Easter Island Reality Check
As I mentioned in our previous post, Easter Island is remote. To be blunt, the isolated Polynesian island represents one of the ultimate travel dead-ends. Yes, some people manage to “drop by” on trans-South Pacific flights from Chile via Tahiti to Australia or New Zealand, but even that “bargain” is not such a bargain. In other words, you come here because you have gone WAY out of your way to experience its amazing history and culture.
As I hinted at in our previous post, nationalist unrest meant that it was NOT business as usual during our visit to Easter Island. Our first full day, we were scheduled to go on a tour with a local company based in Hanga Roa. Just as we were leaving, national park officials stopped our bus and announced that a band of angry locals had blocked the roads out of town and had taken over the national park.
Basically, everything outside of Hanga Roa is considered the national park, so that effectively meant we were being held captive in town. Imagine flying thousands of miles into the middle of the Pacific to visit the archaeological treasures of Easter Island only to be told that you would be trapped in a painfully small one-horse town just a stone’s throw from those very treasures. Even access to the beaches was blocked. We were told we should wait patiently for the stand-off to end. (I’ll skip ahead quickly to tell you that even after 10 days on the island, the stand-off had not fully ended.)
From the very moment the occupation of the national park began, the significant cultural differences between Polynesians and Westerners started to cause problems. (I’ll admit I was a leading thorn in their side.) It apparently seemed quite strange to the Rapa Nui that tourists wouldn’t just sit in their hotels smiling as they were being used as pawns in a strategic battle with the Chilean government. The fact that we were mad because we had spent enormous amounts of money to be caught up in these games didn’t really seem to register with locals at all.
Eager to do anything to stave off boredom, Thomas and I headed down to the moai statues within town at Ahu Tahai. A few tourists stood around arguing with locals blocking access to the grassy area around the statues. Easter Island flags bearing the red reimiro symbol, derived from the wooden pectoral ornaments traditionally worn by Rapa Nui women, had been affixed to rocks and posts near the entrance. As we approached, a woman yelled at us in a barrage of Rapa Nui sentences. Of course, she knew that we didn’t understand her and she certainly spoke fluent Spanish, but her linguistic attack was a form of verbal chest pounding meant to intimidate us. We yawned at the display.
When she and the others finally switched to Spanish, we asked why we were being held in town. What followed was a stream-of-consciousness flow of incoherent explanations which clearly revealed that the protesters themselves really had no idea what they were doing. For one man, it was a movement for full independence. For another, it was an attempt to split national park revenue fees with the Chilean government. One woman demanded that the flow of immigrants from the Chilean mainland stop immediately. Another woman waxed poetic about living in total isolation cut off from the world. God, we thought to ourselves, this is not going to end anytime soon. And we were right.
That didn’t mean we weren’t still seriously determined to see the famous sites on the island. Even on day one, rebellious tourists (including us) discovered certain foot paths leading north out of town were not being blocked, so there was a trickle of bitter visitors winding north along the rocky coast dodging houses and roads because we didn’t know which locals were involved in the stand-off and which weren’t. Several of us managed to take in the lava tubes and ruins at Ana Kakenga and Ahu Tepeu. A few of us managed to walk all the way to the impressive inland site at Ahu Akivi. Hilariously, we ended up walking back along one of the blocked roads baffling protesters who didn’t really know what they were supposed to do with tourists approaching from the wrong side of the block.
Any hope that the stand-off would end soon was shattered on day two. Flights into Easter Island were first delayed and then totally stopped, stranding many tourists in Hanga Roa and causing a serious backlog in the already limited number of seats to and from the Chilean mainland. Rumors swirled that protesters had taken over the airport. Locals assured us that the canceled flights were simply a result of mechanical problems with the plane, something they claimed was a constant source of delays and cancellations.
