Before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, I embarked on an adventure to South America, the continent farthest from China. Since then, international travel has been on hold, and I find myself longing for the unaltered world I once explored.
Travel tips for Easter Island from five years ago (not fully updated):
【Transportation】
🌸 Getting to the island: LATAM Airlines is the sole provider of flights between Santiago and Easter Island. For a more budget-friendly option, set the “Countries” setting to Chile and switch to the Spanish interface on the LATAM Airlines official website.
This allows you to purchase domestic flights at a much lower price, specifically for local citizens, and ensures a smooth check-in process without any additional fees. Translation tools can be handy if you’re not fluent in Spanish. It’s also wise to compare prices on both the official site and domestic platforms.
Just a few weeks before my trip, the best deal on the official site was over US$400, but I managed to find a round-trip ticket for RMB 2720 on Qunar, which seemed to be the price for Chilean residents.
🌸 Getting around the island: Renting a car offers the most flexibility. We arranged our rental directly with our homestay host, providing her with a driving license certification we had prepared through “ZuZuChe.
” Most cars on the island do not come with insurance. At the time, there was no need to hire a guide to visit the attractions; you could explore freely, which was truly liberating.
【Itinerary】
The roads on the island are straightforward, and self-driving offers three main routes:
🗿 Route One: Start from the town, head to the 7 Moai statues with hats, then to the nearby Anakena Beach, followed by the Ovahe seaside cave, the Navel Stone, the 15 Moai statues at Tongariki, the Rano Raraku quarry, and finally the fallen statues and hats at Akahanga.
This semi-circular route takes you through the central grasslands of the island, offering breathtaking views along the southern Pacific coastline. We were even lucky enough to spot a pod of whales!
🗿 Route Two: A shorter route from the town to Ahu Akivi, where the moai face the sea.
🗿 Route Three: Explore Orongo village, the crater, and the Tahai moai.
【Accommodation】
There are numerous homestays in the town, which are quite convenient. However, if you have a car, you can opt for a more secluded stay. We chose a charming little wooden cabin by the sea, just a stone’s throw away from the Tahai moai. The WiFi, provided by Huawei, was surprisingly faster than the local telecom services [thumbs up].
【Internet】
I purchased an Entel SIM card at the airport, which was plug-and-play, and the signal was decent even in the outskirts of the island. The SIM card kiosk is a bit hidden, located in a corner to the left of the departure hall, marked with a blue sign.
【Local Cuisine】
Easter Island’s cuisine is all about freshness. The Cebiche features fresh fish, the chicken chops are enhanced with just a few drops of sauce, and even the accompanying fruits, carrots, and other vegetables are fresh and natural.
🍛 Recommended restaurant:
Chez Ramon Restaurant
This cozy, family-run eatery in Hanga Roa is operated single-handedly by the owner.
While the wait might be a bit longer, the special seafood soup is refilled several times, ensuring a delightful dining experience.
Additionally, the restaurants nestled by the pier in town offer a delightful culinary experience.
