Frequently asked questions:
What is special about the Tapati Rapa Nui festival?
Every
year the islanders get together for the Tapati Rapa Nui festival, a colorful
celebration at the beginning of February. The festival consists of singing and
dancing competitions, as well as traditional sporting events such as swimming,
horse racing, an Island triathlon, and other unique events. In addition to all
of the great scenery on Easter Island, the festival adds another dimension to
your visit. You can visit Easter Island anytime; however the festival puts it
all over the top!
Why do I need to book this trip so far in advance?
Every
year the festival is sold out way in advance. Rooms are at a premium during the
festival and are booked years ahead. Our perseverance has paid off to get a
small group of rooms during this special time period, and we can only hold them
for a short period of time. As we get closer the price will increase. Due to
the prepayment policies of the hotel and tour operator, we need to get this trip
booked as soon as possible. By booking early, you have a greater chance that
you can use your frequent flyer miles to get to Lima, Peru and save money!
How will the photo expedition portion of this trip work?
For
the first few days of our tour, we invite all attendees to join us for an
in-depth learning and sightseeing experience. We will cover all of the major
sites on the island in the first few days. For the remaining days we will have
free time and transportation to selected sites for photography and also for
those who just want to go back and spend more time at their favorite place. By
splitting up our larger group, and going in different directions, we should be
able to fan out over the island and not be on top of each other, so everyone
can have time to capture the photos they have traveled so far to get. When
shooting in panoramic format it is important that we spread out and give each
other enough room to create these special images. We have also taken into
consideration the best time to visit a variety of sites around the island for
the best light and to avoid the tour buses, to ensure we get the best images
possible.
I am not a professional photographer, is this trip still for me?
This
trip has a photographic slant and opportunities to take great pictures abound
on Easter Island. It is enhanced by the Tapati Rapa Nui festival as well.
However we have designed this trip to be an in-depth experience for all. Our
free days will be easily filled with a variety of Island adventures and
sightseeing, without any rush. So if photos are not your primary objective, you
will still have a variety of interesting experiences enjoying the island and
its culture.
A full week on Easter Island seems like a lot of time in one place?
Our
itinerary calls for eight days, and the first day and the last day are
essentially travel days getting to and from Easter Island. That really leaves
us with six full days to enjoy the island. We will be spending a couple of days
on in-depth sightseeing tours, so we will have a few days free. Between
revisiting your favorite places around the island and also enjoying the various
events of the Tapati Rapa Nui festival, the time will go by quicker than you
think! And if you just want to kick back and enjoy the beach, you will have
plenty of time to do so as well. The free days are entirely up to you. Scuba
diving, snorkeling, hiking, and biking are few of the many activities
available. It would be a shame to travel this far and this long to spend only a
couple of days on the island and not really see it. The goal of this trip is to
immerse ourselves in the unique scenery and the culture of Easter Island at
this special time of year. We believe our itinerary is designed to do just
that!
Can I use frequent flyer miles to get to Easter Island?
The
departure points for flights to Easter Island are Lima, Peru and Santiago,
Chile. LAN Airlines is the only airline that flies to Easter Island. If you
have frequent flyer points on LAN Airlines or any of its partners, you can
check with the airline and see if you can redeem mileage to get there.
Can I use frequent flyer miles to get to Lima, Peru or Santiago, Chile?
Many worldwide Airlines offer service to these popular South American destinations and frequent flyer miles can often be used to get to either of these places. If you can obtain a free ticket to one of these destinations, then all you need to buy is the round trip ticket to Easter Island. This alone will save you money and if you have enough miles might even get you upgraded or into business class. By booking this trip early you have a better chance of cashing in frequent flyer miles to get a free ticket!
Most
trips to Easter Island begin in Santiago, Chile – why Lima, Peru as the jumping
off place for this tour? LAN Airlines just announced service to Easter Island
from Lima and we were able to get a block of seats at a very good price for our
group. Seats to Easter Island during the Tapati festival are hard to book, so
we are lucky to get these seats. Lima is closer than Santiago for our
international flights and also offers a variety of optional tours at affordable
prices. Machu Picchu is probably the most sought after destination among these.
Convenience and great optional tours helped us choose Lima.
No
questions should be left unanswered…if we did not address it on the website,
please call us at (801) 364-2642 or (800) 272-4114 and we would be happy to get
you the answers you need to book this incredible adventure!