August 14, 2008

Easter Island: A Remote Luxury Destination

Easter Island (Rapa Nui locally or Isla de Pascula in Spanish), is arguably one of the most remote islands on the planet. Certainly one of the most remote luxury destinations we’ve reviewed!

Located roughly half-way between Tahiti and Chile, Easter Island’s nearest inhabited neighbour is 2075 kilometres away, tiny Pitcairn Island or 3,600 kilometers to Chile. At only 163.6 km² (63 sq mi), and with a high point of 507 metres Rapa Nui is easy to explore over 3 or 4 days which more airline’s schedules allow you.
The island is a volcanic peak, not an atoll. You don’t come to Easter Island for the diving or snorkeling. Nor do you come for the nightlife or the beach scene. Rapa Nui is far enough south to have a cool winter and a mild summer.

Why should you add Easter Island to your must see list? Because of the strange statues – the Moai – and the even stranger history of Easter Island. Because Rapa Nui does deserve that over-used adjective: unique. The combination of Pacific Island (if you speak Maori or Hawaiian you will understand the local’s language) and South America – with a side-order of Thor Heyerdahl and Von Daniken. The mystery of what happened to the statue builders. What happened to destroy an apparently vibrant and unique culture whose decline started before the arrival of the Europeans?

When Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen discovered the islands on – yes – Easter Sunday 1722 he estimated there were 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants on the island. The next western visitors didn’t come by until 1770, and they reported that the gardens were uncultivated, 4 years later when Captain James Cook visited, he described the statues as being neglected with some having fallen down. By 1825, another British ship, HMS Blossom, visited and reported no standing statues. Every statue had fallen face down. Many have since been resurrected.

In the 1860’s the combination of Peruvian slave traders, and introduced European diseases decimated the island. In less than a decade, 97% of the population was dead or removed – and with them went most of the Rapa Nui’s cultural knowledge. Uniquely in the Pacific Rapa Nui had a written language: which is yet to be translated. Today Rapa Nui has a population of 3,700, all but 500 of which live in the only settlement: Hanga Roa. Around 60% of the population are ethnic Rapa Nui, the remainder are Chilean immigrants.
Posada de Mike Rapu
Until very recently your only option for accommodation have been several small, family run lodges and hotels. Comfortable enough, but not 5-star luxury which we like to write about. Now however the new Explora’s Posada de Mike Rapu has changed all that.

This 30-room lodge has green certification and was designed to blend into the landscape. using local wood and stone. The interiors are simple, the intent is to showcase the natural scenery. Innovative use of natural wood and stone especially in the ensuites. All meals and a open bar is also part of the price and food is getting top marks from guests: especially the locally caught seafood. There is a pool – but unless you are there at the high of summer you may find it a bit cool: the wild horses enjoy coming up and drinking from it though!

The room prices are fully-inclusive of daily sightseeing – which is useful on Easter Island which doesn’t have a lot of tourist infrastructure. The nature of the island is that you will enjoy visit more if you are capable of walking or cycling a few kilometres as the road network is limited. The Moai statues are scattered across the island, including some which appear to have been abandoned in the middle of the manufacturing process. There is a surprisingly lot to see and it will take 3 or 4 days to get a good feel for the island.