The "Cheap-ish" Guide to Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Are you looking into a trip to the Cook Islands? Do you think Aitutaki is out of your budget? It’s absolutely worth a side trip from Rarotonga if you have the time and the cash. Here is a short guide to the logistics of getting to, and getting around, this South Pacific paradise as inexpensively as possible…. but don’t be fooled, it’s definitely not cheap.
Before getting started on overall logistics, I’d like to point out that Wifi is virtually non-existent on the islands and comes at an extremely high cost. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but it makes researching and coordinating activities on the islands a bit more difficult. My advice is do some advanced searching and comparison shopping before you arrive. Once you’re on the islands, here are your connectivity options:
Some, but not all accommodations offer Wifi for around $10NZ per day (side note: Rarotonga Backpackers on Raro does not offer any Wifi, nor do they sell vouchers, however, the cafe next door has a hotspot). Bluesky is the only provider there. You can buy vouchers ($10NZ for 500mb…. yes, mb) that can be used at Bluesky Hotspot locations around the islands. The last option, and most comprehensive, is to buy a tourist SIM for $53NZ for 3GB, good for 2 weeks. You get some amount of texts and calls included with the data - and from Rarotonga, Aitutaki is long distance, so this is useful for making any arrangements.
Getting There
At first glance, a flight search only turns up $250NZ one-way flights. These flights have more convenient departure times and include checked luggage, but for only a few days, you don’t need to bring much with you and therefore you can save some of those hard-earned dollars! Instead, opt for the discounted, carry-on only fare of $139NZ each way, available on Friday and Monday morning flights departing at 6am.. All flights to and from Rarotonga to Aitutaki are operated by Air Rarotonga. You can book on their website (https://m.airraro.com/en (mobile site) https://www.airraro.com/en (Full site)) or call them once in Rarotonga to see what is available in the short term. I was able to book a flight for the same week after arriving. As an alternative to spending multiple days on the island, Air Raro (https://www.aitutakidaytour.com/) offers a one-day tour for $500NZ. If you’re really short on time, opt for this trip!
The Lay of the Land
Aitutaki is pretty straightforward. The west side is the largest part of the island. Most of the accommodations are on the west side, looking out onto the Pacific. There are some of the east side of the island that face onto the lagoon (Gina’s for example). The wharf and “town” are closer to the southwest end but town doesn’t have much other than one or two takeaways, a shop or two, the Information Center (hours M-F 9-11 and 1-3?), and Bubbles Below - the only dive shop on the island but also serving a good coffee. The north and east side is the airport - the old runway which is abandoned, and active runway with the terminal between the two. There is a small golf course and the golf “club” which is the place to be on a Saturday night if you want to hang with the locals! At the very southeast, beyond the airport you have 3 restaurants in one place, and therefore the “dining hub” of the island. The Boat Shed, Koru Cafe, and the Blue Lagoon. Koru is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Blue Lagoon and Boat Shed are open for lunch and dinner and Boat Shed has karaoke on Sunday nights. Koru Cafe and the Boat Shed are open on Sundays, which is very important to note, because nothing else on the island is open on Sunday, no shops or groceries. (Sunday is the Lord’s day and everyone is at church; a very boisterous and welcoming community should you choose to attend. Many denominations are present on the island, but likely all services are in Cook Island Maori.)
Where to Stay
With only 2,000 permanent residents, there are limited accommodations on the island. There are a few high end resorts, namely Pacific Resort, Etu Moana, and Tamanu, Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island (that I heard first hand is for sale and overdue for a serious update) who all offer accommodations at upwards of $300NZ per night. There are a few mid-range options as well, but in the budget category, there are only three, from what I could discern. More well known, but on the southeast side of the island and a bit removed from “town” and any dining options, is Gina’s. Gina’s (http://www.ginasaitutaki.com/) offers lagoon-side and garden cottage options. I had some friends that stayed here and had great things to say. The proprietors are not only very helpful in booking activities, but also were kind enough to make a few extra pickups around the island when the weather was particularly bad. The second option is called Amuri Guesthouse, located on the west side of the island, near the Heineken store. I found them on this site ( www.ck/aituthot.htm) but had to do some digging to find it. I’m not sure if it is completely up to date but it provides some basic information on resort/hotel size, cost per night and phone/email/website info; particularly helpful for some of the smaller accommodations that don’t pop up on google. I reached out via email (amuri_lodges@hotmail.com) and got a quick response. I was quoted $50NZ per night for a room plus $10NZ for an airport transfer. As there is really no other way to get from the airport to your accommodation without renting a vehicle or getting a pickup, many accommodations offer free transfers. The last option, a newcomer to the budget scene (though I think could do with a catchier name), a Booking.com search will turn up the Aitutaki Budget Accommodation ( http://www.booking.com/Share-7zyXVi ), a 6-room guesthouse run by locals Ned and Greta. I stayed here for 3 nights for $70NZ per night (although it seems this price may increase in high season). Greta welcomed me at the airport with a beautiful fresh flower lei and we were off to the guesthouse where I was able to check in right away. The house is located right next to the “Heineken store ”(convenience store/small grocery) and just down the street from the Aquila rental, shop, and takeaway on the west side of the island. The rooms themselves are equipped with a large, comfortable bed, wardrobe, and a fan. The house has 2 shared bathrooms and a well-equipped kitchen should you decide to cook. Ned and Greta also offer fresh fruits in the kitchen and a common area with a hard drive full of movies, for a quiet night in.
