Do you have an adventurous spirit? Are you willing to get on a plane and head off to faraway lands? Is there a place you always dreamed of going when you were a kid, even if you weren’t quite sure why you wanted to go?
Well, I can answer yes to those questions ~ and one of those [many] dream destinations for me was Easter Island. Easter Island (or Rapa Nui, its native name) is one of the most remote places in the world and like almost everyone who travels there (or wants to), I’ve had this fascination with seeing the Moai up close and personal for as long as I can remember. The Moai are the stone figures scattered around the island ~ they vary from small (a few feet high) to a massive 35 feet high.
I can’t say it’s a quick weekend trip or easy to get to, but once you’re there you will have one of the most amazing experiences ever ~ so let’s get the logistics out of the way. I traveled to Easter Island a couple of years ago and there were a few options for getting there. The most obvious ~ but slowest ~ was a boat; it is an island, after all. The next option was flying because at the time you could either go from Chile (the country that governs Easter Island) or come from the South Pacific (Tahitian islands); these days, LAN Chile has added a route that allows you to go from Peru as well. If you’re not a big fan of flying, this may not be the trip for you as my flight from NY to Santiago Chile was almost 11 hours and then from Santiago to Easter Island was another 6 hours. Also bear in mind that these flights don’t run daily, so there’s a bit of extra planning involved.
Within moments of arrival you are walking off the tarmac and into history. There are no tall multi-story buildings, there’s limited entertainment, and the food is expensive ~ but you won’t care, because you’ll be smack in the middle of some of the most fascinating people you’ll ever meet and will get to experience history as never before.
When I’m traveling, I can be pretty adventurous, happy to just show up somewhere and figure out what I’m doing next when the spirit moves me. In this case, though, I had been communicating for some time with Paul at Tekarera Kainga Ora & Kainga Nui. If you’ve chosen Easter Island because it genuinely fascinates ~ almost calls to ~ you, not because someone told you it was “a hotspot” or “all the rage,” then you are going to have an almost indescribably moving experience due just to the Island itself; if you want to add almost the only thing that could make this experience better, you MUST stay at Paul’s Tekarera Kainga Ora & Kainga Nui.
…a 2 min walk from Kainga Ora & Kainga Nui…
Not only are the accommodations wonderful ~ inviting, clean & bright ~ but from both of the locations you can walk to some of the most incredible Moai on the island as well as to Hanga Roa, the main town, capital and harbor. If you’re not up for a walk, then from Kainga Nui (your lodgings, if you choose) you can see an incredible sunset as there is a perfect view of the Pacific Ocean from the porch.
Paul provides a bountiful breakfast every morning ~ something you don’t see much of these days and, with the high cost of almost everything on Easter Island, trust me, you’ll be very happy to be able to start the day with it! The consummate host, Paul and his small staff are never anything but gracious and will go out of their way to honor any special requests and so whatever they can to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
In addition to the lovely accommodations with the breathtaking view, I have to mention the tours ~ one of the reasons I initially chose Tekarera Kainga Ora & Kainga Nui. If you’re the kind of person who likes to stick to tours or mix a tour or two in with doing some exploring on your own, then once again, Paul is your man: he came to Easter Island in the 1960s when he was relatively young and eventually returned because of his fascination with the island’s rich history. He married a local woman and although she tragically passed away, Paul’s passion for Easter Island remains unwavering and is absolutely contagious on the tours and in conversation. He truly is a local rock star.
Paul sharing some history about this particular Moai
Although I’m actually not the tour type, preferring the road less traveled, I was eager to learn more about the history of this unique corner of the world, so I took advantage of Paul’s private/semi-private tours that cater to those hungry to see, photograph, and learn the historical significance of the important places on the island. And don’t get the wrong idea, this is no dry history class ~ Paul injects into every tour some very funny stories about his life and his experiences both on the island and off. Before I knew it, the three of us (plus Paul) were opening up, laughing, trading stories, and spending an incredibly fun, entertaining two days learning more than I could ever have imagined about this amazing place.
Rapu National Park
During the tour, I traveled to Rapa Nui National Park, Anakana, Rano Raraku, AhuAkiva and many more notable sites ~ too many to list.
Me at Ahu Akiva
To satisfy the adventurer in me, I decided to head out on a solo hike. Easter Island isn’t that large ~ maybe 16 miles long and 8 miles wide ~ and as I planned this trip I realized that most people only stay a few days see the Moai and then go home (or continue on to their next destination). I made the decision to walk the entire island, figuring that with 2 extra days after the tours and seeing the sites, I could easily hike the circumference.
Again, Paul was super helpful and made the suggestion that on my first day of hiking I might get more out of it if he dropped me at the furthest point so that I could take a casual 7-8 hour hike back to Kainga Nui. I took his advice and during the hike saw some remote Moai, wild horses (which seem widespread on the island), beautiful cliffs, native birds, and perhaps the rarest sight of all, locals ~ who are few and far between once you leave Hanga Roa.
On day one, I came across some caves that I explored a bit but resisted the urge to go deeper lest I become lost forever on Easter Island. And of course no island adventure would be complete without a visit to the beach ~ pristine blue water, proud Moai, unlettered sand, rock, and the occasional horse. There was more than enough beauty to fill up my second day of hiking as well.
On my last day on Easter Island, I wanted to see an area I hadn’t made it to yet. I’d heard that Ahu Tongariki ~ home of some of the most incredible Moai on the island which had been toppled by a war and then pushed inland by a tsunami ~ was the place to go to see an amazing sunrise.
Once again, Paul displayed his generosity ~ he allowed me to use one of his vehicles, so I got up early one morning and headed out to one of ~ if not the ~ most amazing places I’ve ever seen.
Words can’t describe how spectacular it was, so it’s at times like this that I am thankful to be a photographer; with any luck, this photo captures what words cannot:
Ahu Tongariki at sunrise
And of course on the way back there were amazing views better served by my camera than my words:
And I discovered that Easter Island holds one mystery that many have attempted to unravel but none have been able to ~ from time to time, this little guy appears at random spots all over the island…
Yes, my friends…I don’t know how, I don’t know how long it’s been going on, but the Easter Bunny vacations here…now comes the big question ~ Which came first, the bunny or the island?
With that I come to the end of my Rapa Nui experience. If you’re looking for an all inclusive island vacation a few hours from home then Easter Island definitely isn’t the place for you… However, if you’re looking for an incredible experience full of natural beauty and fascinating history, then I’d suggest that as part of some other trip around the world you schedule at least three days on Easter Island ~ and if you decide to make this trip, start your planning by getting in touch with Paul at Tekarera Kainga Ora & Kainga Nui (tekarera.com). Trust me, he’ll take care of you!
