Chile & Easter Island: Stargazing over Easter Island

with Sergio Rapu Hoao

Lying approximately 2300 miles west of the Chilean mainland, enigmatic Easter Island is the world's most remote inhabited island. This tiny dot of land, called Rapa Nui by the Polynesian people who live here, is sixty square miles of rocky grasslands, extinct volcanic cones, steep ocean cliffs, and a unique open-air archaeological museum. The presence of Pacific Islanders in this isolated part of the world is as much a mystery as the origins of nearly a thousand immense stone statues, called moai, that gaze with brooding eyes over the gently rolling hills of the island and the hundreds of intricate petroglyphs.

Sirius Travel will return annually to Easter Island with a small group of people to view the stars of the southern hemisphere and to explore the amazing archaeological and natural environment of the island. Trips will be timed this trip to span the 3rd quarter to new lunar phases. In this way we will optimize our chances of seeing the sights of the southern hemisphere's night sky. Join us on this 9 day journey that includes three days in Chile’s capital, Santiago, where we will visit the Natural History and Precolumbian Museums, tour the old and new city, and see the stunning coastal city of Viña del Mar.

“How refreshing it was to marvel together at the upside down moon, or to get excited by seeing the planet Mercury, normally all but invisible, easy to spot in the ultra-clear night sky of the south pacific.” - Ross Bennie, Easter Island eclipse trip participant, 2010

Itinerary
(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner

Day 1: Arrive in Santiago and transfer to the Atton El Bosque Hotel, our home for the next two nights. After check-in and lunch on our own, we will tour old and new Santiago. Then it’s on to Cousiño Palace, an ancient residence of the richest family of the XIX century, decorated with art pieces brought from Europe. Gather this evening for a welcome dinner at Camino Real restaurant overlooking the city. (D)

Day 2: Our all day tour takes us south of Santiago through wine country. We will stop at one of Chile’s premier wineries for a tasting and tour before continuing to Viña del Mar, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and one of Chile's most fashionable beach resorts. Here, we will visit the Fonck Museum and be given a private tour of its original Rapanui wooden sculpture and artifacts from Easter Island. Lunch will be held in one of Viña del Mar’s delightful seafood restaurants. (B/L)

Day 3: This morning fly to Easter Island and check into the Tupa Hotel, our home for the next five nights. Surrounded by spectacular ocean views, this small family-run hotel is only a block from the center of the village of Hanga Roa. Watch the sunset at Tahai, where three ceremonial centers are located on the edge of the ocean. On one of them, Ahu Ko Te Riku, a large solitary statue, or moai, supports a massive maroon topknot. Star viewing after dinner, weather permitting. (B/L/D)

Day 4: Today’s tour begins in the Sebastian Englert Archaeological Museum, named for a German priest who lived on the island for nearly thirty-five years. The museum contains artifacts from the Rapa Nui culture, including the only coral moai eye that has been found. Within the flanks of the volcanic mountain, Rano Raraku, lies the quarry where the massive moai were carved. Many unfinished giants still lie imprisoned in stone, abandoned when the work suddenly and mysteriously stopped. Others stand buried to their shoulders in quarry debris and eroding soil and rock. Hike to the rim of the volcano's crater for a breathtaking view over the island, and to see the huge, prehistoric engineering works used to slide the statues down the slope. Anakena is the island's largest white sand beach, and the landing place of the legendary Hotu Matua, the founding hero of the island. Fringed by lovely palm trees, this is our luncheon picnic destination. Ahu Nau Nau, with its row of statues with topknots, and Ature Huki stand on the side of the hill overlooking the beach. Return to the village via Vaitea, the historical sheep ranch. Star viewing after dinner, weather permitting. (B/L)

Day 5: The ancient village of Orongo sits on the seaward edge of the volcano Rano Kao. Until the 1860s, the Festival of the Bird Man was held here each spring. Members of leading tribal groups gathered at the edge of a thousand-foot cliff to watch competitors, or their trusted representatives, swim through turbulent waters to Motu Nui Islet, nearly a mile away. Once there, the competitors hid in caves, sometimes for days, waiting for the return of the migrating Sooty Terns that nestled there. The first person to find an egg, swim back through the shark-infested waters to the mainland, carry it up the precipitous cliff and present it unbroken, won the race. He or the man he represented became Bird Man, an important status position, for the next year. The sacred site is famed for its hundreds of intricate petroglyphs carved on massive boulders perching on the edge of the cliff. Continue to Ana Kai Tangata, the Cave of the Cannibals, with painted portraits of Sooty Terns soaring in stylized flight across the ceiling, and Vinapu, containing the ruins of two famous shrines, one of which has massive stonework reminiscent of the Inca civilization in Peru. Star viewing after dinner, weather permitting. (B/L)

