After spending a couple days on the Cook Islands’ main isle, Rarotonga, in the spring, we caught an inter-island flight up to Aitutaki, one of the country’s more exclusive components and the most stunning spot I’ve ever visited. Of anywhere. EVER.

You gotta love a place where the inside of the airport terminal looks like this…

…and you get lei’d the second you step foot off the plane (and again the following day)…

…a resort where they greet you with your own coconut…

…and which issues you your own snorkel gear and awesome aqua shoes when you check in, so you can explore the underwater life right off your own balcony…

…and where your backyard looks like this.

Sadly, we were only in paradise for two short days. But that didn’t stop us from catching two island shows.

Island shows are big in most of the South Pacific nations and consist of vibrant Polynesian music and some kick-ass booty-shaking.

This pint-size native had more moves in her pinkie than I can ever dream of possessing.

Nevertheless, I got up there both nights when summoned and shook my groove thang.

That is not me, but this is below. You want video evidence of my awkwardness? Fine, you got it. (Thanks to Johnny Jet for supplying this picture and embarrassing video footage!)

These following photos are a bit misrepresentative of my time on Aitutaki. Because it was such a short jaunt, we didn’t get to do any of this!

I think many of my pictures depict that these trips are vacations; they’re not. We may get to stay in the most luxurious of places like this, for example. But we only see them once it’s time to crawl in bed.

These work trips, these assignments, are more about running around like a journalist chicken with its head cut off, trying to capture the essence of a place in such a short period of time it should be illegal. Maybe the fact that I so often fool you into thinking there’s plenty of relaxation just makes me a skilled photographer? Ha.

Still, if it makes you want to go, to follow in my footsteps, then I’ve done my job adequately.

Aitutaki=Heaven on Earth? I think so.

*For more illustrations of the Cook Islands, check out past posts on One Foot Island, Rarotonga, diving the South Pacific and fruits of the islands. For more Photo Friday fun, head over to Delicious Baby.

**All photos taken with a Canon XTi, 17-85mm lens, housed in a LowePro SlingShot.