Aitutaki , Cook Islands Southern Group

All that said, Marcus Gleinig of Air Rarotonga and Graeme Whitfield of Summerfield Systems, Rarotonga have done the best job I've ever seen of trying to capture this perfect paradise (And they design some superb web sites too. Click here to find out more). I gratefully acknowledge the pictures on this page which are taken from their on line album. Copyright in all photos on this page is theirs, so please don't reproduce them in any form without their permission. Thanks.

Aitutaki is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. Photographs and video can never prepare you for its stunningly blue lagoon, its brilliantly white sand and palm trees lapping water that is so full of marine life you'd think you'd stepped into a tropical fish tank!

Motorakau and Ripota - location of the UK reality TV series, "Shipwrecked"
Click here to see more of the location

Moto Tapuaetai ("One Foot Island") - one of the locations in the US reality TV series, "Survivor Cook Islands".
Discover the legend of One Foot Island

If you think this is paradise...you're absolutely right. It's called Paradise Cove and it's particularly stunning at sunset.

Three islets and 12 motus or "mini islands" are scattered across the crystal clear, turquoise blue lagoon which itself stretches for 50 square kilometres (just over 19 square miles). But even if you can only manage the day trip organised by Air Rarotonga, the lagoon cruise that's included will give you the chance to visit several of the stunning scenes in these photos and plenty of opportunity to swim and snorkel in the warm waters.