Scooter (and Car) Rentals
There are only a few rental options on the island. Some will pick you up from your accommodation so give them a call before deciding who to rent with if you’re not staying nearby. Rhino and Aquila are on the west side. Rhino only has a few scooters and all were booked when I tried to rent. Aquila had plenty of scooters available, but they were not renting them because they all needed maintenance and could not, in good conscience, rent them because they couldn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t break down. I assume that this issue will be rectified in the near future and they will be back to renting! My last shot was renting from Popoara, located next to the Boat Shed. For $25NZ per day, I got a nice, big, reliable scooter. There are only one or two petrol stations on the island. The most convenient one is across from the airport. It is open until 8pm and opens at 12pm on Sunday. Rino and Aquila offer car rentals as well (not sure of the cost, but likely more than Raro, so probably upwards of $60NZ per day). Additionally, many accommodations will have a few scooters and bicycles available for hire by their guests, depending on where you stay. Keep in mind that renting a scooter in the Cook Islands requires either a motorcycle endorsement on your home license or you need to take a driving test at the police station. This is a must on Rarotonga. On Aitutaki, rumor has it that if you attempt to do this at the police station and there is no one at the station (there are only one or two police on the whole island) you may be able to use this “best efforts” excuse and secure a rental without one, however no guarantees this will work!
Now that you’re sorted with accommodation, food options, and transport, what’s there to do?
Hit the Beach! Technically the beaches are public, but some of them are directly accessed by the resorts. That said, the beach at the end of the old runway is a great snorkel spot. No equipment, no problem. The house nearest the beach, on the north side of the old runway rents equipment. I can’t confirm the cost as I had my own but they have a sign out in front of their house and a few others confirmed they do rent. The beach just in front of Aitutaki Village is another great spot on the lagoon side. You can walk out for quite some distance across sandbars through crystal clear blue waters as far as the eye can see. Even better, you can take a break here and grab a bite or a drink at the Blue Lagoon restaurant. Lastly, if you’re feeling fancy, you can “sign in” as a visitor at the Pacific Resort and visit their poolside bar/restaurant. As I mentioned above, the beach is public access, but difficult to access due to all of the beach front resorts or private property. I bought a happy hour (4-5pm) drink at the poolside bar and then went down to the beach for a swim and a little lounging around after. It’s also a great place for sundowners! I checked out a few other locations on the south side of the island and it’s a bit mucky and marshy there, so your best bet for beaches are what I’ve listed above.
The Lagoon Cruise
… is THE THING to do on the island and totally worth the $100+ cost! There are several tour operators on the island that do range a little in capacity and number of islands visited. I went with Kia Orana Cruises. Your accommodation can help arrange, or you can find information at the tourist information booth in town. I chose them for a few reasons; first, they run on Sundays (only 2 tours run on Sunday), second, it is a small group of only up to 8 passengers, and third, they visit 5 or so islands and include 2 snorkel locations (one site with giant trevally and napoleon fish and the other, a giant clam farm). The cost for the tour was $135NZ, included pickup/drop off from my accommodation, a huge lunch, snorkel equipment, and ran from approximately 9:30am-3:30pm. Cook Islands website has a good overview of the other operators (https://cookislands.travel/blog/aitutaki-lagoon-cruises) I’m not sure why Kia Orana was left off this summary, but I can personally attest that it was a top notch operation.
There is one dive shop on the island called Bubbles Below. The cost is $170NZ for 2 dives including equipment. There was no response to an email inquiry I made through this website, but I was able to text and get in touch with him. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to dive due to the weather, or a lost pig, I’m not entirely sure what the real reason was… but I did hear the dive site were better than on Raro. I did dive on Raro, and it was an okay dive. Not the best dive I’ve had, not the worst. Besides diving, there are a few fishing charters around, but I didn’t look into them. Kayaking seems like an obvious activity here, however unless you are staying at an accommodation that allows guests to use kayaks, there doesn’t appear to be anyone renting them on the island. If this is a high priority for you then consider staying at a mid-range accommodation and confirm the availability of kayaks for guest use.