A Journey to Easter Island

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As one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world, Easter Island, named after the day of its discovery, is also one of the most mysterious places in the world. Located a couple thousand kilometers off the coast of Chile, the history of this island is still much of a controversial mystery today. For this reason, Easter Island makes for one of the most interesting travel experiences in the world.

To begin with, getting to Easter Island is a bit of journey, but not as much as many people assume. You can go it alone or utilize an experienced travel expert to help you make your connections in getting to this remote island. Regular commercial air service takes tourist to and from the island daily. Upon arrival to Easter Island, be prepared for a unique adventure experience.

Renting a jeep is a good way to get around this 160 square kilometer island. The small size of the island makes navigation fairly simple. For accommodations, there are a few hotels and several 'guest houses' to stay at, some of which offers a couple of square meals per day.

Easter Island Culture
When most people image Easter Island they think of the Moai, or large stone statues. The history behind the creation of the Moai is widely contested. It is believed that there were about 900 of these large statues at one time. It is also believed that they all were created in a relatively short period of time. The reasons and processes that led to the creation of the Moai are just one contested item about their history.

When touring the island today, you can find groups of Moai in several locations around the island. Many of the Moai share a similar look, although years of erosion have left them all with a slightly unique appearance.

In addition to touring the island and seeing the remaining Moai, You'll also find several other stone masonry wonders. Stone walls like those found at the rear of Vinapu were constructed many years ago without the use of mortar. In addition, over 1,233 prehistoric stone houses still stand on the island. Lastly, pictures known as Petroglyphs can be found carved into rocks throughout the island.

While the journey to Easter Island may seem long, you'll quickly realize that it was well worth it upon arriving on the island. You'll not only experience the magic and mystery of the Easter Island history and culture, but you'll also set foot on an island that few others have.

Enid Glasgow is a travel writer who enjoys traveling to remote destinations. She enjoys traveling with Big Five Tours, providers of Galapagos cruises and Easter Island tours.

Who built the easter island statues???????????

At first, I thought it was Rapa Nui, but then I found out that was another name for the island. I learned that the statues were called moai. I really would like to know who built them. Thanks for your help in advance.

The monolithic statues of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) are called moai in the Rapanui language. Carved on the island by the ancestors of the current population, approximately 50% of the total of 887 statues documented to date still remain in the immediate vicinity of Rano Raraku, the quarry in which they were produced. The majority of the remaining statues were transported to and erected upon a variety of ceremonial structures called ahu. This feat is one of the great megalithic achievements of Pacific

What does the word "moai" mean?

Yes, the Easter Island statues.

"Moˀai" are monolithic human figures carved from rock on Rapa Nui / Easter Island, mostly between 1250 and 1500 CE. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku the main Moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on Ahu (platforms) which were mostly at the islands perimeter. Almost all have overly large heads three fifths the size of their body. The Moai are the “living faces” (aringa ora) and representations of chiefly, deified ancestors. Sitting on their Ahus with their backs to the sea, these statues were still gazing across their clan lands when European first visited the island, but most were then cast down during conflict between different clans on the island."

Moai or mo‘ai (pronounced /ˈmoʊ.аɪ/) are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Polynesian island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) between 1250 and 1500 CE. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called Ahu around the island's perimeter. Almost all moai have overly large heads three-fifths the size of their bodies. The moai are chiefly the 'living faces' (aringa ora) of deified ancestors (aringa ora ata tepuna). The statues still gazed inland across their clan lands when Europeans first visited the island, but most would be cast down during later conflicts between clans.

The statues' production and transportation is considered a remarkable intellectual, creative, and physical feat. The tallest moai erected, called Paro, was almost 10 metres (33 ft) high and weighed 75 tonnes; the heaviest erected was a shorter but squatter moai at Ahu Tongariki, weighing 86 tons; and one unfinished sculpture, if completed, would have been approximately 21 metres (69 ft) tall with a weight of about 270 tons.