Family trip to Aitutaki Island with children. Ideas on where to go with your child

Aitutaki Island is a perfect destination for those families in which kids are obsessed with journeys and always ready to discover something new every day. There are no children infrastructure like theme parks or aquaparks outside local hotels, perhaps just some playgrounds in the capital city. If you plan to also have some time for yourself only, look for those hotels which provide children’s rooms and animators. And actually, there is just a few of such hotels.

On the other hand, any kid would fill themselves like Robinson Crusoe here on Aitutaki Island. You just have to go to any desert island – e.g. Takutea or Moturakau – not far from Aitutaki. Nobody inhabits such small islands, and, what is more, if the weather is nice, you can rent a motorboat and just get there without any troubles. Or you also can have a two-days-excursion to Takutea which includes a sleepover in tents and a cook-house so any child would feel like they participate in a true adventure. Besides, young nature lovers would get interested in it as well as there are lots of diverse exotic birds there.

Aitutaki Island provides a perfects chance for children to try snorkelling. Furthermore, even two-three-years-old children who already can float (with the help of floaties or other inflatable equipment, of course) can take their first lessons. In addition, there is a bunch of reefs that in the ocean area a pretty close to the surface what also allows us to take a closer look at local exotic underwater inhabitants and you don’t have to do scuba diving in order to see it. Any child would be so amused to watch all those colourful fishes in real life, not on TV. You can rent a mask and a snorkel in the capital’s port. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

If your kid is already eight years old, then you can try diving together. English-speaking children have an opportunity to take specialized lessons in any local diving school (as all the lessons are in English). By the end of the courses, kids get a children divers' license which allows them to dive to shallow depths. Moreover, there are pretty much such points here where you can enjoy marine beauty even at such depths. Your children and you could enjoy watching not only tropical fish and various corals but also dolphins and sea turtles in their natural habitat. And, if you’re lucky enough, whales too.

If your child prefers to concentrate on just one thing, then you can offer them to try deep-sea fishing. You can rent equipment and a boat and find an instructor too right in the port. Active kids should enjoy taking kite-surfing, sea kayaking or water-skies lessons. Additionally, Aitutaki Island is also especially good for hiking on any distance. Even half-an-hour would be pretty enough to show children some of the local magnificent landscapes or have yourself a half-day hike to explore a rich amount of local tropical birds together with your kids. Young conquerors of the tops have to get to Mount Maungapu.

Novice speleologists should really like the Three Grottos Caves. However, only two of three caves are open for visit presently, the third one is completely caved in for more than ten. So, you can also visit Anatakitaki Cave. But remember that thousands of swiftlets inhabitant the cave, so don’t forget to warn your kids about it for them not to get scared of a sudden. Another nice activity is to visit the local botanical garden. It’s no that big but defies the imagination by an enormous number of tropical flowers presented in one place.

Kids of any age would probably like the idea of visiting a village of native islanders. One can see how fishermen used to live as well as the Polynesian population’s culture. Locals like kids and they would answer all their questions and even meet them with their children with great pleasure. A simple walk around the island’s capital is also worth your time. Even though the town is more like a village, 19th-century basalt administration buildings and a church of the year 1828 – the very first of all which were built on the Cook Islands – have survived up to date. What is more, children might also like to know about the port which was built in the second half of the 20th century and where one can see true fishing boats, leisure boats, casual boats, and canoes.