Easter Island Stopover
Trip Length |
Trip Code |
| 4 days | PSEA4 |
Countries Visited |
|
| Chile | |
Start City |
End City |
| Hanga Roa | Hanga Roa |
Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) has long been associated with its most renowned inhabitants – the 'moai'. These stone statues depicting human images stand as sentinels around the island - guardians that are seemingly as timeless as the place itself. On this comprehensive stopover add-on, we spend two full days paying homage to these magnificent archaeological relics and also discover the beauty of Easter Island with its spectacular coastline and palm-fringed beaches. We also enjoy the warm hospitality of the local people, born from a mix of ancient travellers that arrived here from the Polynesian islands and from South America.
Day to Day Itinerary
Day 1: Easter Island - Hanga Roa
Meals included: 1 dinner
On arrival at Easter Island's Mataveri Airport you are welcomed and transferred to your hotel in Hanga Roa, the island's main town. Please look for a person at the airport holding up a sign with your name on it. Once you have checked into the hotel the remainder of your first day is free. Hanga Roa is a small place with 3800 inhabitants, but has excellent facilities such as banks, shops, restaurants and bars. At the port in the middle of town you are immediately greeted by your first 'moai' - Ahu Tautira. There is much to see and do if free time is available. To the north of town are some scenic spots complete with more 'moai', as well as the Sebastian Englebert Museum of Anthropology - a good place to get acquainted with the Easter Island story. Easter Island is also a great place to go on hikes or hire a mountain bike and go for a ride - you really can't get lost! In the evening you can select from host of eating places, ranging from cafes that sell empanadas to restaurants that serve up some of the island's delicious seafood.
Day 2: Easter Island - Hanga Roa
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
After breakfast you join a guided excursion around Easter Island. The island covers an area of 117 square kilometres, so it quite manageable to see most of the island in a day. We leave Hanga Roa and travel along the south coast to Ahu Vaihu, where we see eight large toppled 'moai' lying face down on the ground. We then continue to Rano Raraku, a large volcano also known as 'the nursery of the moai' because the statues around the island were cut from the stones that came from this quarry. Around this area can be found a 21 metre high 'moai' - the largest one ever carved. At Ahu Tongariro we are faced with the impressive sight of 15 restored 'moai' right on the coastline. The originals were destroyed by a huge tidal wave in 1960. Along the north coast is Anakena - a beautiful sandy beach with swaying palm trees. However, as with many significant spots on Easter Island, there is a 'moai' nearby standing guard in its own inimitable fashion. (Please note: on our day trip we may be joining travellers who have booked on other tour packages. This is not an exclusive excursion of ours.)
Day 3: Easter Island - Hanga Roa
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
In the morning we make our way down to Orongo Ceremonial Village, which is set in a dramatic location 400 metres high on a ridge with the ocean on one side and the crater lake of Rano Kau on the other. It contains remnants of art relating to a birdman cult that has been around on the island for centuries. Nearby are a few 'moai' at Ahu Vinapu. In the afternoon we travel to Akivi and view the seven 'moai' that overlook the site of an ancient village and out west towards the setting sun.
Day 4: Easter Island - Hanga Roa
Meals included: 1 breakfast
After breakfast you need to check out from your hotel room. You are then transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Your trip finishes on arrival at the airport.
Your Trip
What to know
This program is for independent travellers and is not our group tour.
What's Included
Return airport transfers, island tours with an English-speaking guide.
Summary of accommodation, transport & meals
Transport
- Minibus
- Tourist coach
Accommodation
- 3 nights Comfortable hotel
Meals
- 3 breakfasts
- 1 lunch
- 3 dinners
Not Included
Flights to and from Easter Island, airport departure tax, visas where required, meals not included in the itinerary, insurance, laundry, any optional tours or activities during free time, tips and items of a personal nature.
What to know
VaccinationsVaccinations may be required for this trip. Talk to your doctor about the up-to-date information for this region.
Visas and PermitsIt is your responsibility to ensure you have all required visas for your trip. Rules and regulations governing the issuance of visas are constantly changing, and vary for different nationalities and you should check visa requirements with your travel agent or relevant consular authority well before travel.
Chile
Australians, Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders or British do not currently require a visa for Chile. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your travel agent. If you are entering Chile at Santiago International Airport as a tourist, some nationalities are required to pay a reciprocity fee (Australians US$95, Canadians US$132, Americans US$140). The fee does not apply to travellers arriving at other airports or entering the country via land borders.
InsuranceYou are required to have travel insurance before heading off on a Peregrine trip. Insurance can be organised by your Peregrine representative or your travel agent.
Responsible Travel
Our Responsible Travel ethos is at the heart of everything we do, from getting the basics right like respecting local cultures and the environment, to initiating projects that make positive contributions to communities, to our staff’s fundraising efforts and offsetting our carbon emissions.
Please visit our Responsible Travel (http://www.peregrineadventures.com/rt) page for more information.
Our Pre Departure Information or Travel Dossier (provided upon booking a trip) provides tips on how you can show respect for the local customs and culture in the country you are travelling in.
The information listed above is a brief description of some things you may need to consider when booking a trip. Once a tour is booked you will be provided with a link to your Travel Dossier which will contain detailed Pre Departure information.
Further Reading
ChileCrisis in Allende’s Chile-E Kaufman The Pinochet Decade-P O’Brien & J Roddick
Important Information
This is not a group tour. It is for independent travellers and operates for a minimum of one person. This trip extension must also be booked in conjunction with another of our adventures.
Public Holiday Inconveniences
Please be prepared for the inconvenience of sights such as museums and churches being closed to tourists on public holidays (ie. Christmas Day and New Years Day). Throughout Latin America, most museums also tend to be closed on Mondays.
About this Information
The information provided here is given in good faith and has been compiled with all reasonable care. However, things change and some of the information may become out of date. Please keep this in mind when you read it and check with us if you want to be sure about something. The document was correct at time of printing, but you can check online for the most up to date version. If you have any queries, please contact your travel agent or our staff in Australia. We are here to help you!
Last Updated
3 May 2013