Going to Rapa Nui, Easter Island in 2011

We are planning a trip to Easter Island in 2011!! Anyone who has been there that can provide any insight / where to stay / renting cars, etc... practical info??? I would highly appreciate it!! We are looking into flying out to Tahiti first, for a few days, then to Rapa Nui for at least 6 nights, to Santiago Chile then back to Sacramento, CA...

Thanks for any info.. You can only imagine how excited we are!! It's all about the planning right now, but it will come faster than we know :)

WOW!!! How awesome for you guys. Please be sure to assume a "looking out to sea" pose for photos.

We're looking to do the same. Who did you book your flights thro' and what sort of cost?

On 2010-02-16 04:48, Kon-Hemsby wrote:
We're looking to do the same. Who did you book your flights thro' and what sort of cost?

Haven't booked the flight yet. I'm in the info gathering stage now! Might be going with friends, they haven't committed yet. I found out you can get direct flights from Papeete in Tahiti, so we might go there first if I can work it out :)

We arrived on "opening day" of this property (December 15, 2007). Unfortunately, the property was not finished(no pool, spa and there was no landscaping whatsoever), but we had a really wonderful time. What a person comes here for is the expert guides and personal attention. The rooms are very nice...large and clean...very comfortable beds and luxurious bathrooms.
The best place to eat on Easter Isle is Hetu u. Unreal food,unreal staff. Believe it , you will be pleased.

Stay at one of the local, family owned & run places. There are many. The money goes back into the local economy & supports the people of the island. It is also the most authentic, genuine way to stay on the island. That is very important for Rapa Nui & continuing to support the local people & their heritage.

I highly recommend the family-owned & run Te'ora & I have stayed there myself.

Most of the $$ from the expensive resort goes off the island, as it is foreign-owned.
You also do not get the authentic Rapa Nui experience if you stay there.

On 2010-02-22 21:36, croe67 wrote:
I highly recommend the family-owned & run Te'ora & I have stayed there myself.

Absolutely - we stayed here too.

Sharon will definitely make sure you spend your time wisely and connect you with guides, rental cars, restaurants recommendations, the best tattooists, whatever!

Exciting news! I went in October 2008, and it was fantastic. I'd also suggest picking one of the smaller family run places to stay. We ended up staying at Hotel Taura'a and really enjoyed it. It was very easy dealing with Edith online to set up the reservation, etc. and great, small staff overall. Easy, short walk to town & the water, very good breakfasts, and they took care of everything - arranging rental cars, tours, straightening out my return fight reservation which seemed to have disappeared from LAN's computers... They also have lots of mini Moai throughout the yard/gardens. Incidentally, we'd see vans from the mondo-pricey resort (Explora?) around - apparently they don't allow their guests off the property unsupervised! Hardly the way to experience the island.

We flew from LA through Santiago since it was quicker and I didn't have enough time for a Tahiti sidetrip. I booked through LAN online (frustrating to deal with on the phone; great once you're in the air). We were lucky enough to do the class upgrade on the Santiago to Easter Island leg, but even coach was pretty swank compared to US airlines.

Looking back at it, I realize I never posted any info after my trip, but there's an older thread here with some more tips:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=27683&forum=16&hilite=seeking%20easter%20island