12 nights in the Cook Islands
Day 1: Escape to Aitutaki
Welcome to Rarotonga. You’ll be travelling to Aitutaki this morning, so head over to the domestic check-in counter. Your 45-minute flight departs for Aitutaki at 11:15am. While you wait for your flight, make your way across the road to the Islander Hotel for a tropical breakfast. When you get to Aitutaki, take it easy. Enjoy your resort facilities or rent a bicycle so you can explore the island in the afternoon.
Day 2: Aitutaki dive
Today you’ll dive with Bubbles Below Aitutaki in one of the world’s most beautiful lagoons. Get up-close and personal with the friendly local turtles, moray eels, and the thousands of fish living around the reefs of Aitutaki. Rest easy in the evening, as another day of adventure is in store for you tomorrow.
Day 3: Explore Aitutaki lagoon
Grab or rent a pair of fins and a mask and snorkel. Take a small boat to some of the lagoon’s best swimming spots and explore Aitutaki underwater. Swim with giant trevally, ogle at the giant clams, and take underwater photos of colourful fish. In the evening, dine in or sit down at a beachfront restaurant.
Day 4: Dive
Another day in paradise, another awesome dive. The diving outside the reef of Aitutaki is similar to that off Rarotonga; the visibility is excellent and the corals make for impressive marinescapes. There are plenty of larger reef fish to make friends with—unicorns, parrotfish and Napoleon Wrasse—as well as turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and eagle rays swimming above your head.
Day 5: Dive + Island Night
Enjoy more underwater sights like drop-offs, caves, and swim-throughs on your dive through Aitutaki’s pristine marine environment. After today’s dive, get ready for a traditional performance and island buffet at Tamanu Beach Resort. The fun starts at sunset with live music and a delicious dinner, followed by a fire and dance show featuring local performers.
Day 6: Free day to explore Aitutaki
Take a drive around the island today and absorb the beauty of Aitutaki. Visit Maunga Pu, which at 407 feet (124 metres) is Aitutaki’s highest point, for a breathtaking view. Wind down on a sandy beach. Your 45-minute domestic flight to Rarotonga, the main island in the Cooks group, departs at 4:40pm.
Day 7: Free day to explore Rarotonga
This morning you’ll visit the Punanga Nui marketplace. Located on the waterfront next to Avarua, Punanga Nui is where you can purchase fresh local fruit, veggies, seafood, island dishes, handicraft, black pearls, and more. Rent a motorised scooter and explore the back roads of Rarotonga in the afternoon. Turn in early as you’ll be diving again in the morning.
Day 8: Dive in rarotonga
Today you will visit two of 30 dive sites off the coast of Rarotonga such as Edna’s Anchor, Smurf City, Coral Gardens, and Mataora Wreck. The weather will determine which sites you will explore, and your dive operator can offer single or double tank dives. In the evening, enjoy some live music and beachfront dining at one of Rarotonga’s many restaurants.
Day 9: Trekking + Night dive
This morning, you will enjoy a hike up Raemaru Mountain on the west side of Rarotonga. This 1.5-hour trek through the interior of the island will introduce you to the medicinal plants, herbs, and fauna of the Cook Islands and take you to a stunning vista. In the evening you’ll be diving on the north side of the island at popular sites like Smurf City, Edna’s Anchor, and Tangaroa’s Rocks. There are plenty of interesting nooks and crannies where crustaceans and other nocturnal creatures hide.
Day 10: Game fishing + Island night
Today you’ll explore the ocean from above. Charter a boat and enjoy some exciting game fishing; cast for yellowfin tuna, marlin, wahoo, or mahimahi and drink in the sight of Rarotonga from the sea. In the evening, experience a spectacular dance show and buffet dinner at Te Vara Nui Village.
Day 11: Dive + Nightsup
You’ll be out in the beautiful lagoons of Rarotonga again this morning, exploring a different kind of ecosystem. Break for some of the island’s best fish sandwiches at Charlie’s Beach Cafe in Titikaveka. In the evening, watch the sun go down from a stand-up paddleboard. When it gets dark, watch the lagoon light up beneath your LED-equipped board.
Day 12: Dive + Dine with locals
In the evening, you’ll leave your resort and venture out to the villages to experience true Cook Islands cuisine and hospitality. The progressive dinner tour is your ticket to a real encounter with island life and culture; you’ll enjoy a three-course meal, with each course in a different local home.
