One of the most remote places on Earth, home to the mystery of the Moai, and place of the once revered Birdman competition. Locally called Rapa Nui, Easter Island is a pacific Polynesian Island, now part of Chile. While travelling in Chile, we had the opportunity to fly to the island from Santiago and spend a wonderful 3 Days there, which felt like the perfect amount of time. Travelling there isn’t easy, but if you are in Chile this is a don’t miss opportunity.
How to get there
Flights: When we visited in early 2023, Easter Island was still ramping up after just opening back up from COVID (following 2.5 years of isolation). Flights were still limited, with LATAM operating ~ 3 flights per week from Santiago, Chile (~6 hours flight time). Given the limited options, prices are expensive and you can expect to pay upwards of $450+ USD for the round trip flight (ours were around $700 USD in Jan 2023).
COVID Entry Requirements: They dropped the requirement for a mandatory PCR test before our visit in Jan 2023. Now you are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to visit the islands.
Entry Requirements For Easter Island & Airport Procedure: First you will check-in at the LATAM booth for your flight and then you will be directed to the PDI booth where you will need to show:
- Return ticket from Easter island (within 30 days)
- Show accommodation booking at authorized establishment by Sernatur
- Rapa Nui Entry Form – fill in before going to the airport and show confirmation email (Form Here)
Where To Stay
We stayed at Hare Nua Boutique Hotel, a lovely family-run boutique hotel. This hotel has a very tropical feel, had a great breakfast included, and great staff and amenities (pool, self-serve alcohol options, etc.)
There’s a pickup / drop-off option from the hotel, but we felt it was over-priced given the hotel is a 2 min drive, 15 min walk from the airport. If it’s manageable, it’s an easy walk with backpacks or look at local taxi options.
Highlights & Tour Options
To visit Rapa Nui National Park you need to be accompanied by a Rapa Nui. We were able to hit all of our highlights using a private tour by Kava Kava Tours. They had the perfect itinerary for our timing with 1 full day tours and 2 half day tours (designed around our flight schedule).
We were looking at how to maximize our 3 days on the island and there were a few highlights we were looking to see / explore during our time:
- Ahu Tongariki: This is the most famous platform (Ahu) of moai on the island, with 15 restored and standing moai . This platform was restored during the 1990s and really shows off the full majesty of the carvings. This is a popular spot to come for sunrise.
- Rano Raraku: The quarry where the moai statues were carved. It’s really interesting to see the statues at various stages of construction. You can see how they were designed to “slide” down the hill. This quarry also contains the only known moai where you can see the statue’s feet.
- Ahu Nau Nau: Another spectacular platform (Ahu) with well-preserved moais that have survived the elements by being buried in the sand. Most impressive display of the “top knots” / hair pieces being placed on the moai. There’s also a nearby beach, Anakena, that’s worth a visit.
- O’rongo / Rano Kua: This is the site of the famous “birdman” competition. The birdman competition was where tribes / chiefs sponsored a representative to compete by scaling the dangerous cliffs, diving into the water and swimming to a nearby island called Motu Nui. The first person to retrieve an egg from the Sooty Tern that nested there and successfully return was named the champion. Their sponsor was then named the Tangata-Manu, or head chief of the island for the next year until the next competition and got all the perks of this job (selecting a wife, moving to the Orongo village, etc.). This is also the site of an interesting extinct volcano with a crater lake that is quite picturesque.
- Ahu Tahai: Really close to town and home to the only moai with restored eyes. In 1979 a team of archeologists discovered that some moai were designed with “eye sockets” by re-assembling coral fragments found around platforms. This gives a unique and different look from other moais around the island
Our itinerary was:
- Day 1 (Half Day): Visit O’rongo / Rano Kau, Vinapu, Ahu Tahai
- Day 2 (Full Day): Visit Ahu Akahanga, Rano Raraku, Ahu Tongakiri, Ahu Nau Nau / Beach
- Day 3 (Half Day): Sunrise at Ahu Tongakiri
The other key activity that we added on while we were there was going to see the locals perform their traditional dances at “Ballet Kari Kari”. We were a bit hesitant about going to the show, but our local guide (a Rapa Nui) told us that it was very authentic with a goal of preserving local dances and customs. We were pleasantly surprised and greatly enjoyed the show. The level of dedication and energy of the dancers was impressive.
Dining Options
Unfortunately, the dining options on the island aren’t great. With a constant flow of tourists coming through, there’s not a requirement to up the bar for competition.
The best restaurants based on our experiences and recommendations we got are:
- Neptune’s: Good, fresh seafood
- Polynesian Coffee: Really good breakfast bowls and we heard good things about dinner as well
- Kotaro: Japanese restaurant with eccentric chef (see the website for rules of eating there) We really wanted to try this restaurant while we were on the island but didn’t get a chance – seems like it will be a love it or hate it experience. If you get a chance to try it, let us know how it is! We are super curious.
- Te Moia Sunset: Really known for the view over the water and of Ahu Tahai at sunset, we didn’t get a chance to eat here but it was recommended by our guide
