Unearth the Mysteries of Easter Islands Giant Moai Statues
Published by Kristin Cowles, Editor-in-Chief
Country: Chile 
The Experience
The Tapati Festival of Easter Island is an experience that peers into a remote culture with traditions such as chanting, dancing, parades, customary body decoration, and spear fishing competitions, all originating from a civilization that was one of the youngest inhabited territories on earth. Easter Island also known as Rapa Nui, is a Polynesian island that lies off the coast of Chile, and is one of the worlds most isolated populated islands on earth. Theory has it, that at its peak, the Rapanui people found themselves trapped in an environment that was unable to sustain their population and a rapid crash in their civilization followed.
Best known for its massive stone statues called Moai , Easter Island is home to over 887 of these world famous carvings, of which some 360 still span the island coasts, while others are now in museums or buried under shifted soil. The period in which these stone monoliths were created is still debated, with estimates of 100,00 CE to 170,00CE. What is know about these artifacts is they were created from volcanic tuff by hand and from there laboriously moved to various places on Easter Island. The design of the Moai statues share a fairly standard design and range in size from 23 feet high and 200 feet long, to some just 6 feet tall.
There are several sites on Easter Island to check out, one of the most popular is Rano Raraku which is at the base of the volcanic crater. What many people don’t know about these Moai statues is that this was not their intended resting place. Rather they were abandoned scattered about before being moved to traditional platforms called "ahu" where they would be placed to over look ceremonial areas and villages, with their backs to the sea. Another popular site is Ahu Akivi, which unlike other sites is found inland and features statues with red scoria headdress’s known as Pukao, carved from red lava rock.
Best known for its massive stone statues called Moai , Easter Island is home to over 887 of these world famous carvings, of which some 360 still span the island coasts, while others are now in museums or buried under shifted soil. The period in which these stone monoliths were created is still debated, with estimates of 100,00 CE to 170,00CE. What is know about these artifacts is they were created from volcanic tuff by hand and from there laboriously moved to various places on Easter Island. The design of the Moai statues share a fairly standard design and range in size from 23 feet high and 200 feet long, to some just 6 feet tall.
There are several sites on Easter Island to check out, one of the most popular is Rano Raraku which is at the base of the volcanic crater. What many people don’t know about these Moai statues is that this was not their intended resting place. Rather they were abandoned scattered about before being moved to traditional platforms called "ahu" where they would be placed to over look ceremonial areas and villages, with their backs to the sea. Another popular site is Ahu Akivi, which unlike other sites is found inland and features statues with red scoria headdress’s known as Pukao, carved from red lava rock.
When to Go to Easter Island
The best time to visit Easter Island is from December to February, coincidentally at the height of their summer. This will also allow you to enjoy the Tapati Festival which typically takes place the last week of January and the first week of February. If you go October – November or March – April you can expect to have the island to yourself but be prepared for lower temperatures and less flight availabilities.
Odds n' Ends
Some things to keep in mind about an Easter Island adventure is that you are truly embarking into a culture that is very removed from modern tendencies. It’s a life experience for sure, but be prepared to go without the normal luxuries like golf courses, theaters, or bookstores.
Other things to keep in mind is that there is no safe drinking water outside of the village, so be sure to pack ample supplies when you head for the day. Getting around too see the sights you have a few options, by horseback which is approximately $40 cnd. for three hours, expect to pay extra if you want the owner to be your guide, by car which is approximately $50 - $70 cnd. for a day rental, or an outrigger canoe which will run you about $15 to go out with a guide. If you are planning to journey here on your own versus a tour you can go budget by staying at residenciales which are extensions of private homes and ranges in price from $25 - $30 cnd. Doing this will also give you an edge with the locals for insights on great things to do during your stay. Other activities that can be done while staying on the island is hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving, but the level of difficulty is quite moderate to high.
On your flight over to the island be sure to stock up on cash, either the native currency of the Chilean peso or the American dollar, as you will be hard pressed to find someone willing to take a credit card once you land. The last note to keep in mind about this unique embankment is that you should try to make it part of a bigger trip to keep costs down, as flights can be costly if flying from your home. If you roll into a bigger trip to South America flights to the island can be bought for as low as $95-$270 cnd. out of Santiago, Chile.
Other things to keep in mind is that there is no safe drinking water outside of the village, so be sure to pack ample supplies when you head for the day. Getting around too see the sights you have a few options, by horseback which is approximately $40 cnd. for three hours, expect to pay extra if you want the owner to be your guide, by car which is approximately $50 - $70 cnd. for a day rental, or an outrigger canoe which will run you about $15 to go out with a guide. If you are planning to journey here on your own versus a tour you can go budget by staying at residenciales which are extensions of private homes and ranges in price from $25 - $30 cnd. Doing this will also give you an edge with the locals for insights on great things to do during your stay. Other activities that can be done while staying on the island is hiking, snorkeling and scuba diving, but the level of difficulty is quite moderate to high.
