Easter Island – The Land of Moai Statues
An Island In the Middle of Nowhere
Easter Island Sunset
Mention Easter Island to an avid traveller, historian or archaeologist, and the first thing that comes to mind is the image of those mysterious stone statues called moais that surround the island for over a thousand years. Many historians have wondered how these peculiar statues have come to being, and how the local tribes have managed to carve and bring down those heavy figures from the top of an extinct volcano and transport them throughout the entire island. Moreover, the island is thousands of miles away from the nearest land mass, and with such a distance, scientist have often wondered how ancient Polynesians have migrated to this island and lived with its seamingly limited resources. So many mysteries, so many theories, yet still unsolved until today.
Where Is Easter Island?
It’s been a childhood dream of mine to see the mysterious stone statues of Easter Island. I’ve read and seen photos of these strange statues and I’ve always thought that it would be such a dream to be able to visit them. And lo and behold, fast-track 25 years later and I had the great opportunity to visit this mystical island paradise.
The island was named after the feast day when it was first discovered by Europeans, Easter. Easter Island (Isla de Pascua in Spanish, Rapa Nui in the native language) is a special territory of Chile, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is located 3,510km from mainland Chile, 2000 km from the tiny island of Pitcairn, and around 4,000 km from Tahiti (to its west). It’s considered to be the most remote inhabited island in the world (inhabited by non-incestuous people, that is – Pitcairn Island can be the most remote, but everyone there is related).
Though it is a small island, Easter Island has enough attractions to see for a couple of days at least. Most people tend to stay between 3 to 5 days and enjoy the island’s rich archaeological sites, as well as its unique Polynesian culture and laid-back lifestyle.
What To See On Easter Island
Here are some of the things you have to check out while on Easter Island
1.) Moai Statues
This is the most obvious attraction, and the main reason most people from all over the world have for coming to Easter Island. The mystery of the Moai has become one of those legendary wonders of the world, at par with the mysteries of the Stonehenge in England and the Pyramids in Egypt. There are several sites to view the moai. Some of the moais have been re-erected on to their ahu (altar), while some have been left in its original state, as found by the European explorers when they first arrived, or as it was when the 1960 tsunami hit Easter Island and toppled some of the moais.
Here are some of the sites to view the moais:
- Ahu Tongariki
Ahu Tongariki
Ahu Tongariki is the biggest set of standing moais on the island. It was re-erected by the Japanese in 1960s using cranes, and in return, to thank the Japanese, the island lent them a moai for the World Expo 1970 in Japan.
- Ahu Akivi
Ahu Akivi
Another great site for viewing moais that have been re-erected. This ahu is slightly different from the others in that this is erected inland (unlike the others that are along the coastline) and the moai statues are looking out to sea, instead of looking inland like the other ahu’s.
- Ahu Nau Nau
Ahu Nau Nau
This ahu is one of the 2 ahus that you can find on Anakena Beach.
- Ahu Akahanga
Fallen moai at Akahanga
This site is where you will find fallen moais and remnants of an ancient Rapa Nui village, just as how it was when the early European explorers discovered the island. It is a fascinating place in that you will see how the people who carved the moais used to live.
2.) Beach and Volcano Crater
- Anakena Beach
Anakena Beach
Anakena Beach is the biggest beach on the island, and the most swimmable. It has white sand, crystal clear waters and palm trees that were introduced into the island from Tahiti.
- Rano Raraku
Moais at Rano Raraku
Rano Raraku is an extinct volcano from where most of the moais on Easter Island have been carved from. It is declared a national park in itself, and there is a trail where people can walk up the volcano to view all the remaining moais that were left unfinished by the Rapa Nui people. Some of the moais were only half carved and some have been left facing down.The place looks like how the early European explorers found the moais on Easter Island, abandoned and lying face down.
- Rano Kau (volcanic crater)
Rano Kau crater
This extinct volcano has a viewable crater with a lake in it, and around the area was where the strange “birdman” cult started and thrived on the island. The cult was known to worship a “birdman” who was chosen from childhood and the chosen one is pretty much kept in captivity. The selection process of the birdman is a cruel one. A few boys are challenged to race over rough seas and swim to the nearby steep rock formation where a certain type of bird lays its nest at the very top of this high steep rock. The boy who manages to climb the steep rock successfully and bring back the egg of this bird intact back to the volcano and offer to the “Birdman” becomes the next birdman.
