lek aitutaki

On arrival to the island from the plane it was evident that this would be magical experience. A step back in time and an escape from everyday life. My friends and I were greeted at the airport with a warm welcome. We had come to this tiny island in the South Pacific to kiteboard and would not be disappointed. When we arrived at the beautiful Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and Spa home of Laurel Eastman kiteboarding , we were briefed on the many options for ideal kiteboarding spots. My friend had just started learning the sport and we wanted to go to a spot that would be comfortable for him to progress quickly. We picked honey moon island one the many private islands the huge lagoon has to offer. In a matter of hours my friend was up riding and staying upwind in the waste to chest deep waters. I worked on perfecting jumps as former professional rider Laurel Eastman made tricks and huge jumps look effortless. My reaches covered a mile of crystal clear warm waters inside the protected lagoon.Back at the Aitutaki Lagoon and Spa we had a few of the local beers at the open air bar adjacent to the kite school and watched the sun set over the breath taking lagoon in anticipation for the next days session. The next day we ventured to another sandbar for a fantastic session and decided to do a downwinder back to the lagoon which seemed like 15K. Our transport boat acted like a chase boat and made sure we did not have any problems. The wind was howling so we made it back with little incident. I did try and ride over one of the coral heads which was a bad idea. The tide was low so I ended up hitting the coral. I positioned the kite overhead and floated out of danger with two tiny scratches on my shirtless back and minimal damage to the coral head and board. It made a good story back at the bar. It was a magical day. If the wind is light you can keep busy with the excellent fishing in the lagoon. The resort has bikes, kayaks, snorkeling gear and scooters as well as other planned activities that can be enjoyed for the non kiter. If you have never tried the sport. This is the ideal location to learn and the Eastman team will get you riding! Overall it was a great experience and a wonderful place to visit. If you are looking for a secluded, nature oriented vacation then spending a few days on Aitutaki is a must when visiting the Cook Islands. Staying at the resort makes it even nicer.

My time with Laurel, Al and Kelly was amazing. They, the people of Aitutaki and the lagoon, where an experience that I will never forget and will try to repeat. Kiting right off the resort or the outlying islands - snorkeling and SUP on no wind days - playing in that incredibly gorgeous place, I will be back and will continue to miss it with a fervor.Thanks LEK, thanks Aitutaki.