Visit Aitutaki, Cook Islands

This beautiful atoll island, first settled by Melanesian sailors around 800 BC, is a gently sloping island at the heart of a glorious ring of coral, enclosing a turquoise lagoon five times the island’s land size, fringed by a low-lying ribbon of islets.

Though just 200 kilometres to the north of Rarotonga this low, coral island is completely different in feel, with cruises, sailing and snorkelling expeditions focused on the sheltered lagoon.

Bone-fishing is a special attraction, and there is fantastic diving on the sheer drop-offs of its outer reefs. For most visitors, it is the pristine, white-sand beaches that are the major draw, offering a wonderful opportunity to relax in a land where time has little meaning.