Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Anywhere more beautiful than aitutaki?? (need some recommendations) Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
hurricanes87 11:25 UTC 07 Mar 2011 | I am looking for somewhere new to travel to and have done quite a bit of research. Looking for anywhere in SE Asia or back in the pacific. I was in aitutaki in september and I honestly don't think there can be something as spectacular as the aitutaki lagoon (please prove me wrong!). I am looking for an island like that with budget accomodation (something like the matriki beach huts in aitutaki or a guest house like it), not packed with tourists, and has the clear blue water that aitutaki has (maybe another place that has a similar lagoon). Also hopefully something that isnt thousands of dollars to get to. So far I haven't really found too many places like it (palawen in phillipines is one possibility or the cocos keeling islands) Please let me know what you guys think. |
Laszlo 14:16 UTC 07 Mar 2011 | I must be somewhat ill-qualified to reply as I haven't been to Aitutaki. However, I have seen a fair few islands/beaches that I am sure I personally would find more beautiful, simply because I prefer hilly sort of islands (along the lines of those off El Nido, Palawan) to atolls! Many of these have been repeatedly nominated here in the past (eg beaches on the Isle of Pines, Raja Ampat Islands). Even Fiji has such hidden gems, such as this one. The catch? The most unspoilt islands of course do tend to be remote, hard or expensive to get to, and offer no accommodation. But if it has to be an atoll kind of thing, this Indonesian one still impressed me quite a bit. | 1
silvanocat 02:52 UTC 08 Mar 2011 | Been to Aitutaki twice and have stayed at Matriki's. The bar is set very high. Bora Bora has a more spectacular lagoon with blues of varying hues looking like someone spilled giant pots of paint in the lagoon. I thought the photos that I had seen of the lagoon were an air brush artists work but it's nature. I almost wept at the beauty when I stepped off the plane. I will never forget the view from the motu (at the old Club Med picnic spot) toward the main island. The water was striped the most gorgeous blues with the lush green mountain in the background. You'll need a bigger budget The outer rock islands of Palau are set in a stunning lagoon. Palau is expensive to get to unless you have ff miles or maybe are on a charter/package from Asia. No cute beach huts there but you can camp for free on the islands (have to pay to get out there - which can be expensive - and obtain a rock island permit.) Koror and vicinity are utterly without charm. If you find someplace as beautiful do come back and tell us. | 2
hurricanes87 10:59 UTC 08 Mar 2011 | funny you mention bora bora, i have heard the same things, that literally it is the most beautiful place on earth. I have also heard that it is super expensive (as you have mentioned). guess ill save it for my honeymoon or something down the line : ( . Thanks for the reply though! | 3
mandja 21:55 UTC 08 Mar 2011 | Laszlo, where is that Indo atoll? | 4
Laszlo 10:01 UTC 09 Mar 2011 | In SE Maluku, well away from any place in any guidebook! :-) | 5
radson 09:24 UTC 25 Mar 2011 | I nee to organize this page better but click on the link to see my Aitutaki photos. Aitutaki Photos | 6
h2ooh 23:19 UTC 25 Mar 2011 | Laszlo... we gotta get you to go to Aitutaki! Whenever my wife and I go to the Cooks we stop by Aitutaki for a week. We stay in a beach bugalow, rent a scooter to explore the island, eat at Tapunas, take a lagoon trip, see one or two island nights, visit old friends, make new ones, go fishing once or twice, go to the market every morning, go snorkeling every day, go to the CICC church on Sunday, visit the marine center. After we get Aitutaki out of our system we head over to one of the other islands for a few weeks. We've done it five times and hope to do it at least five more times. | 7
Laszlo 23:41 UTC 25 Mar 2011 | Actually, I must admit the Cooks are pretty low on my list of places to visit. In fact, I only think of them as a possible add-on to FP, though if Air Pacific really does open a route to Raro from Fiji, they may also become a useful stopover between Fiji and FP. | 8