Finally, Aitutaki! This place has been on my bucket list ever since Kristin of Camels and Chocolates wrote about it a few years ago. Her photos from One Foot Island have stayed with me for a long time and I’m thrilled to witness this paradise with my own eyes.

After a multi-hour layover in Rarotonga (during which I hop on a local bus that circles around the small island), I return to the airport in preparation for my flight to Aitutaki. The tropical climate is hot and humid but it does bring us these beautiful flowers.

I can’t get enough of these peaks in Rarotonga.

I luck out and score a window seat. My camera is ready to snap away.

After about 40 minutes I glimpse Aitutaki’s picturesque lagoon in the distance. The entire island is surrounded by a coral reef that breaks the waves and inside is a giant lagoon full of picture-perfect islands.

The color of the water just slays me. So stunning.

Can you hear the live ukulele music greeting the passengers?

Joe from Paradise Cove Lodges greets me with a lei necklace and a coconut. What a special welcome! I’m really thirsty by this point because no one was selling water bottles at the domestic departures area in Rarotonga (and Cook Islands tap water is undrinkable), so coconut water hits the spot.

Here’s Joe on the left. He takes good care of the guests at Paradise Cove.

And here we are at Paradise Cove:

I’m in beachfront bungalow #2.

It’s a simple room and bathroom. The only downside is that there’s no air conditioning. I’d read this on-line and didn’t think much of it, figuring the ceiling fan would be enough — but at this time of year the humidity is nearly unbearable and A/C would have made a huge difference. The room is regularly $150/night but they have an off-season rate of $90/night for the days that I’m there. I compared it to other accommodations before booking and similar rooms with A/C on the beach ran close to $300/night at nearby hotels. I was attracted to the low rates and beachfront access at Paradise Cove. That said, there are tropical critters scurrying around — I had to shoo out a gecko at one point and there’s an adorable kitten with fleas that hangs around the bungalows. But I suspect you might find these reminders of island living at higher-end hotels, too.

Hint: stock up at a convenience store in town and eat in once or twice to save money. There’s a mini fridge, hot plate, and cookware in all the bungalows specifically for this purpose. Food is REALLY expensive on the island (I saw someone pay $15 for a tub of ice cream) and I would have liked to take advantage of the kitchen supplies. I didn’t have a car or scooter and the nearest store was a long walk from Paradise Cove, but Joe drives all guests into town on the way in from the airport so they can stock up. I didn’t realize how limited my options were at the time and would have bought more. That is my tip to you all!

Here is the view from my bungalow balcony:

The beachfront is simple and clean. While not as stunning as the pristine waters of nearby One Foot Island, it’s perfect for a quick dip to cool off. There’s a trench about ten feet out so you don’t have to in very far to submerge. It’s a great mid-afternoon reprieve from the humidity.

These little sea cucumbers are all over the water, both here and out in the lagoon. Someone mentions that they help keep the sand white.

Immediately upon arrival in Aitutaki I am swarmed by mosquitos. I’ve spent my whole life losing the battle to these little buggers so the 40 bites currently on my arms and legs are not a surprise (I’ll spare you the photos). But a woman on my lagoon tour tells me that the pink flowers in my lei necklace will bring down the swelling on bug bites. I try rubbing the flower on my bites and the redness immediately goes down! They still itch but at least I don’t have red spots all over my appendages.

A tropical breakfast is included for all guests at Paradise Cove. There’s a nice spread of fruit, toast, cereal, juice, and coffee. My favorites are the sour starfruit, passion fruit, and fresh mango.

On my first night I visit Puffy’s restaurant next door but they are out of a lot of menu items (a cargo ship arrives the next day so they probably restocked shortly thereafter). But my bungalow neighbors Dave & Claudia ate there the next night and had a better experience; the owner sat down with them and explained that she loved Puff Daddy as a teenager, so she convinced her parents to name the restaurant Puffy’s in his honor.

At Dave & Claudia’s suggestion I walk about 15 minutes down the road to Tamanu’s for dinner the next night. It is delightful! Only a few dollars more than Puffy’s for a much higher caliber menu and service. I order a fruit smoothie and chicken satay.

That wraps up my accommodations and food post on Aitutaki. Tomorrow I’ll detail a hike to the tallest part of the island, just across from Paradise Cove.