Nigel Tisdall Jan 12 2015 at 4:45 PM

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The Cook Islands more than live up to the South Pacific dream. No wonder Captain Bligh's men took the mutinous decision to stay.

On April 11 1789, His Majesty's ship Bounty came across a supremely beautiful triangle of white sands and coconut palms lost in the vast blue counterpane of the South Pacific. Its commander, Lt William Bligh, was the first European to set eyes on Wytootackee, as he called it - although, in fact, it is not at all tacky. The journal of his voyage, now available online, gives no indication that he had reached what is today billed, with much justification, as "the world's most beautiful lagoon". Sixteen days later, perhaps understandably, his crew mutinied.

Now known as Aitutaki, this epitome of the South Seas idyll has become a chief reason to visit the Cook Islands. Lying west of Tahiti, this once-British constellation of 15 volcanic islands and coral atolls is sprinkled across an oceanic territory the size of Greenland. Its gateway, Rarotonga, seems ridiculously remote, yet dropping into this balmy world is a surprisingly easy affair thanks to an umbilical, once-a-week flight from Los Angeles with Air New Zealand.

Cook Islanders have strong links with the Land of the Long White Cloud. They use the New Zealand dollar and drive on the left, and share a mutual appreciation of Polynesian culture, rugby and custard squares. The weather is hot, the frangipani in bloom and the mangoes ripe.

Kicking back is what it's all about on Aitutaki, which instils mellowness like commuters get stress. A 45-minute flight north of Rarotonga, its tiny airport is delightfully laid-back, with chickens strutting past the check-in counters and tattooed men as big as fridge-freezers proffering garlands of heavenly scented flowers. The island rises no higher than 400ft and you can drive around it in 15 minutes. There's nothing to see - although you could try to spot one of its three policemen.

Except, of course, for that bewitching lagoon. Its shimmering layers of blue and green deliver complete bucket-list satisfaction - providing the sun's out. A favourite way to savour this moment is from a hammock strung between two palms at the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort, the only upmarket hotel that looks on to its dreamy waters. Another is to take one of the many cruises that explore its magical motus (islets).

Some vessels are large and loud, so I opt for a snorkelling safari aboard the small and simple Teking, which takes up to 12 passengers. We make three stops to plunge into the warm water to admire dazzlingly dressed fish and purple table corals as big as bandstands. Lunch is served on a desert island, a feast of yellowfin tuna, okra salad and fried plantain laid out in giant clam shells. All goes well until we near One Foot Island, where you can get a souvenir stamp in your passport, and the boat breaks down. There don't appear to be any life-jackets and we've run out of water. There is beer, though, and someone wryly observes that Aitutaki is where they filmed the reality shows Shipwrecked and Survivor.

By comparison, life on Rarotonga feels almost hectic. The hub of the Cook Islands is dominated by a rainforest-cloaked volcanic core rising to 614 metres, with a sleepy coastal road uniting its low-key beaches and reefs. You can drive the full circle in 45 minutes, or there are public buses with signs that simply say "Clockwise" or "Anti-Clockwise".

The rest is here:

Aitutaki, Cook Islands: Is this the world's most beautiful lagoon?