Everyone has their childhood CURIOSITY, this is mine!

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wondered if this island with the big head giant statues exists. Have you ever played this classic Konami game, Gradius, it’s a shooting game, the giant statues are the annoying enemy. This game has definitely aroused my curiosity about the statues, and I have dreamt of visiting this mysterious island since. 

Many years later, I finally made it there!

Approximately 3540 kms off the coast of Chile, Easter Island (Isla de Pascua), is among the world’s most remote inhabited islands.

Easter Island, a special Chilean territory, is a remote volcanic island in Polynesia. Its native name is Rapa Nui. It’s famed for archaeological sites, including nearly 1000 monumental statues called Moai, created by inhabitants during the 13th–16th centuries. The Moai are carved human figures with oversized heads, often resting on massive stone pedestals called ahus.

In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. 

How to Get to Easter Island?

Only LATAM Airlines (formerly LAN) flies one flight daily to Easter Island (IPC) from Santiago (SCL), Chile. The flight ticket is very expensive during peak season between December to February, do expect to pay USD500-800 return. The flying time is between 5-6 hours. Many people skip Easter Island when they travel to Chile because of this reason.

However, you can always check for the ticket price during non-peak months. October, November, March and April provides more opportunity for exploring the island in a more secluded manner. There are less people visiting making for a simpler and more relaxed endeavour. 

Try Skyscanner or LATAM website to check out the flights.

Of course, if you are an airlines employee like me, you have no reason to not go there, because there’ll be no budget concern. Make use of the travel benefit you have! 

What to Do on Easter Island?  How Many Days?

There are many things to do on the island, spend at least 4-5 days there to truly experience the Rapa Nui culture and appreciate the historical amazement. It’s not easy to get there, and you would want to be able to enjoy without any regret. Weather is unpredictable on Easter Island, I am sure you do want your pictures with the giant statues under the clear blue sky.  

Rent A Car to Travel Around the Island

Joining a tour is extremely expensive on the island, I’d recommend you to rent a car for 2-3 days and you’ll have all your freedom to travel around the island easily. Especially watching sunrise and sunset are among the top things to do, you’ll need a car to drive to the sights. 

Most of the accommodations are family business, they often provide car rental service, even if they don’t, they will refer you to a car rental with a good price. I visited Easter Island in 2014, I remember paying CLP100,000 (USD140) for 48 hours rental. You may check with your accommodation and compare the price with booking online, a little tips to save some money. Driving on Easter Island is rather easy & safe, there are not many cars, on top of that the road is very straight forward. It takes slightly over an hour to drive around the entire island.

Sunrise Watching at Ahu Tongariki

Ahu Tongariki houses the largest stone platform on Easter Island. This platform, known as an ahu, is lined up on 200 metre (650 foot) long podiums. Easter Island’s ahu were meticulously restored in the early 1990s after the island’s civil war toppled the Moai and a tsunami later displaced them inland. The area of Ahu Tongariki is situated between two extinct volcanoes, Rano Raraku and Poike on the south coast of Rapa Nui. 

Watching sunrise over the 15 Moais at Ahu Tongariki is perhaps the most popular thing to do in Easter Island. This particular location is so unique because it holds the best restored Moais on the entire island.

Re-erected to their traditional positions after a huge tsunami knocked them down in 1960, the 15 Moais stand tall with spectacular mountains and ocean views behind them.

Ahu Tahai – The Best Sunset Spot on the Island

The view of Tahai is impressive at any time, but since you can access the site as many times as you like, I recommend visiting the place at least twice, if you spend enough time on the island.

Visit in the early morning, this is when the sun illuminates the front of the statues and it’s the best time to take pictures of the Moai and yourself.

Return for the sunset, the most wanted by tourists happens at this moment. The sunset light backlit the silhouettes of the statues on a background that changes colour as the sun is hidden on the horizon. It will definitely give you an unforgettable magical and mystical moment. 

Take a Swim and Relax at Anakena Beach

Anakena is the main beach on Easter Island. Its white and fine coral sand, crystalline turquoise sea, calm waves and coconut palms make it an ideal place for rest and leisure.

Sunbathing on the fine sand and taking a swim while watching the centuries-old stone giants, which seem to monitor our rest, is a unique and overwhelming sensation. How much history is breathed in this magical place!

Ahu Nau Nau – The Best Preserved Moai on the Island

The vision of the Ahu Nau Nau framed between the palm trees, the white sand and the turquoise blue of the exotic beach of Anakena is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful that can be seen in Easter Island. The human contribution throughout history, added to the natural beauty of this small bay, have created a dreamy Polynesian scene.

