3 days -2 nights

Saturday - Santiago de Chile – Easter Island

This morning requires an early wake-up call, breakfast & check-out as your transfer is scheduled to pick you up at the hotel at 0700hrs & will convey you to Santiago International Airport in time to check-in for LAN flight LA841 scheduled to depart at 0930hrs to mystical Easter Island, far out into the South Pacific Ocean.

Background information: Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

Lying 3700km (2294mi) west of the Chilean mainland, enigmatic Easter Island is the world's most remote inhabited island.

It is actually more Polynesian than Chilean, though the presence of Pacific Islanders in this isolated part of the world is as much a mystery as how their descendants managed to design & sculpt the hundreds of colossal statues (moai) from hard volcanic basalt - let alone transport them from the inland quarries to the coast.

This really is off the beaten track: you can sail more than 1900km (1178mi) in any direction without sighting inhabited land.

Chile officially annexed the island in 1888 during the period of expansion which followed the War of the Pacific.

Oanly about 2000 people live on the island & nearly all of them live in the town of Hanga Roa. The population is 70% Polynesian, with most of the remainder coming from the Chilean mainland.

The island is virtually an open-air national park & boasts 300 stone carved moais & related stonework.

On arrival you will be met & transferred to the Hanga Roa Superior Hotel where you are reserved for the coming two (2) nights on a B&B basis.

Sunday - The mysteries of Easter Island

Today you will set out on an excursion to visit the many historic sites & the mysterious & renowned stone carved heads that are scattered around Easter Island.

Only 64 square miles in size, it is like an open air museum for there are huge stone moais gathered everywhere. These mysterious carved figures, massive in size, some weighing 50 tons, stand more than ten meters high, gazing out across rolling hills, mountains & extinct volcanoes towards crystal clear waters.

There are no indigenous land mammals & even marina mammals are rare.

White tropic birds nest on the offshore pinnacle of Motu Kao Kao & migratory seabirds such as albatross are seen at certain times of the year resting on their lonely seemingly endless quests across the vast expanses of the Southern Ocean.

Life revolves around fishing, agriculture & archaeological research carried out by permanently stationed Chileans & foreigners.

In the stone quarry near Rano Raraku volcano you can see where the stone moais were quarried. There are also monuments in indifferent stages of construction.

The ceremonial centre of Orongo perched on the rim of the glazier of the volcano is the best place to view the three islets of Motu which figured in the birdman ritual. At Tahai, a short walk from the village, locals can often be found selling artefacts such as carved replicas of the moais.

Facts & essential information - EASTER ISLAND

Monday - Easter Island - Santiago de Chile – Buenos Aires

You have a big day ahead of you as it entails the flight from Easter Island to Santiago, then a connection to Buenos Aires.

Certainly we would suggest you have a sleep in & a lazy morning before your transfer takes you to Easter Island airport for the LAN flight LA834 scheduled to depart at 1240hrs bound for the Chilean mainland.

Upon arrival at 1930hrs local Chilean Pacific time, you will not clear Customs as you transit onto LAN flight LA491, departing at 2145hrs back over the Andes Mountains to Buenos Aires.

Here, after clearing Immigration & Customs formalities Sundance Spirit’s representative will be waiting directly outside the Customs Hall in the public gallery & he will transfer you to the Abasto Plaza Hotel for your final night of your itinerary in South America.

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