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Easter Island -- my experience

Easter Island -- my experience

Old Dec 6, 2011, 5:59 am
  #91  
 
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When I went about 3 or so years ago, there was a big crowd of local inn owners awaiting our arrival at the airport. I assume that you will see a similar group. Any of them should be able to call their friend to give you a tour.

There are also commercial tour buses, and any of the inn owners can probably set you up on one of those with very short notice.

I think everybody knows everybody on the island.
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Old Dec 6, 2011, 9:53 am
  #92  
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Originally Posted by Henwurst
Thanks for the input! I know, it is a bit short, but I had to book something before the changes to the program, so this is what I got. And given what the current BA program looks like I sure am glad I got it booked! Also, fyi I am on the LIM flights which are operating starting February 2012.

So, does anyone have some idea what is a fair price for someone to drive me around for a day and/or had a good experience with some particular guide/company? I certainly want to see some Moai, but my main preference is nature.
From what I read on the BA forum, BA will allow date changes to the award tickets issued before the change and not require additional miles, just a change fee. That might or might not be interesting to you.

If it were *me* with such limited time on the island, I would not be waiting until I got to the airport to be working something out. If you had someone waiting for you at the airport, you would be gone very quickly vs. negotiating with some lodging owner who knows someone who knows someone who has to get to the airport to pick you up, etc, etc. Just my own travel style I guess, wanting to maximize my short time in a place.
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Old Dec 6, 2011, 1:04 pm
  #93  
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Originally Posted by Henwurst
Thanks for the input! I know, it is a bit short, but I had to book something before the changes to the program, so this is what I got. And given what the current BA program looks like I sure am glad I got it booked! Also, fyi I am on the LIM flights which are operating starting February 2012.

So, does anyone have some idea what is a fair price for someone to drive me around for a day and/or had a good experience with some particular guide/company? I certainly want to see some Moai, but my main preference is nature.
There really isn't a lot of "nature" on the island. It's a small barren island in the middle of the ocean. But what nature there is is in the same places as the moai. Orongo is particularly scenic.
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Old Dec 9, 2011, 6:42 pm
  #94  
 
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Originally Posted by Henwurst
Thanks for the input! I know, it is a bit short, but I had to book something before the changes to the program, so this is what I got. And given what the current BA program looks like I sure am glad I got it booked! Also, fyi I am on the LIM flights which are operating starting February 2012.

So, does anyone have some idea what is a fair price for someone to drive me around for a day and/or had a good experience with some particular guide/company? I certainly want to see some Moai, but my main preference is nature.
I will post my recent (November) experience when I finish the rest of my travels in a couple of days.

I can recommend this guy:
http://tekarera.com/entour.htm

His experience goes back to being the youngest member of a research team on Easter Island back in 1968.

Suerte.
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Old Dec 9, 2011, 7:39 pm
  #95  
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Originally Posted by obiwan9
As a few other posters said, buy your park tickets at the airport (before baggage claim) for a 10% discount. There is no rush to get off the plane as we waited at least 25 min for luggage. The booth is CASH only, $50 each I think.
Cash as in US$ or local currency?

Originally Posted by obiwan9
If you like to hike, there's a trail that goes along the back of the island (town to the beach) where you can see a few moai, ahu, etc. Took us <4 hours with a lunch stop. Very pretty but very desolate, sooooooo many rocks. Saw one person the whole time. Cab to drop us off and pick up at the beach was 25k. You can see the 7 moai facing the sea on the start or end depending on the start direction.
Thanks for the tip. I am looking to do a couple of nice hikes on the island when I am there.
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Old Dec 10, 2011, 4:55 am
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Cash money for the discounted tickets. Both USD and CLP work at the booth if i remember right. Most things I found on the island prefer cash and will charge you extra to use a card. If you have a chance, get cash in SCL as the few, 3, atms in IPC can have issues.
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Old Dec 10, 2011, 8:18 am
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I can confirm cash CLP or USD at the park ticket booth at the airport before going inside the terminal to retrieve your luggage.

I can confirm the island runs on cash over credit.

Don't forget there is a Cirrus only Banco Estado ATM in Hanga Roa which I mentioned in previous posts is Chile-side fee free.
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Old Dec 17, 2011, 3:18 pm
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car rental and guidebooks

We're headed to IPC next April.

A couple of questions for those who rented and used guidebooks.

I can drive a manual, so I'm planning to rent a 4x4 manual. However, my in-laws will likely be joining us, so there will be 6 of us (4 adults + 2 little kids, 10 and 6). Will we have trouble renting a 4x4 or any car to fit us?

Also, the prices mentioned, ~$30k Chilean pesos, is that including insurance? Or there are other add-ons?