Neither explanation went down well with visitors who were suddenly feeling very claustrophobic stranded in the middle of the Pacific with a band of angry locals who were desperate to gain the attention of the government of Chile. Confused tourists became angrier as they missed connecting flights to Europe, the States, Asia and Australia. We argued with locals that they needed to end the stand-off quickly before fights started to break out. Their bizarrely comatose responses and tacit acceptance of the stand-off, which was supposedly being carried out by a “small number of people,” started to reveal that even the locals who were on “our side” were, perhaps, a bit more supportive of the stand-off than they should be. To add to the tension, several of the tourists started to report that many of the protesters they encountered were drunk or stoned. We actually encountered a number of drunk and stoned people ourselves.
The atmosphere went from strange to stranger as locals sped through town in their jacked up pickups waving Easter Island flags. On day three, day tours were allowed to cross the protesters’ road blocks as long as they were being led by someone who was ethnically Rapa Nui. The bizarre implications of the flags and ethnic requirements for tours were completely lost on locals.
Some visitors, including Thomas and myself, managed to talk their way through road blocks in rental cars. It was an intimidating situation as we were stopped and questioned over and over by locals who were now dressed in military fatigues and were clearly pumped up with a sense of victory at having taken control of the island. Local police and park officials were nowhere to be seen.
In the previous post, I mentioned that there was something wrong, maybe disturbing, with one of the pictures. In particular, the picture of us standing in front of two of the most famous heads at Rano Raraku. In the picture, we have stepped over the barrier and are posing between the heads. During our first visit to the famous site, one of the protesters occupying Rano Raraku was eager to demonstrate his total authority by encouraging us to ignore the boundaries. Who were we to argue with the guy dressed in military fatigues, right? Hilariously, the next day Rano Raraku was being guarded by a stoned woman wearing a muumuu and a headdress made of leaves. She asked visitors to respect the barriers.
To be honest, I really believe many of the locals DID NOT understand how the weird ethnic requirements, the confusion over the stand-off, the power-tripping behavior, the military fatigues, and the drug and alcohol use were scaring visitors. I really think they were celebrating what they felt was a victory over the Chilean government. For outsiders, it was really not clear where all this was heading and what would happen if the Chilean government didn’t respond well.
Representatives were sent to the mainland to negotiate with the government. I have no idea what they were actually negotiating, but it didn’t seem like they were getting what they wanted. The government never regained control of the park during our stay. In a strange way, this worked to our benefit because the normal policy of being allowed to visit Rano Raraku and Orongo Village only once on your national park ticket was not being enforced, so we were able to visit both sites repeatedly. For other visitors, the stand-off was a total disaster. We met several people who had spent huge amounts of money to come all the way to Easter Island and never managed to visit any of the island outside of Hanga Roa. Can you imagine coming all the way here and NOT being able to see the famous sites?
And that is exactly the reason why I am writing this post. I want people to clearly understand that the tensions on Easter Island can impact your visit here. I am not judging whether the protesters were right or wrong. Even a very cursory look at the island’s volatile history makes it very clear that there are many reasons to be angry. But this is a long way to come to see nothing. Most visitors will come to Easter Island, love the experience, love the sites, love the people and leave happily. But this was not the first time that tourists have become caught up in nationalistic Rapa Nui actions. In 2009, protesters took control of the airport and blocked flights for a week. When I spoke to one of the protestors blocking the moai statues in Hanga Roa if she was afraid that such stand-offs might scare away tourists, she answered, “I don’t care about tourists. I don’t care if they come or not. We can live off of sweet potatoes and tuna.”
So would you recommend a visit or not?
@lille, Yes, I would recommend Easter Island if archaeology and history are your interests and you understand the issues we mention in this post. It’s a great destination, but there is the potential for complication.
Wow, that is definitely not a typical trip to Easter Island. Sorry, you had such a strange experience.
After reading this I feel bad about complaining about hotel prices in my other comment.
