Easter Island Travel Answers

Hi! Was on that amazing island a few years ago. And then the only flights from South America was from Santiago, Chile. But there were also possible to fly there from east. From Tahiti, French Polynesia.

Hi, I am also interested. I am just gathering information. I would come from Asia. I guess I would also have to combine Easter Island with another vacation then like Tahiti or Lima. How was it on Easter Island? What do we have to know? I have read that hotels are expensive as well as food and so and possibility of a rip off. How long did you stay as flights are like only wednesdays and sundays as far as I know. Would love to hear more about what you did :-) Thanks alex

Anna and Alex: Easter Island is a dreamy place with an uncertainty of cultural origins and evocative sculpture. Its isolated location gives it a feel of separation from the hustle and bustle of the world. Many people find this reason enough to prolong their visit. Going there directly from Polynesia would shorten your travel distance. Whether it will save you money or not is a question you will have to explore. The flight round trip from Santiago was around500 USD a couple years ago. I would expect the cost from Lima to be about the same. I would also expect that the Polynesia flights are similarly top dollar. So the question can be whether flying all the way from Asia to Latin America on a cheap flight to a competitive destination like Lima or Santiago would save you enough to more than pay for the extra round trip flight from Chile or Peru to Easter Island compared to just using the Polynesian flight. You would also want to consider the inconvenience of the indirect route through Latin America. There is a seasonal nature to the tourism of the island and also to prices. Since much of the food and drink has to be brought to the island by ship or air, prices are not low. I did not find them extreme. There is a wide range of quality and cost of accommodations. Taking tours or private transportation (I am including taxis and car rentals in this category.) can add significantly to the costs but can increase the efficiency of seeing the island. There were no public buses, so the alternatives to tours or taxis were to hike or rent a bicycle. Four days can be enough to see the sights. How much more time you may want to relax and just soak in the atmosphere is up to you. A brief visit to Lima or Santiago would be a very different type of experience.

Note that the flights from Lima are not running. There is a possibility of them resuming toward the end of January 2012.

Hi Melosh, Thanks a lot for your input. I will figure something out. I would love to go next year. I hope to find a travel buddy. That would be perfect. thanks alex

Thanks Melosh for your detailed advice. I'm also thinking of going there next year as I think more time is needed for planning. I'd likely visit Tahiti as well since it's really a long trip travelling from Asia to South America. Actually it was a regret that I did not visit this beautiful island last time when I was in Lima.