Liesl

Traveling in early March. I've always wanted to visit these destinations, but am at a loss as to which one would be best for a one-week trip (6 nights in the location, with 1 night on either end in Santiago; traveling from New York). We enjoy hiking and outdoor activities, and would stay with explora. Fit early-middle-aged gay couple, traveling alone. I realize it is like comparing "apples with oranges." But - - - if you had to pick only one, which would it be, and why? "Alles Gut!"

Huentetu

Either/or questions are so difficult to answer. So much is down to personal likes and dislikes. Probably neither will be like anywhere you have ever seen. But I will give it a try. If I had to choose one, I would go to Easter Island - Rapa Nui. My reasons: EI is already straining under the impact of tourism. It isn't the number of visitors but the fragility of the island. The islanders have been asking for a couple of years for some sort of quota on visitors. This isn't possible under Chile's constitution, but eventually I believe some sort of limit will be put in place, much as in the Galapagos.

EI is not only scenery but a culture. The Atacama also is home to a different ethnicity, but not so visibly or so all encompassing. In the Atacama it is a backdrop, on EI you are surrounded by it.

You can get rain at any time on EI and March might be slightly wetter than Jan/Feb, but it seldom rains for long and it is not the rainiest part of the year. 6 nights also gives you a bit of leeway for planning activities.

You can go to the Atacama without reading any background information and enjoy your trip. Your experience of EI will be so much richer if you do a bit of background reading.
http://islandheritage.org/wordpress/

Tip: if you buy your entrance ticket to the national park at the airport desk it has a good discount.

I can give you good arguments for visiting the Atacama, it is just that you did ask....

Whichever you choose, I hope you will come back to see the other one at a later date!

qwovadis

Have been to both Easter Island is a long slog flat expensive

For Islands if time Galapagos Best www.guanguiltagua.com

to treeless you could fly Sky Airlines to Arica way cheaper

despegar.com

So I would head up to Salar www.boliviabella.com via

San Pedro de Atacama Hostal Solar was great there for me

hostelbookers.com Scenery far more spectacular pick up

Tiwanaku an amazing site and Titicacaperu.com if time.

Happy Travels,

qwovadis

One other thing I might do in 6 days very nice have done it

might save several hundred dollars of visa costs for Bolivia

fly Sky to Arica cross to Tacna www.cruzdelsur.com.pe to

Arequipa the white city www.colca-lodge.com Chivay

Cruz Del Condor area is amazing head on www.4m-express.com

to titicacaperu.com if time... also might be great.

Happy Travels!

Liesl

Thank you so much! I have visited Bolivia extensively, and have been to the Galapagos, Ecuador and Peru. I am asking about the Atacama Desert and Easter Island.

Amy

I visited both last year, and loved them equally. (That's not much help, is it?) That said, I probably would choose Rapa Nui/Easter Island due to somewhat more of an urgency to see it now rather than later. While the Atacama is subject to change and the ravages of time and tourism as well, it seems that it would be happening at a slower pace.

Here's my trip report for some contrasts: http://www.fodors.com/community/sout...rip-report.cfm

And the photos are here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/578365518JajiRS

I would be hard put to choose between the two if I were offered a free trip in which I had to choose between one and the other! The flight to Easter Island is a bit much, of course, but then you're five flying hours away from...everything. Mmmmm.

ASCTravel

Hello Liesl -

First off , you are in for a treat no matter which destination you choose. And for the sake of full disclosure, we work with explora in the US. Allow me to point out that the sheer size of the two destinations might factor into your decision. explora Atacama is located in a vast and arid desert and it offers 50+ explorations on foot, horseback, bicycle and high-mountain climbs. There are stargazing sessions, too, from Hotel de Larache’s private observatory.

explora Rapa Nui is located on the world’s most remote inhabited island, Easter Island. The lodge is noteworthy for many details, not least for being the first LEED-certified hotel in South America. Here you will find 20+ explorations available by foot, bike, and on the sea (boat trips, snorkeling, fishing). The island stretches about 63 square miles.

Both locations are remote and entirely different. Both are amazing.

Enjoy!

IngridG

I am also trying to decide between these two...if we can only go around Aug-Sept 2012, which one will be better better weather wise?

Huentetu

August would be better in San Pedro de Atacama as Ester Island has its rainiest season in winter. The northern desert had a quite a bit of unusual rainfall this past winter in July, but in San Pedro a lot isn't that much and end of August shouldn't see anything similar. The closer you are to September, or in September itself, the better the weather on EI. There can be showers any time of year. San Pedro will be dry. You can check out the weather here:
http://www.meteochile.gob.cl/pronostico.html

Ecotours_Chile

Both places are amazing, is your choice. As xplora is located on both places you could try to take some more days of and visit both. They should do a special price for visiting 2 of their hotels. I think that 4N stay on each place is OK.