I would have lost my mind if I had traveled all the way to Easter Island only to be told that I could not see the famous heads. I’m sure those people who left without seeing anything were furious. I understand why they are protesting but going after the tourists doesn’t make sense at all.
Yes, the people we encountered who never managed to get out of Hanga Roa during their visit were seriously pissed off. The interesting thing is that international media barely noticed what was going on on Easter Island. Actually, the Chilean media barely noticed it because Chile was suffering major floods and fires during our visit, which was totally occupying the nation’s attention. So I don’t really know what lasting impact the national park take over will leave on the tourism industry. I actually don’t even know who controls the national park at the moment. If anyone is visiting Easter Island right now, we’d love to hear from you in the comment section.
I enjoyed reading that. I’m mind-blown by the scorn and superiority that this traveller pours on the peoples he is visiting. It’s like he walks into other lands thinking he owns the place, because he is a tourist.
Just a heads up, and sorry to be harsh, but this kind of visitor is not really wanted anywhere. They are tolerated for their dollars, in some places.
If I’m not mistaken Easter Islanders are survivors of multiple recent episodes of genocide/deportation/mass enslavement by visitors, which could be part of why they’re not particularly phased about the discomfort of tourists’ changed travel plans when they’re fighting for their rights.
“Significant cultural differences” yes.
We are experienced enough travelers to know that when you are being held captive, you don’t have to be nice or appreciative to your captors. Maybe when drunk/stoned people show up in fatigues, block your movements, and threaten you, you can naively consider that “culture differences.” After decades of travel, we know that that is nothing other than abuse. If Native Americans took German and Italian tourists captive to protest the abuses by the U.S. government, that would be stupid and misdirected. That same goes for the chaotic, misdirected confusion that these protesters were trying to pass off as a “movement.” Thai people did not oppress Easter Islanders, Icelanders did not oppress Easter Islanders, Czech people did not oppress Easter Islanders – they are just people visiting to experience and enjoy Rapa Nui culture. They definitely got to experience it, not so sure they enjoyed it.
Thanks Tony, very informative. Will do some research on the tensions when I am close to booking flights.
Your post sounds arrogant from the beginning. The attitude is ofensive and it’s not a reality check. I don’t like tourists who think that because they have money, they are entitled to everything wherever they go without respect to local customs. I loved the last answer you got: “we don’t need tourist money, we can live off of sweet potatoes and tuna.” In other words, GO TO HELL WITH YOUR MONEY!!
It’s ironic that you like the concept that tourists can “go to hell with their money,” but you are offended by a post that suggests tourists think twice before visiting. It’s also clear from your comment that you didn’t actually read the post. Our post is intended to give the people of Easter Island exactly what they want… fewer tourists. Nobody is requiring the people of Easter Island to accept tourists. If they want to reduce flights and tourism, they are perfectly within their rights to do that.
What they are NOT entitled to do is to allow plane loads of tourists to land on their island and then treat those tourists like prisoners. Moreover, real “protests” don’t usually involve getting drunk and stoned and speeding around town like a bat out of hell. Yes, I am very arrogant, I don’t like being taken hostage. There are plenty of beautiful, fascinating islands out there with friendly locals who welcome tourists. We are simply saying maybe tourists should consider visiting those instead. And in the end, isn’t that exactly what the people of Easter Island want?
Good grief, there’s a lot more going on in this world than you missing your Easter Island vacation. You are very condescending to these people. Just get out of their way and go home where you have a say in how you want your country to be.
If you had actually read the entire post and the linked post (and it is clear you didn’t), you would understand that we did not “miss our vacation.” We actually saw every inch of Easter Island multiple times. And in some ways, we eventually had more access to the sites than normal visitors would have had without the protests. And in the linked post, you would see we enjoyed much of what we experienced.
Moreover, this post is intended to give the people of Easter Island exactly what many of the locals want, fewer tourists. The post is challenging travelers to think about why they would visit a place where people don’t really want them. I think you really didn’t get the deeper purpose of this post.
