Manihiki

Manihiki lies some twelve hundred kilometres north of Rarotonga, an atoll of around forty motu around a lagoon that produces black pearls, farmed on lines suspended in the water and for a period the country's largest export after tourism. A cyclone in 1997 devastated the atoll and the industry has recovered unevenly since. Two villages, Tauhunu and Tukao, hold the population, on opposite sides of the lagoon. The two villages are separated by the whole width of the lagoon, so moving between them means a boat crossing rather than a walk around the ring.

What you actually see

• The pearl farms - the lines suspended in the lagoon producing black pearls.
• The lagoon - the water the atoll's economy is built on.
• The two villages - Tauhunu and Tukao on opposite sides of the lagoon.
• The motu ring - around forty islets around the lagoon edge.

When to go

May to October is the drier season outside the cyclone months. Cyclone season runs November to April. Flights are irregular and expensive.

Honest expectations

Flights to the northern group are infrequent, expensive and often cancelled; being stuck for a week is possible. Accommodation is homestays arranged in advance. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Rakahanga is north, and Rarotonga is far south.