Day 6: With its many large moai, Vaihu is one of the most impressive sites on the south coast. Toppled in the wars, the statues now lie with their noses buried in the ground surrounded by scattered topknots. At Akahanga are numerous large figures and the remains of a village with the foundations of several boat-shaped houses lies on a hillside nearby. After a picnic lunch, continue to the north coast, stopping at the Poike “Ditch" and the Trumpet of Hiro. Visit Ahu Hekii, Ahu Ra’ai and its petroglyphs, and Te Pito Te Kura, the largest statue ever moved. Tongariki was the largest ahu (shrine) built on the island. Destroyed by a tsunami in 1960, the huge moai were recently re-erected. Notable here are the stunning petroglyphs of enormous tuna, turtles, and human and birdman figures. Star viewing after dinner, weather permitting. (B/L)

Day 7: Today will be free to explore the island at your own pace - on foot, by horse, or by all terrain vehicle. Accessible only by foot, the northern part of Easter Island is a particularly interesting area. Many of the caves and lava tubes that dot the volcanic hills contain petroglyphs and paintings. Some of these caves were used as refuges in time of war, others as secret storage or burial places. Here also are statue-filled ritual places, one of which is called a "ski jump" or ahu. Gather for dinner at a lovely restaurant overlooking the water. Star viewing after dinner, weather permitting. (B/L/D)

Day 8: Return to Santiago and transfer to the Atton El Bosque Hotel. (B/L)

Day 9: Today we will drive to the Maipo Valley, the oldest wine country in the central part of Chile, to Concha & Toro Winery where we will spend the afternoon for lunch and wine tasting. Our farewell dinner will be at the traditional and picturesque Meson Nerudiano restaurant in Santiago. After dinner we transfer to the airport for our return flights. (B/L/D)

"I've had many happy moments looking at my pics and remembering the fantastic Easter Island trip. I even had a poster made of my favorite photos. I have it up in my classroom." - Tracy Weddell, Easter Island Eclipse trip participant

Our Island Expert

Mr. Sergio Rapu Haoa was the first native islander and civilian to hold the position of governor on Easter Island. As governor, he obtained funding for major projects in housing, education, road improvement, satellite communications, agriculture, fishing, and the travel industry that totaled over $80 million dollars in a 6 year term. Mr. Rapu also holds a Masters degree in Archeology from the University of Hawaii. He has excavated and restored several monuments including Ahu Nau Nau at Anakena Bay and Ahu Tautira in Hanga Roa. He is currently completing his doctoral thesis on the evolution of ahu construction for the University of Hawaii.

Mr. Rapu’s most significant archeological achievements have been the discovery of the eyes of the monolithic statues (moai) and evidence of their method of transport to the ahu. He was also instrumental in involving the famous author and explorer Thor Heyerdahl to join the research team at Ahu Nau Nau, which lead to a published book on Eater Island.

Mr. Rapu has served as the curator at the museum on Easter Island for over 20 years, as worked as an advisor to UNESCO, and has taught at Brigham‐Young University in Hawaii. He has acted as a guide for several international notaries including the King of Spain, the King of Malaysia, Japan’s Royal Family, and the presidents of several different countries. He acts as Chile’s top political representatives for Easter Island, and has lectured in several international venues including New York’s Natural History Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, Sudan University in China, the National Museum in Rome, and Musée de l'Homme in Paris.

Throughout his work, Mr. Rapu envisions Easter Island as a place that allows its inhabitants to live self‐reliant lives of dignity that honor the culture and heritage of the island while respecting its environment.

Trip Dates

Annually - contact Sirius Travel for more information

Trip Cost

$5,725.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes round-trip air tickets from Santiago to Easter Island; all hotels; guides and entry fees; ground transportation; and meals as noted in itinerary.

Single Supplement: $570.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.

Returning clients: Please contact us about your discount.

Cost Does Not Include: International roundtrip airfare to Chile; passport or visa fees; airport or departure taxes; beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; gratuities to guides and drivers; alcoholic drinks; telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.

Fuel Surcharges: Sirius Travel must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.

Air Ticketing:
If you do not fly on the group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Sirius Travel must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Sirius Travel is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased. If you issue your own international flight, please send the complete schedule as soon as you have it.

Note on Internal Flights:
The only airline that flies between Chile and Easter Island is LAN Airlines and the seats on this schedule fill very quickly. If the economy seats are no longer available for the flights included in the trip cost and we are forced to book a business class seat, the additional cost will be passed onto the client.

While on Easter Island:
The itinerary on Easter Island will be flexible to accommodate changes in weather. Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, lectures, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.

Star Viewing:
We will be viewing the stars from both the hotel area as well as a site away from the lights of the village. Our schedule will be flexible and shape itself to the weather conditions.

Limited to 18 Participants