A Heady Experience

And so, as sunset approached, we cut the conversation short and headed to Ahu Tahai. Visitors were sprinkled around the field that surrounded the moai, in groups of three or four, each looking for the perfect photo angle or the perfect place to commune with the old spirits.

And there, as the wind whipped voices away into the empty Pacific, lonely night fell one more time around the ancestors.

Details: Easter Island

 

GETTING THERE: With rare exceptions, the only way to Easter Island is via a 5 1/2 -hour LanChile flight from Tahiti or Santiago, Chile. From the United States, the launching point is Santiago, the lively Europeanized capital 8 1/2 hours by air from Miami. Spending a few days there on the way south breaks up the trip and prevents you from being too exhausted to enjoy Easter Island. On the way back, you can skip the Santiago stayover, but be prepared to spend a minimum of 20 hours in transit. On the plus side, there are minimal time zone changes, so jet lag is less of a problem than you might imagine.

LanChile (866-IFLYLAN, http://www.lan.com/ ) offers a Washington-Easter Island flight for $1,741 round trip; with a Santiago overnight, the fare jumps to $1,999. Other airlines, including United and American, fly between Dulles or Reagan National and Santiago starting at $1,094 round trip; LanChile flights between Santiago and Easter Island go for $803. The tour packager we used, Go-Today.com http://(www.go-today.com/ ), is quoting trips that include Santiago and Easter Island beginning at $1,924 per person double, including lodging, transfers and tours on the mainland and the island.

Chile requires U.S. citizens to pay a $100 entrance fee.

GETTING AROUND: Lots of small group tours and rental cars are available, through hotels or at companies along the main streets. You can also rent motor scooters and horses. Taxis are abundant. Most roads are unpaved or poorly paved.

WHEN TO GO: Easter Island's climate is mildly temperate, not tropical. The cooler, rainier season is winter (our summer), but rain is possible year-round.

STAYING THERE: All of Easter Island's businesses and services are in Hanga Roa, including hotels, although some, including the Iorana Hotel http://(www.ioranahotel.cl/ ), near the airport, are a longish walk from the center of town. For a list of dozens of lodging options, see the Web page of the nonprofit Easter Island Foundation ( http://www.islandheritage.org/ ), which also provides loads of other information.

We stayed at the Hotel Taha Tai (011-56-32-551-192, http://www.hotel-tahatai.co.cl/ ), a pleasant 40-room cluster of single-story buildings near the ocean. Rooms were comfortable but not luxurious, with private baths. The hotel -- with a sunny breakfast room, makeshift bar and several healthy roosters next door -- is one of the island's pricier ones, with doubles starting at about $110 per night. That's about the norm for one of the higher-end hotels, all of which are small by international standards.

Bed-and-breakfast-style residencial es charge about $25 to $60 per night. Rates for all lodgings may fluctuate by season.

WHERE TO EAT: Easter Island's restaurants are simple, with an emphasis on fresh fish and Chilean produce. Almost all of them are clustered on Hanga Roa's two main streets, particularly near the intersection across from the caleta , or harbor. Just pick what looks good, or what someone recommends. Don't worry whether you're being steered someplace where a cousin or buddy works. A cousin or buddy works everywhere. A simple lunch typically will cost $5 to $10; a dinner entree $10 to $18.

MONEY AND SHOPPING : Prices are higher than on the Chilean mainland -- steep by South American standards but not outrageous compared with U.S. cities. The official currency is the Chilean peso, but most places also accept U.S. dollars. There is an ATM in town, but don't count on it working. Restaurants, smaller hotels and some other businesses may not accept credit cards or may add a surcharge.

You can buy film, batteries, snacks, bottled water and sundries in town. Souvenirs are everywhere, too, with the widest selection at the crafts market across from the church. As for variety, there are carved moai replicas in wood or stone, in sizes from refrigerator magnet to lawn ornament. They truly are hand-crafted; you can watch women making them. Many of the moai-themed T-shirts and baseball caps, however, are labeled "Made in China."

INFORMATION: The Chilean national tourist office, Sernatur ( http://www.sernatur.cl/ ), has an outpost on the island, but you'll probably find more usable information through the Easter Island Foundation ( http://islandheritage.org/ ) or the Chilean Tourism Promotion Corp. http://(www.visit-chile.org)/ .

For English speakers, the most popular guidebook appears to be Lonely Planet's "Chile & Easter Island," which includes 21 pages on Rapa Nui. Most other Chilean guidebooks also include a small section on the island.

Other helpful books are " The Enigmas of Easter Island," by John Flenley and Paul Bahn, in which two scientists summarize studies of the island; " The Mystery of Easter Island," by Katherine Routledge, a firsthand account of an early 20th-century expedition; and "Easter Island," by Jennifer Vanderbes, a much- praised novel.

-- Maryann Haggerty