Image-Caption-Easy Plugin Error!

cURL and allow_url_fopen are both unavailable on your web server. Read image-caption-easy.php file for more information on using HTTP_Request.

Image-Caption-Easy Plugin Error!

cURL and allow_url_fopen are both unavailable on your web server. Read image-caption-easy.php file for more information on using HTTP_Request.

Image-Caption-Easy Plugin Error!

cURL and allow_url_fopen are both unavailable on your web server. Read image-caption-easy.php file for more information on using HTTP_Request.

The following day, our last chance for sun in Aitutaki, didn’t pan out much better than the previous days, unfortunately.  Gray and overcast. However, we were fortunate that the lagoon cruise we had arranged ( Glass Bottom Boat Cruise) turned out to be a private cruise around the lagoon: all other guests had cancelled last minute, but the owner decided to run the cruise anyways.  Given the cost of gas, we’re sure he didn’t make any money ferrying the two of us around, but it was a great treat for us anyways, and hopefully we’ll drive a little business his way with this review.  The cruise cost us $65 US per person.

The tour comprised several parts. Turtle and ray viewing outside the lagoon, 2 snorkeling stops, a BBQ lunch of fresh  fish on the boat, and a stop on Honeymoon Island for swimming and photos. Usually, his cruise stops at One Foot Island, but it (and several other motus) had been taken over by the production of Survivor: Cook Islands.

We started out with a 1 hour cruise outside the lagoon. A word of warning: The sea can get pretty rough, and I was glad I’d brought dramamine (motion sickness tablets).  I wish I’d taken them farther in advance however.

The glass bottom was very clean, and we saw several turtles underwater, as well as surfacing next to the boat.  He said that such sightings are a regular feature of his trips – he’d even named one of the turtles – but he never feeds them (neither did he feed anything on the trip, except for some bread to the fish at the snorkeling stop). We also saw some manta rays cruising along the bottom of the sea bed.
Back inside the lagoon, we headed to the giant clam farm, and he explained the difference between the local and imported giant clams.  Next we stopped at the first snorkeling spot, moored just off Honeymoon Island.  He provided us with fins, but we had to have our own snorkel and mask. A word of warning:  the current was pretty strong here. He didn’t come in the water with us, and I didn’t get the feeling he was watching to make sure we were ok (as they always do at Club Med).  The schools of fish were beautiful, and some very nice coral formations. We also had the chance to see a giant clam on this trip.

Next, we stopped at the motu just beside Honeymoon Island. We wandered around the island (a 45 minute walk) and checked out the birds, while he prepared lunch. The motu had nice soft sand, although it was only a narrow strip, and coral dominated the rest of the island. Lunch was on the boat (unlike a lot of other tours, which have it on land under overhangs- I’m not sure if this was because we were on Honeymoon and not One Foot and so he didn’t have access to his normal spot).  Lunch was fresh reef fish that we had picked up from a fisherman – turned out to be the same guy who provided the snapper for Tupuna Cafe).  In addition to the fish, there was lots of chicken, fruit, bread, salad, etc.  A very nice feast!

Next we stopped on Honeymoon Island and wandered around the sand spit.  The sun teased us by almost breaking through, but didn’t quite manage.  But at least it wasn’t raining.  There isn’t much to do on the island – just swimming, shell collecting, and walking.  Lots of photo opportunities – this (and One Foot Island) is where so many Aitutaki postcard photos are taken.

Back on the boat, we headed to our last snorkeling spot, which had some even nicer schools of fish, a wreck to explore, and fortunately, no current.

He dropped us off at the dock at 4:00, where our transfer took us back to the boat.  Transfers were included.