Chile Holidays: Condor Journeys - Easter Island Exploration

Around the 4th century AD, the first settlers arrived at Easter Island, the Navel of the World. Some say they came from Polynesia, other from South America. Thanks to the Kon-Tiki voyage of Thor Heyerdahl and the recent discoveries in Tucume, Peru, the South American hypothesis gains the upper hand. Despite this, many mysteries remain. Most notably are the moai, the giant statues (with an average height of 4 m/13 ft, the largest 21 m/72 ft), hewn from volcanic stone and erected by the hundreds along the shoreline. These enigmatic idols, the moss covered crater of Rano Raraku, the inviting beaches and the colourful Polynesian festivals in Hanga Roa, the island's only town, make Easter Island a fascinating destination. A must for all those interested in the mysterious island is the book Aku-Aku by Thor Heyerdahl.

DAY 1:
Transfer to Santiago Airport for the flight to Te Pito Te Henua, the Navel of the World or Easter Island. Our local guides will walk with us to Hanga Roa, home of the 2500 inhabitants. In a family-style pension, we discus the itinerary before retreating for the night.

DAY 2:
Early morning, we start our exploration through hundreds of years of history. Our first stop is Tahai and the cave of the petroglyphs. Later, we drive to Rano Kau, the largest volcano of the island, whose enormous crater is now a fresh water lake with floating green fields of totora reeds, used to built the traditional Easter Island reed boats, and very similar to the reed boats used in Lake Titicaca and on the North Peruvian Coast. The site offers an exceptional view over the three tiny craggy islands Nui, Motu and Kao-Kao where the bizarre "bird man" ritual took place. On Rano Kau we explore the village of Orongo, consisting of 48 oval buildings, built of overlapping stone slabs. Before continuing to Vinapu we admire an amazing string of "bird man" petroglyphs. At Vinapu, we find the Ahu Tahira (Ahu = sacred place), the rectangular stone platforms on which the Moai statues were erected. Ahu Tahira is the key element in Thor Heyerdahl's theory that the islanders came sailing from South America, since it contains a wall of perfectly carved and fitted stone blocks, strikingly similar to the work of the Tiahuanaco culture (Bolivia) and the Inka walls in Peru (B).

DAY 3:
Today, we visit Rano Raraku, may be the most impressive site on the island with its 70 standing sentinels embedded up to their shoulders in the grass on the south slope of the Rano Raraku crater, leading the way to the quarry or nursery inside the impressive crater rim. From this quarry, the enormous, 100 ton basalt statues were carved from volcanic tuff. Some 150 statues, in all stages of completion, are mute witnesses of the mystery that suddenly stopped all work here. On our way back, we visit the Ahu of the 15 Moai (B).

DAY 4:
After breakfast, we visit the ceremonial centre of Ahu Akivi. The seven Moais represent the sons of a Maori sorcerer sent to search for Rapa Nui, the home for king Hotu Matua. All around the site, one can explore attractive volcanic caves. The most impressive is the cave of the two windows and the cave of the banana. At Poike we admire an Ahu of Moais, different from all the others seen before. After visiting the cave of the virgin, we reach Ovahe beach, a small bay with pure and golden sand and magnificent clear water, nestled beneath a cliff of volcanic rock We spend some time swimming and relaxing in this true South Pacific Paradise. On our way back, we visit Anakena Beach, the legendary landing place of Hota Matua, the founder of the island (B).

This itinerary is just a sample. The order of the visits may be different and some of them are subjected to local conditions.

Rated: Easy.

Lodging in local guesthouse with private facilities. Other hotels upon request.

Departure dates
Daily departures with 2 people minimum

Easter island
	Hotel 2*		Hotel 3*		Hotel 5*
	SGL	DBL	SGL	DBL	SGL	DBL
USD	$ 330	$ 284	$ 524	$ 407	$ 903	$ 571
EUR	€ 274	€ 236	€ 435	€ 338	€ 750	€ 474
GBP	£ 185	£ 159	£ 293	£ 228	£ 506	£ 319

(*) Price last updated on 31 March 2005. Current price may vary due to elements out of our control, so please always check by sending us a quotation request .
(**) All excursions are shared
(***) Some fares may be discounted between MAY 1ST TO JULY 31ST . Other hotels upon request

Included: Accommodation in double room with private bathroom, meals as specified, all land transportation, experienced bilingual guides, shared excursions

Not included: Other meals, flight from/to Easter Island

Easter Island Exploration

"Chile"