Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are fifteen islands in the South Pacific, in Polynesia, scattered across a wide stretch of ocean between French Polynesia and Samoa and Tonga. Most stays begin on Rarotonga, a green volcanic island of jagged peaks ringed by a reef lagoon and white-sand beaches. On the south-east coast lies calm, shallow Muri Lagoon with its small motu — sandy islets just offshore — and the reef off Titikaveka is good for snorkelling. Avarua, the small capital, sits on the north coast. The Cross-Island Track climbs through the green interior past Te Rua Manga, a needle of rock above the forest.

Aitutaki is a short flight north: an almost-atoll with a wide turquoise lagoon inside its reef, edged by sandbanks and small motu. Lagoon cruises stop at Tapuaetai, also known as One Foot Island, and at Maina for snorkelling among reef fish. Both lagoons suit kayaking and paddleboarding, and from roughly July to October humpback whales are often seen offshore.

The food is simple: fresh fish, ika mata — raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut cream — tropical fruit, coconut and taro. It is warm all year: the drier, milder months run roughly from April to November, the hotter, wetter season roughly from December to March. The Cook Islands suit couples and anyone after a quiet lagoon-and-beach escape.