Aitutaki is an island with an enormous lagoon, regarded as a great snorkeling spot. The island is also known for its unspoiled beauty – much of which can be taken in from the lagoon looking back at the ring of islands around it. We had been told that a trip to Aitutaki would be incomplete without a lagoon tour and snorkeling trip. After our first two trips were cancelled (because of New Year’s Day), we finally were placed on the one boat doing trips today.
We sailed through the lagoon and were in awe of the pristine tropical paradise all around us.
We stopped briefly on one island for a short walk or swim. This was the location for some of the Survivor TV seasons in the US and the UK. We used it as a photo opp stop …
… and a place to “use the facilities.”
Back on the boat, our next stop was to be a location in the middle of the lagoon, over a coral reef for snorkeling. However, it was a windy day and there was considerable chop, so the captain said that it was not going to work to snorkel there today. So, instead, it was off to One Foot Island about 5-10 minutes away where we could snorkel and then enjoy the barbecued fish lunch that was to be cooked on the boat. We headed into the water to do some snorkeling and our underwater snorkel cam caught some of the sights (although it had a malfunction half way into the trip, as luck would have it, and we didn’t get to capture all the images we had hoped to have).
After lunch, we explored One Foot Island, which is a small island easily circumnavigated in 20 minutes or so. There’s a post office there that will stamp your passport (closed today) and a couple small day-use shelters, but other than that it is pure tropical wilderness – a perfect spot for some photos of the island and some over-the-top cheesy shots of us. Lucky you, getting to see them …
We then headed back for Aitutaki and are now enjoying our last evening here. This has been an incredible vacation spot. If you’re ever needing a place to relax and unwind, this is a prime spot to do just that.
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