Easter Island adventure: who's in?

I have recently been given a tremendous opportunity: to make a return trip to Rapa Nui (first visit was in May of 2000; see my web site for details). Money is impossibly tight for me right now, but through a series of circumstances that I won't get into, I have been granted an opportunity to go there in spite of my financial limitations.

In addition to being my favorite spot on Earth, this will be a previously unexpected source of inspiration for finishing my (currently) half-completed Easter Island book, Big Stone Head.

And...
Turns out that fellow TC member DangerGirl has always wanted to visit the island as well, and so we coordinated to make our trips happen simultaineously. It's a done deal: both of our tickets are bought for November 9 to 16.

So then we go to talking... what if we could talk some other TC members into making the trip a the same time... the ultimate Tiki Central gathering!

So: who's in for mid-November?

Iorana!

JT

http://www.tydirium.net
Tiki Bar Review Pages / Tiki Road Trip / Left Orbit Temple

[ Edited by: tikibars on 2004-08-03 23:15 ]

Hmmm.... about how much would it cost from LA?

My plane ticket was around $1200 - the cheapest flight I found was from ABStravel.com - flying out of SFO.

And then the hotels there are from $30 to $100 per night.

I speak spanish, and can be useful in a bar fight - so you would be in safe hands....!

Hmmmm... I'll have to take care a few things before I can nail it down (like, oh, getting a passport...), but I think you can count me in.

sweet!
get going on the passport - the usual way takes 6 weeks, otherwise you have to pay an extra $60 (?) for an expedited process. I just renewed mine.

Going to Easter Island, TIKI NIRVANA!!!

I've dreamed, but I never thought possible. Maybe if I can save a few $$$ (although I do note it is before tax return time).

One of the reasons I never thought possible was the $3,144 rate provided by LanChile:

"Dec 27: Los Angeles --> Santiago de Chile

Departing from Los Angeles on LanChile flight # 601 at 12:25pm. Arriving in Santiago at 6:15am (Dec 28).

Dec 28: Santiago --> Easter Island
Upon arrival you will be provided with a sightseeing tour of Santiago. After lunch (not included), you will be transferred to the aiport for your scheduled flight to Easter Island. Departing on LanChile Airlines flight # 833 at 6:00pm. Arriving in Easter Island at 9:20pm.
Upon arrival you will be transferred to TAHA TAI Hotel - Starting program 4 nights (REGULAR services)
Including:
a.. 04 nights hotel accommodations at TAHA TAI hotel in DBL Superior room, w/breakfast and taxes included.
b.. Transfers IN/OUT (Hotel/Airport/Hotel)
c.. 01 full day sightseeing tour with English speaking guide
d.. 02 half days sightseeing tours with English speaking guide
e.. Entrance fee to National Park
f.. Box-Lunch on the full day

Jan 1, 2004: Easter Island --> Santiago
Transfer from hotel to airport, Departing on LanChile flight # 834 at 12:10am. Arriving in Santiago at 7:00pm. Upon arrival you will be transferred to Fundador hotel. Evening at leisure.
Overnight at Fundador hotel.

Jan 2: Santiago
Activities on your own.
Overnight at Fundador hotel.

Jan 3: Santiago --> Los Angeles
Activities on your own during the day. Departing on LanChile flight # 600 at 10:40pm. Arriving in Los Angeles at 7:10am (Jan 4)

Price Per Person: u$3,144"

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-12 14:38 ]

Christiki, that price is a rip-off!

Some of the things they advertise are horrible scams - like 'admission to the national park'. When you go to Orongo, site of the Birdman rituals, there's a little guardbooth there and they'll ask you for about the equivalent of $10 (but in pesos). That's the admission fee for viewing the entire island. If you don't go to Orongo, you don't have to pay at all... but anyone who goes to Rapa Nui and skips Ornogo is a fool, and $10 to see Easter Island is money well spent, indeed. But my point is that advertising a $10 fee as a perk on the tour is sort of lame!

Also: 'box lunch'?
Who the hell wants to go to an expoic foreign land and eat a pre-made box lunch?
For US$5 you can get a huge, fresh tuna steak, just pulled out of the ocean that morning.

And the guided tours suck. They whiz you past all of the major spots for 5 minutes each, just long enough to snap some photos and then move on. Georgia Lee's guide book rocks, and being at Anakena or Tongariki when there are no busses full of touristas is THE way to go...

Also, in 2000, I paid US $125 TOTAL for two people to stay four nights in a "residential", or essentailly, a bed and breakfast.