I think your reply is bunk. That is not at all what you said in your article of five years ago. You’re a condescending ass and all of that condescension was aimed at the protesters. You even interfered with the protests because you feel entitled and superior to them.
Thank you for describing your experience! I would not have had any sense of the perspectives of the locals or the strained relationship with Chile. But what you describe accords very naturally with my experiences living and traveling in other parts of Polynesia. My desire to travel to Easter Island is not diminished of course, and when I go I will be better prepared thanks to this.
I enjoyed reading through the other comments, sometimes you forget that it is only in the past few years that people have become so ridiculous. If the angry commenters ever visit Easter Island, they can bond with local protestors over their shared affinity for toppling statues and struggling against colonialism.
I’m glad you took the time to really read the article. You clearly heard what we were trying to say. It’s not so much that we want to scare people away from Easter Island, it’s that we think they really need to understand the dynamics before arranging a visit.
I strongly suspect most of the negative comments above are from people associated with the tourism industry in Easter Island. Either mainlanders or Easter Island locals, who profit from tourism. I also suspect they didn’t make it all the way through our post because it doesn’t sound like they understood that our visit was not ruined. We just got a front-row seat to much of the tension on the island.
Sorry about these ignorant fools commenting a load of crap on your article. Sounds like they have some sort of reading comprehension. They can’t seem to wrap their minds around the point you were trying to make. I appreciate your knowledge for Easter Island. I am interested in visiting someday!
holy shit tony you sound like an insufferable wet rag after reading this, you talk a lot of shit but your heads so far up your ass its gotten to your neck
Couldn’t have said it better
Since your site has a crappy reply function, I should specify that my “couldn’t have said it better” comment was in reference to klaw… not the article… The article is written by an entitled arrogant ass. And yes, before you say otherwise, I did read it and the linked post. Get over yourself. The tuna lady had the right attitude towards you.
Your in someone else’s house, if you have a great time than consider yourself really privileged to be in the right place at the right time. But if not, then that is the price you pay for going to someone else’s house. If you do not want to take the risk of the worst case scenario, you have a simple choice; don’t go. Believe it or not, not everyone cares about the mighty dollar and in many situations when traveling you dramatically exacerbate whatever preexisting problems or preconceived connotations they have with tourists, by waving money in their face and believing it’s your excuse to do whatever you please. If you ever get find yourself in that situation in Sierra Leone or New Guinea, probably best to not expect such a painless conclusion. Good luck 🙏☸️🕉
They don’t want to be invaded by ignorant, pompous a$$hole tourists like you, after centuries of colonization and cultural elimination… and the government allowed, even promoted it and here comes little old you, somehow believing you have the right to be served by them, their island, and country. Doesn’t matter that you spent money and didn’t get what you paid for. Do your research before you travel and don’t be an insensitive jerk writing bs like this. I couldn’t even finish the article because it was clearly written by an entitled sow.
It’s been a while since I’ve travelled. Been around quite a bit. “Travelers” are the people to avoid. I’m on my way to visit my friend in Santiago and when looking into a quick trip to Easter island I saw this. I had forgotten how unattractive most travelers are. Especially “experienced travelers”. Tourists and travelers are really embarrassing. I remember being around people like you. At least people who behaved in the way you’ve indicated in your writing here. Thanks for the reminder. Travelers are not only embarrassing but insufferably obnoxious to be around. I know your type. Any self aware and conscientious person on a trip knows your type. No self-awareness. Just self-importance. Though, I am glad that your interest (as you replied above) was to turn people off from Easter island. They deserve better. As in, fewer. I probably won’t go. Wouldn’t want to end up surrounded by people like you. Thanks for the reminder.
Sometimes I hire local guides to take me around to navigate threw some of the local areas because alot of places are like this you get locals who don’t like foreigners or try to take advantage of them so it is alot safer if you hire a local guide who won’t allow this kind of shit to happen or he has ways around this kind of shit