Easter Island Travel Forum

Hi! hOW'S is easter island? is it safe to travel alone in easter island? Which is the best way to travel to easter island? Can I get there by ferry / plane? Is it expensive in easter island? What is the currency? what is the official language? thanks!

Easter Island is absolutely safe to travel alone. It is a very relaxed destination with a great history and culture of the moai.

There is just one way to travel to/from Easter Island by plane from Santiago (Chile) or Tahiti. Be aware there a just a coupel of flights a week.

Easter Island is not cheap; we paid for a room (2 persons) in a guesthouse USD 50,- a night. The currency is Chilean pesos, but sometimes it is possible tio pay with US dollars.

Language is Spanish (although the people of Easter Island do have their own language 'rapanui'); but English is no problem at all.

See for more info my Easter Island page.

happy travels
jaap

I was definitely safe to travel to Easter ISland! We booked our flights through LAN. It was cheaper to book the flight in collaboration with out other flights. It's a 6 hour flight from Santiago, so quite a long haul. It was also cheaper to book a tour as opposed to goin there and getting hotels and tours separately. The package ended up being just shy of $400 per person for 5 days and 4 nights which included a full day and two half day guided tours. This did not include airfare. The website I booked with was:

http://www.southamericanfiesta.com/

Easter Island is a wonderful destination! The Island is safe and the Rapa Nui people are genuinely kind and easy going. We highly recommend staying at Te Ora, a beautiful, secluded, 3 room inn on the coast, walking distance from town and some of the Moai. The view is incredible. The owner Sharon is warm and welcoming. Sharon is also very knowledgable of the island and the culture. We were able to e mail her prior to coming and she was extremely helpful in planning our stay. We were picked up and greeted at the airport by her two lovely assistants, Luna and Andrea.
Andrea is a certified tour guide. We planned a tour with Andrea and highly recommend her. After our first half day with her, we were so delighted with her warm nature, knowledge and respect for the Island, that we booked her everyday for the rest of our stay. Andrea's rates are reasonable and worth it. She taught us the importance of respecting the sacred places on the Island and the rich history behind them. This is one of the benefits of touring the Island with a guide. We strongly feel that as world travellers it is our responsibility to learn and respect the culture of the lands we visit. We learned not to touch, stand or sit on any of the Moai and/or Ahu. We also learned not to take anything off the Island, such as rocks, wood, flowers etc. and most importantly to always give gratitude to the spirits.
Also, please treat yourself to the amazing experience of the Matatoa dinner show. Sharon and Andrea can give you the location of the show. The Emu meal is the traditional Rapa Nui meal cooked underground. It is healthy and delicious. The music and dancing of the Matatoa is spellbounding.
I hope you will enjoy your visit to "The naval of the earth." The currency is Pesos. The language is Rapa Nui, although many of the locals use Spanish as well as English.

We were there in May of 2006. There are now more than just a 'couple' flights a week from Santiago. Check it out at Expedia.com or a simliar online sight and you'll see. I think there was only 1 day a week when there was NOT a flight. It varies a little from high to low travel season.

It is very safe. My wife and I walked around the town every day and evening and everyone you meet is very friendly.

Accomodations are pretty limited but as a testiment of how the internet has changed the world many of the hotels on the island has their own website. We stayed at the Tauraa Hotel and loved it. Keep in mind that there are only 2* or 3* hotels on the island. None (when we were there) have a/c, in room phones or tv's but it really doesn't matter here as the lack of developement and commercialized surroundings is one of things that make this destination so special. The food is very good by the way.

The flight from Santiago is a little long at about 5h 20m but for an additional $150 USD we bought first class r/t tickets and had the best up front service and seats (beds) we've ever seen. Coach was about $375 USD r/t.

Get a guide on your first day and it will add a lot to what you will see on your own in the days to come. You can rent a car from Bill at the Tauraa for around $70/day plus fuel. The 1 road leading across the island is very rough in places and gave us a flat one day. Fortunately it did not go flat until we had gotten back to the hotel. Just down the street was a shop where a used one was put on the rim to make a spare for $5.

It's a wonderful destination with friendly people. Seeing the Moai are worth the travel time it takes to get there. I simply could not believe I was there when I saw the first massive statue. I have a small travelouge here with a few pics if you like to read more.

have a great trip if you decide to go,
Gottagocit