Easter Island (Rapa Nui) · Backpacking

There is no cheap version of this island. The floor is a residencial room, self-catering from the Atamu Tekena supermarkets and a hired bicycle, with the park ticket on top as one unavoidable block. Note that CONAF's own park page still sends ticket buyers to a website that no longer resolves, so confirm the current price and the place to buy it once you land rather than online.

Mataveri International (IPC) is the single point of entry and the only direct flights come from Santiago, about five and a half hours. There is no competing carrier and no cheap season worth waiting for, so the flight is booked first and the trip planned around it.

Chile's national tourism board states that reaching the principal archaeological sites requires hiring a local guide, on top of the park ticket. Budget a guided day rather than assuming you can improvise your way around the island.

The island is small and the coast roads are the sight; a hired bicycle covers Hanga Roa, Tahai and the near coast with no fuel bill, and the tourism board lists bicycles alongside vehicles as a normal way to get around. Save the vehicle for the day you go out to Rano Raraku and Anakena.

Family-run rooms in Hanga Roa's back streets sit several tiers below the all-inclusive lodges, which fold guides, meals and park fees into one rate. If you are counting pesos, book the room on its own and buy a guide only for the day you actually need one.