Pukapuka

Pukapuka lies in the far northwest of the Cook Islands, closer to Samoa than to Rarotonga, and its language and social organisation are distinct enough from the rest of the group that it is treated separately: the island is divided into three villages that hold land and resources collectively and rotate the use of their reserve islets. Robert Dean Frisbie wrote about the atoll in the 1920s and 1930s, which brought it a readership abroad.

What you actually see

• The distinct language - Pukapukan, separate from Cook Islands Māori.
• The three villages - the divisions that hold land and resources collectively.
• The rotation system - the reserve islets used and rested in turn.
• The Frisbie connection - the writing that brought the atoll a readership abroad.

When to go

May to October is the drier season outside the cyclone months. Cyclone season runs November to April. Transport is very irregular.

Honest expectations

Transport is the hardest of any Cook island: flights are rare and ships infrequent, and visits mean committing weeks. Accommodation is by arrangement with families. Visitors are unusual and permission matters.

Nearby

Nassau is nearby, and Rarotonga is far southeast.