Rano Raraku – The Most Beautiful Site on the Island

Rano Raraku is the most interesting and beautiful site on the entire island in my opinion, it is a place where the iconic giant statues were carved.  

Rano Raraku is like a factory of sorts, each statue was carved from hardened volcanic ash before being carefully cut away and moved to its designated final resting place on the island, often many kilometres away.

Some are nearly completed statues awaiting transportation; others are still in the process of being carved, not yet removed from the bedrock. All of the Moai at Rano Raraku remain today how they were left when work at the quarry was abandoned. It truly is a glimpse into history.

Ahu Akivi – The Only Moais Facing the Ocean 

The Moais of Easter Island don’t usually face the ocean, but rather look inland. While there’s many different conspiracy theories about this, the truth is that they were built to look back at the villages they represented, to protect and bring prosperity to their clan and village.

The only exception to this is Ahu Akivi, which is facing the ocean. This is because the village was built on the edge of the sea, and with no room to place the ahu (platform) in their standard place, the villagers placed it behind.

This site has seven Moais, all of equal shape and size, and is also known as a celestial observatory that was set up around the 16th century. The site is located inland, rather than along the coast.

Mirador Rano Kau – The Largest Volcano Crater

Rano Kau is the largest volcano and one of the most beautiful and impressive natural settings that can be admired on Easter Island. The sensation of immensity and silence, interrupted only by the wind, the distant sound of the waves and the occasional squawking of seabirds, makes Rano Kau one of the favourite and unforgettable places for visitors.

It has its own ecosystem; and its microclimate creates a natural greenhouse effect, with favourable humidity and lighting conditions for the development and cultivation of many species of vegetation and a rich diversity of flowers within it which is unique to the island.

Get Your “Isla de Pascua” Stamp on Your Passport

Go to the post office and pay only USD1, and you’ll get this beautiful “Isla de Pascua” stamp on your passport, marking your visit on Easter Island.

A Must-Try Chilean Burger

This is a MUST when you are on Easter Island, the burger is so thick and it is freshly prepared for you. Every bite brings you joy, the meat is so juicy and tender; the lettuce, thick-cut tomato and avocado give the perfect balance and texture to it, and the egg yolk runs down from the top when you have your first bite, plus the cheese. There are so many things going on, they are definitely generous!

Check out the Top 10 restaurants of Easter Island on tripadvisor, so you don’t miss out the best food experience.       

“ The adventure you make fulfills your curiosity, and it is the best way to learn! ”

– Raynard Jackle
                                 

 

There are a few more things to do on Easter Island other than what that are mentioned above, like visiting the Ana Kakenga Cave, Botanical Garden TauKiani, Rapa Nui Museum, etc. 

If you would like to do some sports, you can also rent a mountain bike and cycle around the island, I think that’s a fun thing to do, definitely a better way of exploring & appreciating this beautiful remote island.

Why Making the Moai?

The Rapa Nui people began carving Moai somewhere between 1000-1600 AD as a form of ancestor worship, a common practice throughout Polynesia at the time. When an important member of a tribe on Easter Island died, a statue was crafted at Rano Raraku then transported back to their village. The Moai were placed on a platform overlooking the village as a way of protecting its descendants.

A large Moai could take a team of workers up to 2 years to be carved. The soft volcanic stone (lapilli tuff) was chipped away using carving tools called toki, made from hard and sturdy basalt.

The Moai were carved on their backs with all details completed at the quarry except for the eye sockets (these were done once the Moai reached their platforms). The back of the Moai were then chipped away from the side of the volcano and carefully slid down a dirt ramp using ropes.

The statues were then lowered into pre-dug holes and stood upright, so designs could be carved onto the backs of the Moai. Once the back carvings were completed, the statues were ready to be transported across the island.

The production and transportation of Moai eventually took a toll on Easter Island, depleting much of its timber supply. Eventually there were not enough resources to create ropes and wooden sleds for moving the statues, so hundreds of Moai remain at the quarry.

Watch this youtube video to find out more interesting facts about Easter Island and the Moai! 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4U5Y7MSAJc&t=15s

My Videos on Easter Island

Check out my videos with the mysterious giant stone head statues on this beautiful island in the middle of Pacific Ocean. 

Being on Easter Island is definitely a dream came true for me, how about you? Is there any place you are curious about?