The tropical paradise you can have (almost) all to yourself

The hotel

Pacific Resort Aitutaki

Check in

The thatched-roof villas are strung along the beach, with plenty of privacy.

Sorely disappointed by crowds and over-development at other island hotspots (Bali, we’re looking at you)? A 40-minute flight from Rarotonga, Aitutaki’s picture-perfect lagoon and unspoilt beaches are straight out of central casting, with a mere sprinkling of honeymooners snorkelling in its ridiculously luminescent waters. The adults-only Pacific Resort, its reception area perched above the sea, takes the fantasy a step further, conjuring a magical arrival with relaxed smiles ensuring instant decompression.

The look

The free-form swimming pool is unused during our stay – everyone is snorkelling in the lagoon.

Just your typical luxury paradise – thatched villas strung along the beach and a central building where you’ll find the spa (a massage here is blissful), main restaurant and beachfront bar. There’s also a free-form swimming pool but given the tranquil ocean’s proximity, it isn’t unexpected to see it unused during our stay. The local Polynesian-style decor is a mix of dark, carved timber and typically vibrant soft furnishings, and there are tropical gardens you can explore on a self-guided tour as well as the marae, a traditional Maori meeting ground.

The room

The rooms are decorated in typical Polynesian style with dark timber and vibrant soft furnishings.

There are 29 bungalows and villas, all positioned privately and just footsteps from the water. Ours is comfortable and spacious, with a generous bathroom, lounge area, bar fridge and now-ubiquitous Nespresso coffee machine alongside a television (with on-demand movies), air conditioning and USB-charging outlets. But the most seductive inclusions are the serene outdoor deck; twin sun loungers surrounded by coconut palms on that pristine sand, and the beachside outdoor shower to rinse it off.

Food + drink

Rapae restaurant is set in an open-air rotunda.Credit: Trudi Jenkins

Rapae Bay restaurant is set in a lovely open-air rotunda that can be battened down during a downpour. Open all day, it’s where you can breakfast on french toast, eggs benedict or pancakes with Tahitian vanilla cream and mango syrup. Lunch or dinner means the chance to try freshly caught fish, often tuna, either as ike mata, marinated in lime juice and coconut milk, or grilled with a homemade tartare sauce. International regulars such as steak, pasta and cheesecake pad out the rest of the menu (beware: the prices are international, too). New Zealand dominates the wine list, and a light Gisborne chardonnay has been made for the resort. Sunset cocktails are best enjoyed at Black Rock bar, where (especially) happy hour is 4-5pm.

Out + about

Avatea is a rustic cafe much-loved by locals.

Aitutaki is tiny at just 18 square kilometres, so it’s easy to get around (you can rent cars, bikes and snorkel gear). Swimming or snorkelling in the lagoon is the main activity; join a Vaka cruise to visit other islets including One Foot Island with its tiny white terns nesting in the trees. A generous buffet lunch (prayers are said beforehand) and live guitar music and singing is included. Avatea at Tauku is a rustic, laid-back cafe that serves huge plates of butter chicken and fish tacos, plus excellent coffee. Nearby surfie-style Stonefish Studio is the place to pick up a souvenir T-shirt or cap.

The verdict

It’s hard not to relax in an unspoilt, welcoming place where there’s little to do except snooze under palm trees and snorkel in that blue lagoon, and at this resort you can do it in style.

Essentials

From $1360 ($NZ1500) a night. Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Main Road Amuri, Aitutaki. Phone: [phone]. See pacificresort.com/aitutaki

Jetstar flies to Rarotonga four times a week from Sydney, increasing to five in May 2025, using the new A321neo LR. Check out their bundle options to include baggage, select your own seat, and add in-flight food and drink. See jetstar.com

Air Rarotonga flies daily from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, with fares from $390 ($NZ430) return.

The six-hour Vaka Cruise including pick-up from your resort and barbecue buffet lunch is $271 ($NZ299) per adult, $135 ($NZ149) for children aged 5 to 12 years; children and infants up to 4 years free of charge.

For general information on travelling to the Cook Islands. See cookislands.travel/au

Our score out of five

★★★★

Highlight

All the Castaway feels but with a bar fridge, coffee machine and marble bathroom.

Lowlight

The day a cruise ship visits and the beach crawls with daytrippers, testing the patience of the resort employee dispatched to shoo them off the sun loungers.

The writer travelled as a guest of Cook Islands Tourism and Jetstar.