CITY Issue 53 - (Page 45) So what makes Aitutaki and the Cook Islands different from all its tropical ilk—Fiji, Bali, Tahiti, the Maldives, and the like? And why did it take a TV show to put one of the world’s most beautiful locales on the map? The answer lies in what the Cooks are missing: luxury resorts. There are plenty of places to stay on Rarotonga and Aitutaki. Every room, suite, or private villa is well-appointed and beachside. Service is top-notch (the Maori and other locals are known for their kindness, if also their island nonchalance) and the local cuisine is delicious and fresh (from my back porch one morning I watched the neighbors use a large net and a well-executed, full-family attack to catch a bounty of shallow-water fish). But absent are the big names you’d typically associate with islands like these. No Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton, nor Raffles, Aman, or W Hotels. The reason? They’re not allowed. Property on the Cook Islands, one local official explained, is not “owned” in the traditional sense, and can only be passed from one generation of Cook Islanders to another. That means no outside company can buy or lease land. And boy are they chomping at the bit. Rarotonga is an easy, comfortable eight-hour flight from L.A. on Air New Zealand (shorter from Pacific locales), and there’s enough coastline on Aitutaki for half a dozen five-star establishments. But right now, and hopefully long into the future, the Cooks remain unspoiled and closed to outside developers. The economic boost from Survivor was well appreciated, but the disruption of island activity was only temporary. That seems to be the way the Cook Islanders like it, their definition of luxury different from the version we have grown accustomed to, and one which I grew to cherish in my week there. It’s a luxury in which the beauty of the land and the water is most appreciated without all the frills and extravagances. It’s a luxury that values a conversation with a local about rugby more than a phone call for room service. And it’s a luxury devoid of spas, star chefs, and even personal attendants who remind you to lather up on the sunscreen again. Actually, come to think of it, that last one might have been useful. PHOTO GRAPHY BY BA S S A M A L- S A RRA J CITY 45
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CITY Issue 53 CITY Issue 53 Contents Letter from CITY Our Friends Action Wanted City Moment In Rogue Fast Food The Amused Bouche Fit Unnatural Wonders Paradise Found Gold Standard Parc Yourself Get Wet Naughty or Nice Raise the Roof Luxury Is... Bird of Prey Hardwear To Die For Twisted Sisters Basic Instinct Where To Buy It Socials Icon CITY Issue 53 CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page Cover1) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page Cover2) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 1) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 2) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 3) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 4) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 5) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 6) CITY Issue 53 - CITY Issue 53 (Page 7) CITY Issue 53 - Contents (Page 8) CITY Issue 53 - Contents (Page 9) CITY Issue 53 - Contents (Page 10) CITY Issue 53 - Contents (Page 11) CITY Issue 53 - Letter from CITY (Page 12) CITY Issue 53 - Letter from CITY (Page 13) CITY Issue 53 - Our Friends (Page 14) CITY Issue 53 - Our Friends (Page 15) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 16) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 17) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 18) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 19) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 20) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 21) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 22) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 23) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 24) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 25) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 26) CITY Issue 53 - Action (Page 27) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 28) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 29) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 30) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 31) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 32) CITY Issue 53 - Wanted (Page 33) CITY Issue 53 - City Moment (Page 34) CITY Issue 53 - City Moment (Page 35) CITY Issue 53 - In Rogue (Page 36) CITY Issue 53 - In Rogue (Page 37) CITY Issue 53 - Fast Food (Page 38) CITY Issue 53 - The Amused Bouche (Page 39) CITY Issue 53 - Fit (Page 40) CITY Issue 53 - Fit (Page 41) CITY Issue 53 - Unnatural Wonders (Page 42) CITY Issue 53 - Unnatural Wonders (Page 43) CITY Issue 53 - Paradise Found (Page 44) CITY Issue 53 - Paradise Found (Page 45) CITY Issue 53 - Gold Standard (Page 46) CITY Issue 53 - Gold Standard (Page 47) CITY Issue 53 - Parc Yourself (Page 48) CITY Issue 53 - Parc Yourself (Page 49) CITY Issue 53 - Parc Yourself (Page 50) CITY Issue 53 - Parc Yourself (Page 51) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 52) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 53) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 54) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 55) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 56) CITY Issue 53 - Get Wet (Page 57) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 58) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 59) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 60) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 61) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 62) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 63) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 64) CITY Issue 53 - Naughty or Nice (Page 65) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 66) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 67) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 68) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 69) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 70) CITY Issue 53 - Raise the Roof (Page 71) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 72) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 73) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 74) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 75) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 76) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 77) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 78) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 79) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 80) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 81) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 82) CITY Issue 53 - Luxury Is... (Page 83) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 84) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 85) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 86) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 87) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 88) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 89) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 90) CITY Issue 53 - Bird of Prey (Page 91) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 92) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 93) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 94) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 95) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 96) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 97) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 98) CITY Issue 53 - Hardwear (Page 99) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 100) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 101) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 102) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 103) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 104) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 105) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 106) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 107) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 108) CITY Issue 53 - To Die For (Page 109) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 110) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 111) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 112) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 113) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 114) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 115) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 116) CITY Issue 53 - Twisted Sisters (Page 117) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 118) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 119) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 120) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 121) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 122) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 123) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 124) CITY Issue 53 - Basic Instinct (Page 125) CITY Issue 53 - Where To Buy It (Page 126) CITY Issue 53 - Socials (Page 127) CITY Issue 53 - Icon (Page 128) CITY Issue 53 - Icon (Page Cover3) CITY Issue 53 - Icon (Page Cover4)
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