Harro's trip to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) - Tiki Travel

H harro Member Australia Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 686	H harro Posted posted on Fri, Aug 25, 2006 2:37 AM Iorana, well i finally fulfilled a long dream of mine by visiting Rapa Nui (easter island) in late April this year. The opportunity arose because I had been meaning to visit South America for a while but never found the time (or $$$) to do it, but then my good Argentinean mate (who now lives in London) was going back home to Buenos Aires for a friends wedding - so the lure of a guided holiday thru Argentina and Brazil with a local (and also catchnig up with friends from London/Argentina/Australia) was too good to be true - PLUS i could cross 2 things off my (long!) list of travel destinations by seeing the moai on the way over... I live in Australia so i'd be flying right over the top of it on the way to Sth Am - BUT it wasn't as easy as just getting a stopover in Rapa Nui!! As anyone who has tried may know, it was extremely expensive to include Rapa Nui in the itinerary (but well worth it!). We had to spend a night in New Zealand, and a night in Tahiti (more on that later) before arriving in Rapa Nui. The total flight costs were astronomical!!! more than a round the world ticket!!! Since there are very limited flights in and out of the island, a 3 day stopover on the island is standard for most tourists before moving on elsewhere - BUT we decided to make it 5 and 1/2 days and this turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip. It rains a lot on Rapa Nui so while our first day and a half was fairly inactive due to it pissing down, fortunately we used the time organising our accom/hire car/getting our bearings etc. the next 3 days were fantastic though so we were so thankful we had decided to take the full 5 days. The pictures tell most of the story, so i'll just add a few random notes: Do your research - buy a guidebook (I thoroughly recommend The Complete Guide To Easter Island published by the Easter ISland Foundation), hire a car and search the island yourself - the most satisfying feeling was visiting Rano Raraku on our own and leaving just as the tourist bus arrived. Barter with the residenciales when you arrive off the plane for your accom rates. We stayed at the brilliant Chez Maria Goretti and while the asking rate was $35pppn we managed to get it for $20ea (mind you it was the low season). our humble residenciale: Go hiking off the main tracks/around the rocky headlands, you might end up somewhere amazing! we found an amazing little rocky beach (complete with horses bones - very weird!!) and had some of the best snorkelling ever! and having a 4x4 and no tourist bus/time restrictions meant we could really savour the island's fascinating features. this is yours truly finally fulfilling a long ambition of finding a REAL, authentic washed up fishing float on the shore of a remote tropical island - alas i couldn't take it home with me to my tiki bar as i was travelling with just a backpack and had a big journey ahead :( so the photo is the only legacy!!! if you have your scuba ticket - go for a dive - awesome visibility (about 40m) and amazing fish and beautiful water all day every day! there's even a big sunken moai at 20m below the surface! my mate (note trusty guidebook in hand - this gave us all the history and more of each site we visited) at Ahu Tongariki - words can't describe the mana at this place! i was so jealous of this guy (below), he rode down to the shore on horseback with his surfboard under his arm, tied up his horse and caught a few waves just as the sun set... Learn some Rapa Nui (the locals will get a good laugh out of it!), and of course Spanish - we hardly knew much of either but got by alright! the amazing sacred site of Orongo: if anyone wants to know anything in particular please just fire away. There are plenty more pics at http://harro.fotopic.net/c983878.html Many thanks to Tikibars for his help in my planning for the trip, The Easter Island Foundation for mailing the guidebook out so fast, Maria for their genuine hospitality and anyone else who helped make the trip so memorable! cheers, harro. [ Edited by: harro 2008-10-31 09:31 ]

Iorana,

well i finally fulfilled a long dream of mine by visiting Rapa Nui (easter island) in late April this year. The opportunity arose because I had been meaning to visit South America for a while but never found the time (or $$$) to do it, but then my good Argentinean mate (who now lives in London) was going back home to Buenos Aires for a friends wedding - so the lure of a guided holiday thru Argentina and Brazil with a local (and also catchnig up with friends from London/Argentina/Australia) was too good to be true - PLUS i could cross 2 things off my (long!) list of travel destinations by seeing the moai on the way over...

I live in Australia so i'd be flying right over the top of it on the way to Sth Am - BUT it wasn't as easy as just getting a stopover in Rapa Nui!! As anyone who has tried may know, it was extremely expensive to include Rapa Nui in the itinerary (but well worth it!). We had to spend a night in New Zealand, and a night in Tahiti (more on that later) before arriving in Rapa Nui. The total flight costs were astronomical!!! more than a round the world ticket!!! Since there are very limited flights in and out of the island, a 3 day stopover on the island is standard for most tourists before moving on elsewhere - BUT we decided to make it 5 and 1/2 days and this turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip.

It rains a lot on Rapa Nui so while our first day and a half was fairly inactive due to it pissing down, fortunately we used the time organising our accom/hire car/getting our bearings etc. the next 3 days were fantastic though so we were so thankful we had decided to take the full 5 days.

The pictures tell most of the story, so i'll just add a few random notes:

Do your research - buy a guidebook (I thoroughly recommend The Complete Guide To Easter Island published by the Easter ISland Foundation), hire a car and search the island yourself - the most satisfying feeling was visiting Rano Raraku on our own and leaving just as the tourist bus arrived.
Barter with the residenciales when you arrive off the plane for your accom rates. We stayed at the brilliant Chez Maria Goretti and while the asking rate was $35pppn we managed to get it for $20ea (mind you it was the low season).

our humble residenciale:

Go hiking off the main tracks/around the rocky headlands, you might end up somewhere amazing! we found an amazing little rocky beach (complete with horses bones - very weird!!) and had some of the best snorkelling ever! and having a 4x4 and no tourist bus/time restrictions meant we could really savour the island's fascinating features.

this is yours truly finally fulfilling a long ambition of finding a REAL, authentic washed up fishing float on the shore of a remote tropical island - alas i couldn't take it home with me to my tiki bar as i was travelling with just a backpack and had a big journey ahead :( so the photo is the only legacy!!!

if you have your scuba ticket - go for a dive - awesome visibility (about 40m) and amazing fish and beautiful water all day every day! there's even a big sunken moai at 20m below the surface!

my mate (note trusty guidebook in hand - this gave us all the history and more of each site we visited) at Ahu Tongariki - words can't describe the mana at this place!

i was so jealous of this guy (below), he rode down to the shore on horseback with his surfboard under his arm, tied up his horse and caught a few waves just as the sun set...

Learn some Rapa Nui (the locals will get a good laugh out of it!), and of course Spanish - we hardly knew much of either but got by alright!

the amazing sacred site of Orongo:

if anyone wants to know anything in particular please just fire away. There are plenty more pics at http://harro.fotopic.net/c983878.html

Many thanks to Tikibars for his help in my planning for the trip, The Easter Island Foundation for mailing the guidebook out so fast, Maria for their genuine hospitality and anyone else who helped make the trip so memorable!

cheers,
harro.

[ Edited by: harro 2008-10-31 09:31 ]

Post #250636 by harro on Fri, Aug 25, 2006 2:37 AM