Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Is the bridge gone at Aitutaki Lagoon Resort?

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea

Is the bridge gone at Aitutaki Lagoon Resort?

Sure looks like it - seems replaced by a couple of barges. Is this accurate??

What's up!

click below:

Satellite image of where the "bridge" is supposed to be...

A little over two years ago a cyclone took it out.

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And they never rebuilt it? Keeps the guests there sort of stranded, no?

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There is a manned boat/punt thing that they like only resort guests to use......
We came shore by dinghy from the yacht and weren't turned away. Beautiful place.

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Yes it's nice there, But we rented a scooter last time we stayed there as a guest - and it was convenient to be able to zip into town whenever.

Without the bridge - not sure how you can have that freedom now.

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When I was in Aitutaki (after the bridge was gone) I met several people who were staying at the resort (including a family who were zipping around on scooters). Of course, getting out of the resort via bridge is faster/easier.

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What if a guest has a medical emergency where minutes make the difference between life and death?

Not having a bridge would actually be considered a liability that the hotel could have avoided. Really weird they did not rebuild it and from a legal point of view they could be on the hook bigtime if a guest had a heart attack or something.

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The boat ride across that little bit of water takes all of two minutes MAX. It's really a novelty and keeps non guests from going to the resort.
If it's a life and death emergency it's doubtful they would be able to treat you at the hospital in Aitutaki anyway. I've had to go there a few times.
Once for an ear infection and they wanted to lift up my eardrum~! We left. Once because our traveling companions had a scooter accident.
They charged them $5 a pill for advil and gave them four of them. They had to leave, go to the hospital in Rarotonga to be treated for their injuries and ultimately had to go home early. At any rate, travelers to places like Aitutaki need to remember that the quality of health care in these countries is not like the USA or other major cities around the world. Always remember, SAFETY FIRST.

sunny regards,
shully

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Thanks - so I guess the boat runs 24hrs a day?

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Thanks for the website. Aitutaki is my favorite island so far. Joan

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