Okay, enough of my diatribe - verdict: cheaper (possibly under $2000 total cost) and cooler to skip the package tour!

So: you in?
:)

[ Edited by: tikibars on 2004-08-08 12:01 ]

Jason and I are planning to go, but we prefer to just travel as a couple (no offence)... what's the air fare from Chile to Easter Island? I read it's about 800 US but that seems awfully cheap, I suspect it's more.

On 2004-08-08 14:04, tikifish wrote:
Jason and I are planning to go, but we prefer to just travel as a couple (no offence)... what's the air fare from Chile to Easter Island? I read it's about 800 US but that seems awfully cheap, I suspect it's more.

That's about right.

But getting to Santiago, Chile, via Miami or LA is another $600 or so.

Total airfare, if you don't live in Miami or LA, ahould be about $1600 or less.

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 15:12 ]

There was a recent documentary called "Easter Island: Eyes of the Moai" on CBC Newsworld Tonight. It was shot in HDTV and looked absolutely stunning. I envy all who are able to go there. In July 2010 there will be a full solar eclipse visible from Easter Island -- maybe by then I can afford to go.

[i]On 2004-08-08 11:59, tikibars wrote: Georgia Lee's guide book rocks, and being at Anakena or Tongariki when there are no busses full of touristas is THE way to go...

Also, in 2000, I paid US $125 TOTAL for two people to stay four nights in a "residential", or essentailly, a bed and breakfast.
. . .
So: you in?

Anakena Beach, where Hotu Matua, the origial father arrived (and the proposed site of the luxury hotel you and I discussed), the 15 moai on their ahu at Tongariki Beach and the 70 moai at Rano Raraku crater, it is the ultimate tiki hunt.

Like Maui, I will lasso the sun and move heaven and earth to try to make it.

PS - how is staying in the residentials?

I got my cheap(er) flight to Rapa Nui at:

ABStravel.com

On 2004-08-09 10:03, christiki295 wrote:
PS - how is staying in the residentials?

We stayed at El Tauke. There was a nice old woman named Victoria running the place, but my Spanish stinks and my Rapanui is prety slim too, so I didn't chat with her much. Her 30-ish son and his wife and adorable little daughter were hanging around a bit too.

The place was L-shaped, with their residence forming one half of the L and four geust rooms in a row with private entrances (like a motel) forming the other half of the L.

The room was about 8 feet square with a tiny bathroom. The room was clean, but there was pretty much no space in there for anything but the bed!

We only had lukewarm water for an hour in the morning, but were told so in advance.

Coffee and fruit were served in the morning in the part of the bulding that was Victoria's home. We didn't indulge, becasue we felt funny at the idea of sittng with her in her home and not really being able to talk to her.

Overall, it was just fine!

I think going to Rapa Nui and staying in a hotel instead of with a local family is a missed opportunity, even if you don't choose to (or can't) get to know the family much.

If you want luxury, you can stay on the LanChile flight and visit Brando's estate in Tahiti... Rapa Nui is an adventure, and roughing it a little, and living among the people, is part of it.

Nothing like "full immersion".

TikiBars, mahalo for your recommendation.

I am torn: I have work responsibilites (not that those ever seem to go on vacation) which require me to stay, puzzled opinions from some who counsel investment, not blowing $$$ on yet another tiki hunt, yet how often does one get to go to Easter Island?

On 2004-08-24 18:40, christiki295 wrote:
yet how often does one get to go to Easter Island?

Well, now, technically, you could go any time... never let an assumption that something is out of your reach limit you. :) However, the possibility of going with friends, that's the special thing.

Whether Easter Island in its current state will always be there for you, that's a different argument.

I have to say, while thinking through the logistics, I realized that another goal that's been higher on my list than Rapa Nui is within my reach... so I'm afraid I'm going to wish you all a hearty Bon Voyage, but I'm going to put my ducats towards a trip to Spain & Germany!

Have a great time! Plant a tree while you're there!

you could go any time...

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-12 14:41 ]

On 2004-08-25 00:42, filslash wrote:
aloha,

I especially liked Feburary. I got there the week after the annual Tapati festival

Aloha Filslash,

Did you see any of the pagentry referenced in these photos: http://www.islandheritage.org/pg/tffotos.html

[ Edited by: filslash 2008-09-12 14:45 ]

Excellent photos, Filslash.

This photo depicts a glorious scene of maidens worshiping the tiki gods

http://www.islandheritage.org/eifimages2/DSC00478.jpg

Traditional hula, costumes and tiki torches -tiki nirvana!