Pacific.
With a few exceptions, most of the lodges on Aitutaki are small, family-run establishments with lots of “character,” shall we say. The Vaikoa Units were definitely on the budget end of the spectrum. For only US$14 a night, I got a two-bed unit with small kitchen, plates, and utensils, all located about 50 feet from one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. The “character” part includes the bare light bulbs on the ceiling, cool showers, and a room that comes fully-equipped with a resident lizard. But hey, for only $14 a night I wasn't complaining!
There are several higher-end accommodations on Aitutaki and next time I visit (and there will definitely be a next time), I might opt for one. You can even spend several hundred dollars a night for the top-of-the-line Aitutaki Lagoon Resort, though I’ve heard that you don’t get what you pay for there.
On the low end of the spectrum, you can spend about $10 a night in a “kikau,” or thatched-roof hut right on the beach at Paradise Cove, which sounds intriguing. By the way, the total cost of my two-day jaunt to Aitutaki was just $180, including round-trip airfare from Rarotonga, meals, transfers, and two nights at the Vaikoa Units.
After the tremendous buildup and my very high expectations of Rarotonga, I must admit that I was a bit disappointed. Mostly, I was surprised by how crowded and developed Rarotonga was, with few secluded beach areas. Still, though, I thought Rarotonga was nice. But if Rarotonga is nice, then Aitutaki is simply wonderful. I've spent two days on Aitutaki and can’t figure out why more people haven’t discovered this place, because it's an unspoiled tropical paradise. No, I’m not talking about some overdeveloped place like Maui, Tahiti, Acapulco, or Cancun. You can have those places and their overinflated prices.
Unlike those places, the locals here are very friendly (friendlier even than on Rarotonga), the scenery is right out of a postcard, the weather is usually ideal, and the food and lodging is very reasonable, about a quarter of what you'd pay in the U.S. Aitutaki is also quite "colorful" – pigs seem to outnumber people here by about 2 to 1 and the many roosters here begin crowing each morning around 4:30 a.m. It's a good thing I brought my earplugs.
Like I say, it’s not Club Med. If you want to be pampered, then visit one of the many expensive, exclusive, and snotty places in the south Pacific that cater to the plump and affluent. But if you want to rub elbows with locals, bask in the sun, and experience genuine south Pacific friendliness, Aitutaki is the place to go.
Above left: The Vaikoa Units, home for my two nights on Aitutaki. The fresh water supply is from rainwater that's stored in the white cistern on the left. Fortunately, this was the wet season. Above center: The laid-back receptionist at Vaikoa. She's purr-fect. Above right: As this grammatically-challenged sign in my room said, "Please don't used the plate for your mosquito coil and feeding the cat." After reading this, I decided not to eat off the dinner plates.
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