Other Things To Experience On Easter Island
Ahu Te Pito Kura
Ahu Te Pito Kura
Though it is called an Ahu, it doesn’t necessarily have any moais on it. Ahu means “sacred place”. This site is unique in that it contains a round stone. This mystical stone is believed to possess healing powers and energy(mana). The Rapa Nui people call this the “Navel of Mother Earth”. If you put a compass over it, it will not be able to detect north from south and would spin around like crazy. People who believe in energies and healing power of stones can touch their forehands and face down on it to receive mana from it.
Cultural Shows
Love it or loathe it, cultural shows are a good way of understanding and learning more about how the traditional people of a country live, their food and their customs. For some places more than others, the local culture may be on the verge of decline and death, and the only way they are preserved is through cultural shows. Such is the case in Easter Island. The Rapa Nui people (as the natives of Easter Island are called) have nearly been completely decimated by starvation and famine before the early European explorers found the island, and thus, their unique culture have nearly vanished. You will be able to experience the dance, myth, customs and food when you go to a dinner and show.
There are a few options on the island in terms of dinner and show packages but the one that I particularly liked is called Te Ra’ai. This show offers a traditional Rapa Nui dinner, cooked in underground earth ovens, and prepared with a traditional Rapa Nui ceremony of blessing the food. The dinner is followed by a very traditional Rapa Nui dance performance. The other shows actually have a mix of other Polynesian dances, but this one is purely Rapa Nui.
Food
Ceviche with rice
Of course, you can’t visit a place without trying the local cuisine! Easter Island unfortunately isn’t abundant in natural resources or fresh produce from the land but being surrounded by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, it is very abundant with fish. The most common fish you can get there is tuna, and the tuna there is so fresh! I highly recommend trying the ceviche, which is a typical Chilean dish of marinated raw fish with tomato, onions and spices. The best ceviche I’ve had so far (comparing this to the ones from mainland South America) was from Easter Island! It is a must-try!
Amazing sunsets
Easter Island Sunset
Easter Island, being in the middle of the Pacific, can offer spectacular sunsets. You don’t have to go far to see them from Hanga Roa town (the main town of the island). There are a few moais near the coastline of Hanga Roa, and you can take great photos of the sunset with the moais.
How to get to Easter Island
LAN Airlines at Mataveri Airport Easter Island
The easiest way to reach Easter Island is to take the once-or-twice-daily LAN Airlines flight from Santiago, Chile to Easter Island (Hanga Roa airport – IPC). The flight takes roughly 6 hours. There are also flights from Papeete, Tahiti to Easter Island on LAN Airlines, but they are very infrequent (once a week only, also around 6 hours). As of writing, LAN Airlines have started a twice-weekly service from Lima, Peru to Easter Island (Hanga Roa airport – IPC) and flight also takes around 6 hours.
Where To Stay
The main (and only) town on Easter Island is called Hanga Roa, and is where you will find all accommodations. Booking accommodations on the island can be expensive, and it is more often cheaper to get a package that includes the tour of the island. I stayed at Hotel Chez Joseph, which is near the town’s church and school.
Easter Island is definitely one island worth visiting despite the distance. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post from Fabulous Journeys!
