wanderlust123

Thinking about doing Easter Island on my own, as a single destination trip....LAN flights through Lima, Peru rather than Santiago...wondering about exchanging US Dollars to Pesos before I get there as I have read ATMs are not always working on Easter Island. Mot advise exchanging money in Santiago, but I won't be going through there.

Also trying to figure out where to stay and how long to allow for a decent visit. Considering staying at HareSwiss (great Trip Advisor reviews), but it is out of town a bit. Not sure if that will really be an issue. Since Easter Island is my only destination this trip, I have flexibility on dates (thinking August 15-19 due to air fares). Wanting to keep budget reasonable. Any feedback welcome.

Huentetu

The ATMs work they just sometimes run out of money. Not all cards are compatible. However, there are two banks on the island, BancoEstado and Santander where you can exchange dollars for pesos during banking hours (not open Saturdays, so check what days you will be there). Unlike mainland Chile, dollars are more easily accepted on EI and cards less popular. I don't know what exchange you get for dollars but it never varies much from place to place. Not enough to fret over.

If you are on your own and not renting a bike/scooter/car, then I would stay somewhere in town. Street lighting isn't great outside of the center, bring a flashlight anyway.

Number of days: three full days as a minimum, five as an ideal. Book a full day tour to start so you know the lay of the land, www.kiakoetour.cl is good. There are also half day tours available. You can do a lot of exploring on your own too.

Buy your park entrance ticket at the airport and get it US$10 cheaper. Bring some duty free booze from Lima if you like an evening drink. Bring some snacks. Most places will charge by the room whether there is one of you or two. Most lodging does not have air conditioning due to energy requirements. Many don't take credit cards for payment, so check.

http://tinyurl.com/c4bgtbb

wanderlust123

Thanks!

dannydeng0620

Actually Lan Airlines has no direct flights from Lima to Isla de pascua airport, you may still have to transit in Santiago, layover is usually around three to four hours.

janisj

Welcome to Fodors dannydeng0620. It is usually a good idea to check the dates -- this thread is four years old . . .

mlgb

It's still good information. Thank you dannydent0620.

castlevisitor

This is brought to the top in perfect time for my upcoming trip.

someotherguy

My experience of ATMs on Easter Island and at SCL a couple of months ago is that the machine says 200,000 is the limit, but when you ask for 200,000 it will say "too much, the limit is 200,000". The actual limit is 150,000.