The Cooks serve up sand, surf and snoozing

ARUTANGA, COOK ISLANDS—Mrs. Kairaing Henry smiles and gracefully sweeps her fan over a table of colourful, handmade items.

I survey the goods at the Women’s Craft Shop in the village of Arutanga: quilts, tie-dyed wraps and shell jewelry, bags, hats and fans (like Mrs. Henry’s) woven from pandanus leaves.

Mrs. Henry chats happily about meeting tourists who arrive to sample the idyllic life on her tiny island, Aitutaki.

Aitutaki is one of the 15 Cook Islands scattered across the South Pacific. All are sleepy, by western standards.

Mrs. Henry’s island, a short flight from the busiest of them, Rarotonga, has telephones, television and electricity, but everything moves at a pace more consistent with a time when those things didn’t exist.

Accommodations on this hook-shaped, 12-by-15-kilometre island can be folksy, but don’t have to be.

I stayed at Are Tamanu Beach Hotel, where 12 exquisite, Polynesian-style bungalows border a silvery beach. There are hammocks to doze in, a refreshing pool to float in and, for the more ambitious, bicycles to ride.

I cycled to Arutanga, past the wharf, post office and the cottage that houses the tourism office.

I watched handsome young men playing volleyball and housewives chatting as they gassed up their scooters.

I saw people, lazing in their gardens, talking and laughing with each other. Life looked very laid-back.

Even the island tour, arranged through the tourism office, was relaxed. On it, we heard stories of Polynesian mythology and saw few people.

But we did see them at Island Night at Samade Restaurant and Bar.

In many places this sort of “traditional” food and dance event would be choreographed to please visitors.

Here it seemed more like a rousing neighbourhood block party. Elders kicked it up beside tiny tots.

The star of Aitutaki is its turquoise lagoon, protected by coral reefs. We booked a day trip with Bishop’s Cruises and drifted in the gentle, clear-as-glass water and snorkelled to our hearts’ content.

Within minutes of sliding into the lagoon we were eyeballing a glorious selection of brilliantly coloured marine life: Picasso triggerfish, butterfly fish and blue damsels, to name a few.

The Cooks offer an appealing mix. Besides the beaches and snorkelling, there’s historical allure: the islands have been inhabited by Polynesians since about 800 (although some archaeologists believe there was human life here as long ago as 5,000 years ago); westerners began to appear in the late 1700s, bringing with them missionaries and creating a legacy of pretty white churches, still well-attended.

For years, the islands were a British protectorate, governed from Wellington, New Zealand.

The islands gained their independence in 1965, but the ties with New Zealand remain strong.

While Cook Island Maori is the official language, everyone speaks English and the islands continue to use the New Zealand dollar as its own.

It is possible to visit Aitutaki as a day trip from Rarotonga, but it’s much better to spend a couple of days.

Go boating, dive, snorkel or fish. Explore the island by bike or scooter, then take advantage of what Aitutaki is meant for: relaxing.

IF YOU GO:

For more information on the Cook Islands visit the Cook Islands Tourism website at www.cook-islands.com.

For information on the Are Tamanu Beach Hotel visit its website at www.aretamanu.com.