A Day in Aitutaki: Paradise of the Cook Islands

Early in the morning, we didn't know if this was such a good idea. The sky was gray, it was drizzling, and generally, it was simply too windy and cool to leave the bed before sunrise. However, we gave the idea a chance, took a shower, and bundled ourselves up warmly to hop on our rental scooter. Our destination: the airport.

This morning was atypical for Rarotonga. Rarotonga is the largest of the Cook Islands, covering 67 square kilometers, located in the South Pacific. Like the other 14 islands in the group, it's often referred to as paradise by many people. With its blue seas, radiant sunshine, and such a relaxed atmosphere, one automatically enters a high vacation spirit that one never wants to leave behind. However, this morning was anything but paradisiacal. So, we set off for the airport, which was only 20 minutes away from our Aro'a Beachside Inn, hoping the clouds would disappear. We were flying to Aitutaki, an archipelago in the northern part of the Cook Islands, which features on many postcards.

8:00 Departure from Rarotonga. The plane was full, but that was relatively easy given the size of this Cessna. Many of the people on board the plane had the same day trip plan as we did: leaving the stormy Rarotonga in the morning to spend the day in Aitutaki and flying back in the evening. The flight takes no longer than an hour and offers the perfect view of the small islands located out here, beyond another land, in the open sea.

We had landed. From the airport, we went through the streets of Aitutaki straight to the sea - and there awaited our Vaka. A Vaka is a traditional canoe, deeply rooted in Maori culture. This was the vessel that the Maoris used centuries ago to row from their small islands towards New Zealand. Today, Vakā are often used primarily for tourists.

10:00 Departure from Aitutaki Harbor. It was still a bit cloudy, and we were still concerned whether the photos we would take today would really turn out well. The Vaka was well filled, and the crew had already set the right mood for us with island tunes at the very beginning. Six hours on the Vaka lay ahead of us, along with an excursion to paradise.

Aitutaki is a sort of tilted atoll, has 1,900 inhabitants, and covers an area of about 18 square kilometers. The Pacific island is located at the edge of a larger lagoon and is part of a collective of 15 islands. The smaller islands here are called Motus. Three of these islands have a volcanic origin, while the other twelve are coral islands.

From a distance, we could already see the first small islands. Listening to the music, we found ourselves quickly staring blankly. Sometimes focusing on the turquoise, clear water, other times on the white sandy beach, and sometimes on the perfectly shaped palms that we could see on the small islands.

12:00 First stop. Our Vaka came to a halt, and only now did we realize that the sun had come out fully, giving the landscape around us a completely different touch. Incredible. The sea suddenly looked painted, the sand almost unnaturally bright, and the sky had trouble standing out from the blues of the sea. So, this is where all the postcards of the Cook Islands are made. This is where the photos come from that are often used as wall murals. Here it is, paradise.

We stopped to snorkel. But even that was anything but ordinary. From our Vaka, we could already see huge fish eagerly waiting for tourists with plastic snorkels and neon goggles. Our crew jumped into the cool water first, welcomed by the fish, and stroked the animals as if they were pets. Well, that might actually be the case. Then we went into the water. The fish found us interesting as well, and so they swam around us - without bothering any of us. The sea was clear, crystal clear. So clear that one hardly needed a pair of goggles; the bright colors of the corals and small schools of fish surrounding us could be seen even from the water's surface with the naked eye.

1:00 Lunch. While we were repeatedly breathless from the surrounding scenery, our crew was busy on board preparing our lunch. Fish, meat, a variety of salads, and freshly grated coconut in a perfect atmosphere? That's probably only found in Aitutaki.

After lunch, our excursion to paradise was far from over. Another island lay ahead of us, a small Motu, which our friends had specifically raved about before the trip from Rarotonga. But what could possibly come after this scenery, the enormous fish, and the paradise we had already seen in the lagoon?

2:00 One Foot Island. Here we were. The anchor was thrown, the goggles were distributed, and we packed our passports. We had arrived at One Foot Island. The island, known in Maori language as Tapuaetai, is not just home to many picture-perfect palms but also hosts the smallest post office in the world. Tourists have been able to pick up their official stamp for their passport here for years. We too had our foot stamp pressed into our passports before we embarked on a small island exploration. There wasn't much to see here, but that's fine because it doesn't need to be. Anyone who comes here already knows that they have arrived at one of the most paradisiacal spots in the world.

We floated in the calm lagoon. Sometimes lying on our backs, sometimes on our bellies, sometimes lying in the sand, sometimes snorkeling under water. Boredom? No, that didn't exist here. On the contrary, we were far too busy soaking in everything that surrounded us. The light, the water, the colors, the broad smiles of the people, the nature, the palms, the sky, the sun. If Aitutaki and all its small Motus were a painting, it would probably be the perfect symbiosis of cool and warm colors creating a dreamy ensemble. But it is not. It is an island in the South Pacific that conveys such untouched paradise charm that one almost fears putting it into words, capturing it in pictures, and suggesting to others to travel there themselves.

One last time, we climbed aboard our Vaka, listened to the sounds of handmade music, and looked into the lagoon, which showed its best side even at the end of the day excursion.

4:30 Departure. Our skin burned a little from the sun, our hair smelled of salt, and our mouths hadn't recovered from the broad grins we had been wearing all day. Sometimes, you see pictures on television, in magazines, or even on various social media platforms. Pictures of paradisiacal beaches on the other side of the world. Then you think to yourself that you'll never get there in your life. And now we were sitting here. In the little Cessna, flying us out of paradise to the next dream island. How quickly it can happen - yet these memories of this day trip surely won't fade from our memories anytime soon. Farewell paradise, may you forever remain as dreamy, serene, and unique as you are.