On your flight over to the island be sure to stock up on cash, either the native currency of the Chilean peso or the American dollar, as you will be hard pressed to find someone willing to take a credit card once you land. The last note to keep in mind about this unique embankment is that you should try to make it part of a bigger trip to keep costs down, as flights can be costly if flying from your home. If you roll into a bigger trip to South America flights to the island can be bought for as low as $95-$270 cnd. out of Santiago, Chile.
Want a Guide?
- Active Easter Island - Tourist - GAP Adventures
- In the middle of the South Pacific lies an ancient culture - the "Rapa Nuis" (which means Big Native people). Easter Island is one of the most mystical islands in the world. Discover her people, her landscape and unravel the mystery of the towering Moais (large rock statues).
Places to Stay Nearby
Search over 900,000 global hotel deals from over 30 merchants. Book via Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Priceline and the websites of popular hotel chains.
Located at the end of the Hanga Roa Bay and overlooking the sea, the hotel has an unbeatable location and excellent services for enjoying the ... 4 miles away
The Iorana Hotel is perfectly located for both business and leisure guests to Easter Island.Each of the 32 well-furnished guestrooms at the hotel ensures a ... 8 miles away
+ 7 others. Show all.
More Experiences Nearby
- Gallivant in the Galapagos
- The Galapagos Islands’ rich natural history has been fascinating the world since Charles Darwin’s famed visit aboard the Beagle in 1835. Once a hideout for pirates and a pit stop for whalers, it is now a hot spot for eco-tourism. Darwin’s exploration in the Galapagos provided the foundation for his most famous writings, The Origin of the Species, which introduces the theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands are known by many different names, including the Enchanted Islands. It’s easy to see why the islands would be given such a moniker as they are filled with thousands of unique species of ...2212 miles away.
Books and DVDs
- Chile & Easter Island - Lonely Planet
- Snowcapped Andean peaks, the driest desert in the world, plus geysers, volcanoes, glaciers and iconic moai: you'll be spoilt for choice in Chile. Here are all the chapters of Lonely Planet's Chile & Easter Islands guide, ready to download. Just click on the links below.
- Island at the End of the World: The Turbulent History of Easter Island (Hardcover)
- On a long stretch of green coast in the South Pacific, hundreds of enormous, impassive stone heads stand guard against the ravages of time, war, and disease that have attempted over the centuries to conquer Easter Island. Steven Roger Fischer offers the first English-language history of Easter Island in Island at the End of the World, a fascinating chronicle of adversity, triumph, and the enduring monumentality of the island's stone guards.
- Frommer's Chile & Easter Island, 1st Edition
- According to the Latin Business Chronicle, Chile is the third most popular South American destination and had 1.8 million visitors in 2005, 10.6% more than in 2004.
Elsewhere on the Web
- Easter Island - Wikipedia.org
- Easter Island (Rapa Nui in Rapa Nui language, Isla de Pascua in Spanish), is a Chilean island in the south eastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern tip of the Polynesian triangle.
- Travel Report Chile - Voyages.gc.ca
- WARNINGS AND RECOMENDATIONS
- Easter Island - Mysterious Places.org
- It is one of the most isolated islands in the world but 1200 years ago a double-hulled canoe filled with seafarers from a distant culture landed upon its shores.
Media References
- Go on your own Easter Island adventure - MSNBC.com (television)
- Visiting this island, one of the most remote in the world, is an exotic adventure.
- Easter Island: The dream at the end of the world - International Hearld Tribune.com (newspaper)
- It's a long, long trip from anywhere by any means, but is it worth it? As they say in certain parts of our Middle West - "You bet!"
- EASTER ISLAND STONE HEADS ARE 'DYING' - San Francisco Chronicle.com (newspaper)
- Gigantic statues will vanish without preservation effort.
- A Question of Blame When Societies Fall - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- In his haunting chapter about Easter Island, he weighed the data — radiocarbon dating, charcoal and pollen analysis and botanical and archaeological surveys — and concluded that the inhabitants had mined the forests to extinction, setting off a cataclysm.
- Where to Go in 2008 - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- Remote Easter Island, famous for its enigmatic Moai statues, is getting its first luxury resort: Explora en Rapa Nui (www.explora.com).
- Many on Easter Island Prefer to Leave Stones Unturned - NY Times.com (newspaper)
- As remnants of a vanished culture and a lure to tourists, the mysterious giant statues that stand as mute sentinels along the rocky coast here are the greatest treasure of this remote place.
- Easter Island Settled Later, Depleted Quicker Than Thought? - National Geographic.com (magazine)
- New archaeological evidence suggests that Easter Island, mysterious home of titanic stone heads, was first settled around A.D. 1200, much later than previously thought.
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