We visited Easter Island for a week during October, 2015. We had wondered whether to include it in our itinerary at all, as it would certainly take a huge bite out of our backpacking budget. But, what were the chances of us being back in Chile any time soon? We just had to bite the bullet, follow our hearts and go to this most iconic and mysterious of places. This is our guide to Easter Island in 2 days (or more!).

Our total spend was a whopping £1,600.00, the majority of which was the airfare. Remember also that most things are imported to Easter Island, hence the high prices. And, obviously, you are also trapped on an island 3,500 km into the ocean, so they can charge what they like! Try to bring what you need from the mainland, to avoid paying through the nose. For reference, here is what you can expect to pay on Easter Island:

•  £400 per person for a return flight from Santiago (on the poshest newest planes you have ever seen, thanks LAN! We particularly enjoyed the dreamliner!)

• £40 a night for the cheaper end of accommodation (a basic B&B). Hanga Roa is the only town on Easter Island, other than a few accommodations or spas further afield, chances are that you will stay here. We stayed in Hostal Petero Atamu.

• £40 a day for car hire of the smallest type of vehicle (small jeep). If, like us, you prefer self guided tours free from those other pesky human beings, then it is essential to rent a car, quad bike or bicycle. This is very easy to do in Hanga Roa. Note that there is no insurance, so try not to run over a wild horse! Be aware that information at sites is limited, try to read up beforehand so that you can a). Find the bloody place and b). Understand what you are looking for and c). Understand something about it, as there will probably be no signs and if there are the information will have blown away.

• £2.50 per person for lovely empanadas filled with tuna and cheese which you can get in the main town of Hanga Roa to take out for a picnic. Otherwise expect £7-10 per person for a lunchtime fixed menu.

• £20 + per person for evening meals. We had some delicious ceviches, octopus salad, tuna and locally caught fish. The quality of the food is very good, better than the rest of Chile, but it comes at European prices.

• £30 for the entry ticket to all the sites. People may tell you not to bother buying it as no one checks, but we think it is important to contribute to the conservation of the sites.

• £3 for a bunch of 6 local bananas – outrageous!

• £1 for small can of “Escudo” beer, twice as much compared to mainland Chile!

Don’t be put off by these prices though, it just takes some planning but visiting the island is totally worth it!

We incorporated what we did on the island into a mini-guide; hopefully it will be helpful to anyone planning a trip (if the high prices haven’t dissuaded you already!)

It is advisable to start any trip at the island’s museum, near Hanga Roa. Spend an hour at this informative museum, to better understand the sites that you are going to visit. Easter Island’s history is still hotly debated, mostly due to the effect on the local population of European disease following first contact, slave trade raids for the mines on the mainland, a major tsunami and a devastating loss of oral history.

Prior to visiting, or if you are interested, we also highly recommend watching the BBC’s Jago Cooper documentary about the island called “Easter Island – Mysteries of a Lost World”. It is an excellent overview which helps to dispel myths and misinformation surrounding rise and decline of the original inhabitants, which is often chalked up to ecocide (the destruction of their own environment).

Our guide to Easter Island

The absolute minimum time that you could spend on Easter Island is 2 full days; we shall call this the classic tour!

DAY 1 – COASTAL MOAI

The Moai of Easter Island are so iconic and peculiar to this part of the world, that when we saw our first one in Hanga Roa we stared at it almost with disbelief. “Is this a real one or a fake?” I asked Alex. We have spent all of our life seeing images of these magnificent bulky and stylised statues that they have sort of taken on a cartoon feel! They are in fact so ingrained in our collective cultural heritage that it is easy to initially feel underwhelmed as if seeing something familiar. The feeling did not last long though. As we began to see more, we gradually got used to them and could appreciate the feat it must have taken to make and assemble them and the different styles with which they were crafted.

The Moai are all on the coast of the island. Those that have been restored stand proud on their Ahus (ceremonial podiums), while others have been left as history found them, toppled face down onto the floor. The process of re-erecting the statues started in the 1960s, at which point ALL Moais had been toppled. It is still unclear exactly what caused this mass of Moai toppling, but it is likely to have been inter-tribal conflict and tit for tat raids, following a period of crisis. All Moai except one site face inland, as if these mighty ancestors are standing watch over their tribes, protecting them from what lies beyond.

Anakena beach at the North Eastern side of the island is a good place to start. It is a strange little tropical beach with an impressive Ahu.

Round to the South Eastern coast is Ahu Tongariki which is a common spot for those looking for a sunrise picture. We pulled ourselves out of bed to try this, but were thwarted by the clouds…and by the large number of people who had the same idea! It is an impressive site with 15 huge Moai. There is a little information about how it was restored following a tsunami, with the help of the Japanese.

Very close by is Rano Raraku, the quarry where the Moai were fashioned from the rock. It is the hillside of a volcanic crater which you can also walk into. The quarry shows Moai in various states of completion, transportation and style. It is even possible to see unfinished Moais starting to appear from rocks, giants that were never allowed to leave the mountain that created them, thus giving the impression of being stuck between two worlds. Incidentally, this is also a good place to stop for a picnic. Rano Raraku, due to its magnificent Moais, location and great view of the ocean and of Tongariki was definitely one of our favourite sites, and the only site where our ticket was actually checked.

