CHILE: RAPA NUI - EASTER ISLAND
Information about my trip

TRANSPORT

The island can be reached exclusively with Lan-Chile flights  on the Santiago Papeete route and with some cruises. The flights are often full and therefore it is worth to book as soon as possible. 
To Hanga Roa you can move walking, a radio-taxi service also exists, a run normally costs 1000 pesos.
The horse is very used, to visit the northwest zone of the island is essential. 
You can rent jeep and motorbike, all the roads are practically non-asphalted and at the end of the day you are literally covered of dust. 
In 3-4 days all the most interesting places can be visited, practically with 2 half day tours (25 US $) and 1 full day (35 US $); for whom that travels with other people and with a good guide a good idea can be to rent a jeep to fully taste the magic of the sites in loneliness.

CLIMATE

Finding near the Tropic of Capricorn the climate is moderated, with non excessive precipitations during the whole year and particularly in May and June. The island is very windy and especially in the tallest points the wind is enough annoying.

PLACE TO STAY

I lodged to the pension Mahina Taka-Taka Georgia,  the owner, Mrs Lucia is very cordial and she try to make the stay more pleasant as possible. 
For those people that don't have bookings to the arrival in the airport they can found the banquets of varied pensions and straight a YHA hostel, a night costs average between 15 and 45 US $. There are also some hotels even if from the judgments of some tourists that I met the relationship price/quality it is unfavorable.

FOOD

The breakfast is normally included in the price of the lodging, in the village there are quite a lot restaurants, it's possible to eat barbecued meat or fish, excellent the fruit juices, the prices are more approachable in comparison to the French Polynesia.

ENTERTAINMENT

2 times a week (Wednesday and Saturday) to the hotel Hanga Roa there is the Kari Kari show: typical dances, very interesting. For the lovers there are even two discos.

MONEY

Local people accept of preference US $, for the small expenses it better to change something in local currency, the only bank is opened only in the morning and for the operation of change it is wasted quite a lot time; for the change of the travelers cheques they take 10% commission, credit card is very little used even if it is possible to withdraw currency to the ATM into the bank.

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Copyright © 2001 Giuseppe Ruperto. All rights reserved.