Peru is one of the most fascinating countries in South America, and its main tourist drawcard is the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Most travellers, when Peru is mentioned, tend to instantly think of the great ancient citadel, the Inca trail, and not much else. While I was planning my trip to South America, I was the same. Machu Picchu was definitely in my plans (it is in fact in my bucket list), as well as the city of Cusco. However, in order for us to get there, we have to fly via the capital Lima, and then take a domestic flight to Cusco. I’ve been told by a few people that Lima is such a dangerous and filthy place, that there is totally no point in going there. They say it’s the most unattractive place in peru, and we shouldn’t waste our time in South America there. Taking their advice, I didn’t plan to go and stay in 
1.) Plaza de Armas/Plaza Mayor – This is the old town square of Lima, and is located right in the heart of the city. It’s been designated as a 
2.) Monasterio de San Francisco de Asis – This is the monastery of the Order of St. Francis of Assisi, and is located a block away from the Plaza Mayor. The Yellow-painted monastery holds a lot of artwork from the 17th and 18th Century Spanish painters and artists from the Cusco school. It also holds the catacombs, which was created in the 18th century when Lima was running out of space to bury their dead. Originally, the catacombs were for the rich and elite, who were given the privilege to be buried under a church. As the shortage of cemetery land worsened in 
5.) Miraflores – The suburb of Miraflores is by the shorelines of the Pacific Ocean, and is where most of the elite and wealthy in Lima live. It’s a very pleasant seaside suburb to walk around, and I actually based myself in this area. It’s 20 minutes by car or taxi to Downtown Lima. Most people recommend staying in this locality instead of downtown Lima due to the safety issues in the downtown area. I have been warned (even by the locals and the cab drivers) to be mindful of my possessions and where I go in the downtown area. Anyway, Miraflores has a shopping mall overlooking the Ocean called 
6.) Jiron de la Union – this pedestrianised street has a lot of shops and interesting old colonial buildings and churches. It starts from the Plaza San Martin and ends all the way to Plaza Mayor/Plaza Armas, and spans a few blocks. You can check out this small ice cream shop that serves Pisco Sour-flavoured ice cream (Pisco Sour is a local Peruvian spirit, a bit like rum or whiskey). The most interesting sight on the strip is the Iglesia de San Agustin (Church of St. Augustine). This old church stands out on the street. I was lucky enough to have been approached by this very friendly devotee of the church who explained to me in Spanish and some broken English (well, I kinda got most of it, I think) the history of the church, and the sacred items within it. There is this sacred cross that they believed would heal all illnesses, and people pray and touch this sacred cross.
Buenos Aires – a city known for Tango, Evita and Diego Maradona. It’s been dubbed as the Paris of South America, a city of wide avenues, beautiful parks and fine architecture. I recently visited the most romantic city of South America, and I can see what the fuss is all about. I felt like I was in Europe, somewhere between Madrid and Paris. The people are very well dressed, and well mannered (in fact, sometimes too well mannered that it can be borderline snobby – though saying that, the Argentinians are very friendly and warm once you get to know them!).
One of the highlights of my trip was to see a tango show. I have never been into dancing, but there is just something about the passion and elegance of the tango. While I was walking in some of the neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, I saw a lot of bars and tourist pubs that try to lure you to a free tango show. A lot of them are just amateurs, but you can’t tell the difference until you’ve seen the real Tango show where you have to pay. The dancers we saw at the show were just fantastic dancers! My friend and I went to this place called La Ventana, and we got the dinner and show package. It was well worth it! The food was great, and the show was just absolutely fabulous!
I’m a big chocolate addict, and the minute I discovered this mouth-watering Argentinian treat, I was instantly hooked to it! The Alfajores (pronounced as ‘Al-fah-ho-res’) is basically a cookie with dulce de leche in the middle and covered with a chocolate or meringue coating, wrapped in a foil. Some would call it a type of dulce de leche, which is an argentinian delicacy. I just had at least a piece of it each day while I was in Buenos Aires, and even brought some home! My favourite brands are El Cachafaz (the dark chocolate ones are the best!) and Havanna…Yum!
The El Ateneo bookstore is a chain of bookstores around Argentina, but there is one particular branch that is special. This store is an old theatre converted into the bookstore, and still retains a lot of its 1920s theatrical features and charm. It’s voted by a British publication as the #2 best bookstore building/interior in the world! The selection of books are fantastic, and the CDs are also great! They have both English and Spanish sections, which caters to tourists as well!
Calle Florida is one of the pedestrianised shopping streets of Buenos Aires. It offers a wide range of shops from souvenir shops to leather goods to bookstores and cafes. It stretches to a few blocks, and along the way, you’ll find old buildings with remarkable architecture ranging from the 1600s til the early 1900s. It’s a great walk for both sightseeing and shopping. At the corner of Calle Florida and Avenida Cordoba is the Galerias Pacifico, one of the best shopping malls in Buenos Aires. It offers tax-free shopping.
