What can I say but welcome to the most remote and isolated area on the planet! Otherwise known as Rapa Nui, I remember vividly as a kid reading about the famous giant moai statues and what happens when a society does not practice sustainable living practices. Although mostly made up of local Polynesians, the island is governed by the Chileans.
There are only two flights in and out per week and I was only able to stay for 4 days since I was on a 2-country 14-day trip back in 2011. The remoteness and large distance involved required many travel days so plan accordingly. The first thing you notice once you fly in is a huge inactive volcano. As part of the tour, I ended up hiking around it and it’s amazing to walk around the crest. There are some definite must take photos from there.
Had I known better, I probably wouldn’t have done the tour group but just rent a scooter and see all the various moai statues on my own pace. It’s a very small island and you can see pretty much all you need to see in one full day. One of the must see places is the moai quarry where most of the statues were carved up and slowly transported to their final destinations. Many moai statues are scattered all over this area and are in different phases of completion.
One of the reasons why all the moai statues are faced inwards rather than outwards toward the ocean is that they are supposed to be watching over the people. Our tour guide told us that the moai were there to protect the people and would always silently watch. The moai are gigantic and weigh tons. No one is quite sure how they were actually moved these statues over such far distances.
There is plenty to do on the island. Hiking, camping, cycling, horseback riding, and scuba diving are all available here. Easter Island is extremely safe and everyone here knows each other! If you’re a solo traveler, you have nothing to worry about. Just remember you are on an island so don’t expect speedy service since time seems to be in great abundance. Also, check out the movie Kon Tiki.
Happy traveling!