IT IS ABOUT TO BE LEGENDARY

HOME
TO THE WORLD’S

MOST STUNNING
LAGOON

Aitutaki, home to approximately 1800 people and the world’s most beautiful lagoon, is  just a 45-minute flight from Rarotonga and is therefore ideally suited to be visited on the Aitutaki Daytour for visitors who based themselves on Rarotonga.
  
Whilst the 6 hour cruise on the lagoon is the highlight of the Tour a short drive across the main island of Aitutaki will give you a glimpse of what a stay in Aitutaki would have to offer – in case you are planning to come back like many of our guests do at the end of this Day Tour.

 

THE MAGIC HISTORY STARTS HERE

Legend has it that the Island was first discovered by the Polynesian voyager Ru. It seems certain this great Polynesian navigator and his entourage were the first settlers of Aitutaki a thousand years ago.

Disenchanted with the leadership of his home island, thought to be Tubuai in the Society Islands, Ru with his party of young men and their consorts navigated the large twin hulled vaka Ngapuariki, through days and nights of Pacific storms in search of a new homeland.

 

THE
MAGIC
HISTORY
STARTS
HERE

SEE THE ISLAND MIRACLES TODAY

SEE THE
ISLAND
MIRACLES
TODAY

History

Centuries later and under the command of Captain William Bligh, Aitutaki was sighted from the HMS Bounty on the 11th of April 1789, just a few days before the infamous crew mutiny led by Fletcher Christian.

During World War Two several thousand American servicemen descended on Aitutaki changing the landscape with the construction of a coral runway to provide an easterly route between Australia and Hawaii to avoid the advance of Japanese Forces. An American war correspondent wrote of Aitutaki at the time . . .

“You can’t over describe it. After the peace the War Department will have to send troops there to drag those guys home . . . it’s a soldier’s dream.”

Today

The 1950s and 60s saw Aitutaki as a stopover for TEAL Solent flying boats on the romantic ‘Coral Route’ en-route to and from Tahiti.

Travel on the Coral Route was expensive during a period when most international passengers still went by sea, and many of the worlds rich and famous stepped off onto the sands of Akaiami while the giant aircraft re-fuelled en-route between Samoa and Tahiti.

Today, Aitutaki has the modern conveniences of our era. However the stunning lagoon and availability of arable land means that every child still learns to plant and fish. Famed as the entertainers of the Cook Islands, Aitutakians still present spectacular Polynesian dances, drumming and song as they have done for centuries.

UPOKO KANGA

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Staying in Aitutaki?

The Vaka Cruise

If your holiday includes a stay on Aitutaki, please head over to The Vaka Cruise Web Site where you can book only the cruise.

Flights and accommodation

To book your flights to Aitutaki and the Hotels for your stay please visit Air Rarotonga or if you are interested in a package deal contact the Airline using their contact form.

Join the journey!