Recoleta is one of the more upmarket suburbs of Buenos Aires. You’ll notice it while walking around the big plush houses and upmarket shops around the area. One of the unique attractions in the area is the Recoleta cemetery (Cementerio de la Recoleta). It’s filled with grand and beautifully-decorated mausoleums and sarcophagi of the rich and well-known people of Buenos Aires. You will find the tomb of Eva Peron, the famous first lady of Argentina (made popular by the musical “Evita”). Another attraction is the Florialis Generica, which is a giant metal flower monument in the middle of a park that opens like a flower during the day, and closes its petals during the night!
Tigre is a town 50 minutes away from downtown Buenos Aires. It’s on a river delta along the Rio de la Plata. This is a weekend destination for the Porteños (residents of Buenos Aires city). Residents in the area are connected via the rivers and canals that run along the region. There are no roads to get to some of the houses by the riverbanks, and nearly each house has its own mini-pier. There’s a floating supermarket, a few gas stations with no roads beside them.. Quite an interesting sight!
The Gaucho is one of the unique symbols of Argentina. It’s a reminder of the traditional farming and cowboy roots of the country, which developed into a culture of its own. The gaucho culture is slowly dying, as farmers have now become more modern, and have slowly abandoned the traditional ways of living in the countryside. I visited Estancia Santa Catalina, which was 2 hours away from Buenos Aires. The farm offered a BBQ lunch and a gaucho show to showcase the talents and skills of a gaucho. There was a museum of a typical gaucho house, and we had the chance to ride on a horse around the farm. It’s well worth checking out!
Puerto Madero is a new development in Buenos Aires. It used to be a bustling port area in the early 1900s, but unfortunately turned into a series of abandoned warehouses. Then in the late 1990s, it was turned into restaurants, bars and cafes, and a whole number of condominiums and offices have since arisen in the area. Being by the water, it’s nice to sit out and have coffee and watch the people walk along. A nice modern pedestrian bridge spans the port area to link up to the other side of Puerto Madero. We had dinner at this restaurant called La Caballeriza. They serve a good asado ribs and this great dessert called Bombon Moro (made of mascarpone cheese, chocolate brownie, and topped with strawberries)!
These two neighbourhoods are worth checking out. San Telmo has a lot of very old buildings, and is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires. It has a lot of plazas where people dance tango to show to tourists, shops and cafes all around the place. Caminito, on the other hand, is a very colourful neighbourhood, with brightly painted houses and buildings and giant papier machè dolls decorating some of the shops. The neighbourhood around it (La Boca) is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, and locals don’t advise tourists to go around the area apart from the Caminito. It’s a very lively neighbourhood, definitely worth visiting.
I spent the next 3 days exploring the city. I started out with going to the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, just checking out on the whole beach scene. Before getting to Rio, I had this impression of Rio as having a sea of gorgeous looking women strolling down the beach, partly due to the song “The Girl From Ipanema” … I must have arrived during their quiet period, as I hardly saw any eye-candy there.. There were some, but not as I anticipated it would be.. (and there are the “did-not-pass-the-mark” ones which I shall leave at that..) I think the girls would have had more eye-candy than I did.. 
One of the highlights for me was a trip to Sugar Loaf mountain (known as Pao de Açucar in Portuguese). We took the cable car from the bottom carpark to the top. The views were just spectacular! You can see the beaches of Botafogo, Copacabana, and on the other side of the harbour, Niteroi. You can see the very long Niteroi bridge, and on the other end, Christ the Redeemer statue. You can also see the domestic airport, which has quite a short runway, and is surprisingly really close to the city (unlike in most major cities around the world).. The one thing that makes Rio interesting is the amount of fog that can cover up the mountains around city from time to time.. When we got to the top of Sugar Loaf, it was perfectly clear. But, 20 minutes later, we started seeing the clouds and the fog creeping in, blanketing the fabulous vista from the top… Lucky we made our way there when the sky was clear! 
You really have to seize the moment to get a perfect view.. Which leads me to our next destination in the fabulous city, ….
The icon of Rio de Janeiro - this statue appears nearly in every postcard and every photo of Rio de Janeiro. The Christ the Redeemer statue sits on top of the Corcovado mountain, in the midst of the Tijuca National Park, and overlooks the city of Rio. To get there from Copacabana or downtown Rio, you can take the cog train from Cosme Velho, or the easiest way I reckon, is to hire a taxi all the way to the bottom carpark of the National Park and make him wait for you to finish at the top and take you back down to the city. From the bottom carpark, there are frequent buses that would take you to the statue itself.