Aitutaki

The sweet smell of Frangipani fragrance is often one of the first impressions of Aitutaki when you arrive – the smell of Frangipani is synonymous with Aitutaki. The island is located only 220 kilometres north of Rarotonga, Aitutaki is the only island with an atoll in the six inhabited southern islands. In order to get to Aitutaki you’ll need to take a 45 minute flight Rarotonga, on a SAAB 340 30 seater aircraft. Flying from Rarotonga is the only way to reach Aitutaki by air. Aitutaki lagoon is shaped loosely like a triangle and is a protected atoll filled with some of the clearest turquoise blue waters you’ll find anywhere in the world. The highest point of the island is Maunga Pu at 137 metres above sea level. You may have seen Aitutaki before having featured in quite a few prominent TV shows. Two of Aitutaki’s small islands Rapota and Moturakau, were the locations for the first series of the UK reality programme Shipwrecked in 2000. Then in 2006 the US TV programme Survivor used Aitutaki and its Islands as the location for the show. Not long after that Shipwrecked returned again, with Battle of the Islands 2006. In 2007 the island was the location of an episode of Survivorman. Read our Cook Islands Uncovered Blog…