Manihiki's central lagoon is the reason to come. The black pearl farms that line the lagoon floor produce some of the finest cultured Tahitian-style pearls in the Pacific, and visits to working farms are the defining experience of the atoll. The lagoon itself is stunning — large enough that you can't see across it, gin-clear, and rich with marine life that sees almost no fishing pressure.
The two inhabited islets — Tukao to the north and Tauhunu to the south — each have their own church and community life. A walk through either takes half an hour, but the conversations along the way could fill a day.
Diving and snorkelling in the lagoon are genuinely exceptional. There is no commercial dive operation — you arrange everything through local contacts — which means the sites are undisturbed. The atoll's outer reef wall also has dramatic drop-offs for those who can get access.