Returning towards Hanga Roa on the south coast, it is possible to see numerous toppled Moai. It is easy to stop and marvel at them and take pictures of the wild horses and the even wilder black volcanic coastline.

Ahu Tahai is at the eastern end of Hanga Roa and is particularly good at sunset as the sun goes down behind the statues. Again, beware of humans standing in the way of your perfect sunset picture, and dogs looking for a snack!

DAY 2 – INLAND & THE BIRDMAN CULT

Inland from Hanga Roa, the quarry of Puna Pau can be found. This is where the red topknots of the Moai were fashioned. You can see various huge pieces in situ and the site offers a good view down towards Hanga Roa town. We were accompanied by a canine guide, we are still in South America after all!

Close by is Ahu Akivi, the most inland site with the only Moai that are looking out towards the ocean.

Ahu Vinapu on the beginning of the south coast has toppled Moai, but the stonework on the Ahu is magnificent and reminiscent of Inca architecture, although there is no proven contact with the South American mainland.

At the south-west tip of the island is the volcano crater of Rano Kau and the ceremonial village of Orongo, also the site of the birdman competition of the cult of the same name which began to take precedence around the time that the Moai were being toppled. Unfortunately we were unable to see the petroglyphs here, as the coastal path had been closed due to safety concerns. The magnificent view of the endless ocean made up for it though.

Many paintings and carvings were found on this site, but most have been looted. The British Museum houses the only Moai found here, he is arguably the most magnificent of all as he is made from a harder rock called basalt, meaning that his features are sharper and the details are very well-preserved. He is called Hoa Hakananai’a (hidden or stolen friend) because he was taken by the British in the 19^th Century and gifted to Queen Victoria, who in turn gifted it to the British Museum.

A good final activity for the day is the sea cave of Ana Kai Tangata, close to Hanga Roa. It has a wonderful view of bluest waters and surf crashing onto the black volcanic rocks. The cave also has some birdman paintings on its roof. The name is translated as cannibals cave, but there is little evidence to suggest that there is much truth in this!

Ideas for additional days:

Hike to Maunga Terevaka volcano (10km+/3 hours) – the highest point on the island at 500m above sea level. This can be done as a loop or a trail with a different beginning and end. On a clear day the views across the island are stunning and the feeling of isolation made very real. It is said that you can appreciate the curvature of the world from here, but I can’t say whether we did or just thought we could!

Caves. Easter Island has an extensive network of lava tubes. They were commonly used as hiding places, shelter from the wind and protected gardens. Ana Kakenga, the cave of two windows, can be walked to from Hanga Roa (the road is bad) (10km+/3-4 hours). It involves a scramble through a small entrance hole, before the cave opens up spectacularly to the ocean. We also found another cave with a low ceilinged broad room and a raised platform, currently occupied by two dogs, who then proceeded to follow us for about 6km!

Ana Te Peu is an extensive site of garden caves, which can be reached partly by road and partly on foot. We don’t think that we managed to find the largest one, as sometimes sites are difficult to navigate without any information signs or a knowledgeable guide. It was also tipping it down so we were not feeling too adventurous that day.

Lastly, we didn’t have time to explore the Eastern peninsula of the island, a volcano called Poike. There is a 5 hour hike which takes in Ahu, caves and rock carvings. A shame we didn’t manage this one!

What with all these activities to get stuck into, don’t forget to soak up some of that tropical charm. You need go no further than the shore at Hanga Roa to see surfers taking their chances in the waves, brightly coloured fishing boats and turtles in the bay (5pm, they are very punctual creatures). And don’t forget to take in a cheesy sunset sinking behind the palm trees.

Easter Island has changed greatly in the last 3–4 decades, and since a new runway was added to the airport in the 1990’s, tourism has become the main source of income for the island. We were at first a little concerned that the place would be swamped with bus-fulls of tourists on package holidays and that there would be a MacDonalds at every corner, but we were pleasantly surprised that, although the presence of tourists was noticeable, it was not overwhelming and the island manages to still maintain its unique characteristics unspoiled by big western investments. In other words, no big chains or private equity-owned mega holiday resorts. The impression is that the locals are still in control of the island and that most busineses, including hotels, restaurants and car hire are run by native people. We strongly hope that this will not change in the coming years and that the island will manage to keep its strong identity intact. It is worth noting that as you travel around the island, you can see that some home owners are displaying the flag of Easter Island with some text which translates something like “we will never accept the sovereignty of Chile over Easter Island”.

In conclusion, Easter Island is truly a special and enigmatic place, quite unlike the rest of Chile due to its positioning, unique history, Polynesian roots and sense of identity. As it is such a small island, it can be seen in a relatively short period of time, but you will undoubtedly find yourself wishing to delve deeper in an attempt to unravel some of its mysteries. It may have cost us a large bite of the budget, but we feel richer for having included it in our journeey.