We waited around in the check-in area until 5:00 AM, when the police verification for passengers to Easter Island would begin. There were lots of other passengers like us who were spending the night, or at least some hours, there. Most benches were full, so I decided to use a couple of towels and a jacket to fashion a makeshift sleeping bag.
The police verification counter started at around 5:15 AM, and we went straight through. We had to fill in an online form beforehand for visiting Easter Island, and based on that, they gave us each a verification slip. These were collected from us just before boarding the flight later.
After going through the security check, we visited the Andes Lounge to get some rest and have some breakfast before the flight. The lounge was not very brightly lit, probably taking into account the hour of the day, but it was spacious. There were multiple seating areas and also some relaxation zones.
The breakfast menu was just being placed out when we reached.
We rested for a while and got something to eat before heading to our gate for boarding.
We were assigned seats in the first row of economy class, just behind the bulkhead. There was ample legroom and the seats were nice. Shortly before take-off, our neighbor moved to another seat, so we had three seats between the two of us, which made it even more comfortable. LATAM seemed very spacious and posh even near the doors and boarding areas.
We left the west coast of Chile a short while after take off and then all of our route would be over the South Pacific Ocean until we reached Easter Island. A small breakfast was served, and the rest of the flight was smooth and uneventful.
We landed at Easter Island on time. There was a group of people playing instruments to welcome the arriving visitors. Since we only had carry-on bags, we didn’t have to wait and were able to exit quickly. Our host, Christophe, was waiting for us and drove us to our accommodation promptly.
We had booked an afternoon “Looking at the Stars” tour with Mahinatur 🔗 after getting in touch with them over email and paying online. (I later found out that booking directly with them at their office would have been cheaper than the web rates we paid). We freshened up and left our bags in the room, and he drove us back to the main town. He gave us a quick overview of the island and life there, and it was a nice chat during the quick drive. He dropped us off at Oheho Surf Cafe, one of the local restaurants, for lunch. We ordered a couple of burgers, but it took quite a while for them to be ready. We ate and then quickly walked to the Mahinatur office, from where the tour was to start at 2:30 PM.
We had bought the ticket to Parque Nacional Rapa Nui online in advance for CLP 76,000. It gave us access to the 12 designated sites within Rapa Nui National Park. Access to the park and sites required an authorized tour guide, and entry to ʻŌrongo and Rano Raraku was allowed only once. The ticket was valid for 10 consecutive days starting from the date of first entry and had to be presented together with an identity card or passport at each entrance. We had the printout with us and they stamped it at each site we visited over the next three days; interestingly, they never once asked us for our passports.
We waited at the Mahinatur office for some time for other passengers to arrive and after some time our guide and driver picked us up in the bus and we were off. Our first stop was Ana Te Pahu. It was a volcanic cave used as a refuge and storage, surrounded by traditional gardens with native plants. We could see the stone blocks which were once the foundations of a traditional home. We also walked through the cave to see Banana and Guava trees which thrived in the part of the cave that was shielded from the sides but open to air. These areas protected the trees from the salt in the breeze but gave them light. There were also some parts of the cave where fresh water had collected.
The second stop was Ahu Akivi which was close by. This is an archaeological site featuring 7 moai positioned to face the setting sun during the Spring Equinox. This was the first time we were seeing the moai in person and they were just as impressive as the pictures we had seen before.
Our last stop on this tour was Puna Pau. It was a red slag quarry where most of the topknot stones were carved. There were many unfinished pieces remaining. The hill also offered panoramic views of the surrounding area.
The tour bus brought us back to the Mahinatur office from where we walked back to our accommodation. It had been a long day, and we were quite tired from not having slept well the previous night, so we retired for the evening.
✈️ LATAM 841
🎫 Parque Nacional Rapa Nui
🍽️ Oheho Surf Cafe
🚌 Mahinatur
🛏️ Cabanas Christophe