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PACIFIC RESORT AITUTAKI
I stayed at the island’s nicest hotel, the Pacific Resort Aitutaki. One of the front desks receptionists picked our small posse up at the airport and made the transfer seem seamless. The resort is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and it has just 27 beachfront bungalows, suites and villas – all complete with stunning ocean views. The hotel has won a number of awards and their latest honor is making TripAdvisor’s 2009 Traveler's Choice Awards list for 'Best Luxury Hotel in the World'.



PATH TO ROOM
As expected, the property is amazing and the service was, for the most part, fantastic. It was a bit of a walk to my room and I was concerned about what it would be like in the dark. At first glance, it reminded me of the Coconut Beach Resort in the Daintree Rainforest (Australia). That walk to my room at night would freak me out since it wasn’t well lit and there was lots of low-lying vegetation and all manner of poisonous creatures lurking. This place turned out to be the opposite! The path was well groomed and lit and the only poisonous creature I needed to worry about was the stonefish (just wear reef shoes while swimming and you’ll be okay!)

MY ROOM
My beachfront bungalow, which wasn’t even the highest category of room, was stunning. It was 667 square feet, with a comfortable king size bed, clean bathroom stocked with Bulgari products and outrageously strong water pressure, a patio, an outdoor shower, screens on the door, air conditioning, a TV with four channels (two were CNN) and get this … wireless Internet (cost: NZ$50 for 100 MB usage). It was pretty slow but at least they have it. The rooms also come with bottled water since tap water is not safe to drink on this island; it’s safe on Rarotonga. There were some bugs in the room but nothing scary -- mostly little ants going after the flowers and leftover food. Like a fool, I forgot I had two Cadbury Mini Eggs (my favorite) that I missed from a chocolate binge and when I went to grab my phone charger, my hand was covered in tiny ants.

BEACH
The first thing I did when I got in my room was drop my bags, grab the snorkel gear out of the closet and don my bathing suit and reef shoes (provided by the hotel). The water looked so amazing, I just couldn’t wait. Unfortunately, the water out back is really shallow -- too shallow for adults because it’s hard to stand up without touching the ground with your hand. And you don’t want to do that, just in case there are any stonefish, though I didn’t see any nor did anyone else. The water was a bit cloudy (there had just been a storm) but there were tons of harmless banana slugs and a few colorful fish. The resort does have a good swimming area – it just wasn’t near my room – they also have a beautiful pool. Note: The mosquitoes (mozzies) are fairly ferocious at dusk so bring bug repellant.

DINING
Children are welcome at the resort and I did see one family but the few guests I saw or met were on a romantic holiday. There were lots of honeymooners. One of the best aspects of the resort is the food. It begins with the setting. Most meals are in the Rapae Bay Restaurant (but there are other places including a special set-up on the beach) but the view from Rapae Bay is insane! I couldn’t hold a conversation because all I could do was stare out in amazement at the lagoon, thinking – holy cow! Seeing the palm tree shadows in the crystal blue water was truly unforgettable.

BREAKFAST
The restaurant opens at 7am and I only know this because it was so good I just couldn’t wait to get there. For starters, I had orange mango juice (many kinds available). They had all kinds of entrée choices but I fed my Buddha belly with coconut pancakes accompanied by cooked bananas and baked beans as my choice of a side order. Yeah baby! I love baked beans. I also had fresh tropical fruit and homemade breads. The only thing you need to be warned about is that the waitress and chef are slow. So if you’re in a hurry, order well in advance. They don’t seem to grasp the concept of eating and running to make a flight or scheduled tour.

ISLAND BUFFET
Just before the resort’s Pacific Night Island Buffet and Dance Show, it poured … and I mean poured. The storm came out of nowhere but it only lasted 10 minutes and then the skies cleared and the stars at night were simply amazing. It was as if I could reach up and touch them. The dinner buffet was tasty. The first portion had fresh fish, sashimi, oysters, sushi followed by vegetarian dishes of pasta salad, veggies, and really good local spinach cooked in onions and coconut cream. Next up was meat – chicken, beef, lamb and pork. Dessert was delivered to the tables and was a sampler: chocolate cake, cheesecake, fruit (kiwis and star fruit) with berry compote on the side. The show was entertaining but nothing to really write home about. Pacific Resort Aitutaki, Amuri, Aitutaki, Cook Islands; Telephone: +682 31720.

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