Finally, which guidebook is best suited for touring Easter Island with a car? Good maps, etc?
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Old Dec 17, 2011, 7:38 pm
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Originally Posted by 2cardinalalums
We're headed to IPC next April.

A couple of questions for those who rented and used guidebooks.

I can drive a manual, so I'm planning to rent a 4x4 manual. However, my in-laws will likely be joining us, so there will be 6 of us (4 adults + 2 little kids, 10 and 6). Will we have trouble renting a 4x4 or any car to fit us?

Also, the prices mentioned, ~$30k Chilean pesos, is that including insurance? Or there are other add-ons?

Finally, which guidebook is best suited for touring Easter Island with a car? Good maps, etc?
Most of the cars are probably more suitable for 5, but you could certainly try to get a large one and "cram in" -- maybe one with a bench seat up front (although these are probably uncommon). You could try to rent a larger vehicle but, unless you get lucky, my hunch is that it will double the price.

The insurance thing on Easter Island is weird. Read up on it yourself, but my recollection is that, basically, there is no insurance! Not that anything is likely to happen to you or your vehicle on the island, but be careful. I'm not sure there's any way to buy insurance if you want to, as I don't think the car rental companies sell it.

The car rental company will give you a map -- at least mine did. There are so few roads on the island that you'll memorize them in about a day. Hanga Roa takes 3 days to memorize.

The problem with all the guidebooks is that they tend to be a little outdated. The Lonely Planet Chile guide has reasonable coverage of Easter Island (with maps), but it's getting long in the tooth. The good news is that there's really only a few things to do on the island, so you don't need a great guidebook. If it's history you're interested in, there are obviously plenty of books on the moai.

EDIT: Frommers puts their guidebooks online for free. I'm not sure how old this info is, but this is about the coverage you get in the guidebooks for Easter Island. I don't think I'd buy one unless I was also visiting mainland Chile. You could always check a guidebook out of your local library, or read the Easter Island chapter in your local Barnes & Noble store.

The Moon guides are also online for free; he probably has an Easter Island chapter, too.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/easterisland/

SECOND EDIT: I see this latest Frommer's guide was published in the summer of 2011. If you're lucky, maybe somebody made it to Easter Island to update it -- but maybe not!

Last edited by iahphx; Dec 17, 2011 at 7:47 pm Reason: more info
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Old Dec 17, 2011, 7:48 pm
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You can't get lost on Easter Island, but this map is very good and worth the price. It identifies some moai that you might otherwise miss. I used it a lot and then just left it in the glove box of the rental car.

http://www.amazon.com/Easter-Island-.../dp/1553419278
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Old Dec 17, 2011, 9:28 pm
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Thanks for the detailed account. Sounds like somewhere I would visit just to check the block off.

PS. I am always in awe of the number of Americans that cannot operate a manual tranny. In some countries, you will get a restriction on your license if you take the driver's test with an automatic.
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Old Dec 17, 2011, 9:45 pm
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Originally Posted by fiveninerzero
I am always in awe of the number of Americans that cannot operate a manual tranny. In some countries, you will get a restriction on your license if you take the driver's test with an automatic.
There is basically no need to learn how to drive a manual shift vehicle if you live in the USA. Only 6% of cars sold in America are manual, and the number keeps dropping. If there's no need to know something, people don't learn it.
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Old Dec 18, 2011, 7:08 am
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I paid $50 USD for a near full day rental of an automatic 4x4 truck from the owner of the house we rented.

No contract, no insurance (there is none on the island), no asking to see my license, you can pay later, just replace the gas you use, here are the keys, try taking this loop for your day self-tour, chao.

You will need a license though if you get stopped at the one paco checkpoint before reentering Hanga Roa on the road that goes to the beaches on the north end of the island.

Go slow, watch out for the cows and horses and the odds say there will not be a problem.

I do recommend at least one tour with a local guide. The insights to the conflict with the "continentals" which seem to not get reported much on the mainland and other aspects of island life are fascinating.

I am one of those who now want to return and personally do not see it as a checkoff the list destination. Of course, we only paid $409 USD RT pp for our flight.

Last edited by Viajero Perpetuo; Dec 18, 2011 at 7:16 am
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Old Dec 18, 2011, 10:09 pm
  #104  
 
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I was able to get a copy of "A Companion to Easter Island" by James Grant Peterkin from my innkeeper. It's a great read and was very helpful when I drove around the island. I basically used it as my sole tour guide. It's very helpful because many of the road/turn-offs aren't always perfectly marked and the guide book tells you what to look for.
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Old Jan 6, 2012, 12:26 pm
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I'm going there in February and the cheapest lodging I can find is $110/night for 2 people! Would it really be best to wait until getting to the island to get a room? I'm there the week of Feb 12, coming off the LIM flight. I'm just afraid of not having anything available when I get there ...
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