Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air New York | Fall 2015 86 EASTER ISLAND: A BUCKET-LIST DREAM COME TRUE By: Judy Koutsky It's one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. Rapa Nui, Easter Island's indigenous name, has a magnetic draw for the adventurous, high-end, intrepid traveler. e island's mysterious, massive stone statues, called moai, dominate the topography and make a stay here both mystical and magical. Carved by hand between the 13th and 16th centuries, these ancient moai are made from solid basalt and dot the coastline and interior of this volcanic island. e more than 800 moai are a testament to the intelligence and skill of the native people, of Polynesian origin, who settle on the island around 300 AD. Today, Rapa Nui National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site and attracts travelers from around the world. Perhaps because getting here requires some patience and persistence (LAN airlines flies from New York to Santiago, 10.5 hours, and then on to Easter Island, another 6 hours), this tiny dot in the Pacific sees only about 50,000 visitors a year (which is 10 times the population of the island). Geographically Easter Island sits in Polynesia, but it's a part of Chile, which is located 2,200 miles away. e local language is Rapa Nui, but Spanish and English are also spoken. So what makes this hard-to-reach locale, so worth the visit? In part, it's the exclusivity: it's one of the least-visited archeological sites in the world. Its isolated status has helped preserve the moai (or Easter Island heads, as they're often called). Starbucks, McDonald's and other chain restaurants and hotels are nowhere to be seen. Beach-front property is given to parks, playgrounds, mom and pop restaurants and dive shops. And while tourism is essential to the economy of the island, touristy the island is not. It's really a high- end, low impact eco-model. ESCAPE

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