Being a parent has changed our lives in many ways. Before S-Boy showed up on the scene, C and I had crashed into almost every motel or hostel, and I didn't care.
We now prefer to stay in hotels and resorts that offer a minimum level of comfort, and we love it when we can enjoy an immersive experience of the local culture.
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During our trip to Easter Island in Chile we stayed at two great hotels: Hanga Roa Eco Village in the main town and Lemu Lodge in the Vaihu sector of the island which added to our Easter Island experience.
Full Disclosure: We stayed as guests of the hotel at the luxurious Hanga Roa Eco Village & Spa on Easter Island. All opinions are our own.
Known locally as Hotel Hangaroa, Hanga Roa Eco Village & Spa is conveniently located in the main town and capital of Easter Island.
It's the only luxury hotel in town and popular with couples and families due to its location.
Barbara, our hostess, greeted us at Mataveri Airport with beautiful fragrant flowers and then we drove to the hotel.
The flight from Santiago to Easter Island is 6 hours and I really hate standing at the hotel check-in desk after a long-haul flight to collect my room keys while at the same time keeping an eye on my luggage and an excited toddler.
Hotel Hangaroa features a fully organized check-in portion of your stay. We sat in the hotel's beautiful lobby and admired the traditional Rapanui boathouse style architecture, enjoying welcome drinks while the staff processed our check-in efficiently.
In the meantime, our luggage was brought directly to our room by diligent hotel staff. Ah, island life!
Our sea view room was large and clean, the bed was made up with pristine white sheets, there was a sofa that converted into a bed for an S-Boy, and a lovely outdoor deck overlooking the sea.
C and I drank a few welcome drinks from the minibar and eagerly walked out onto the terrace for a glimpse of life in Hanga Roa village. And that's how I saw my first Moai.
I've read a lot about how moai are everywhere on the island and that the whole island is an open-air museum, but nothing prepared me to lounge in my hotel room and contemplate the majestic moai.
The overall atmosphere was exciting and very similar to Easter Island. The Hangaroa Hotel also provided a secluded and mysterious atmosphere with the beautiful ceremonial village of Orongo, inspired by the low-ceilinged guest rooms that bordered the grounds.
In addition to the spa, swimming pool, and small gym, the Hangaroa Hotel also offers many luxurious amenities in the guest rooms.
C and I especially fell in love with the huge handmade natural clay bathtub; It was perfect for relaxing after strenuous hikes to Rano Kau volcano crater and the remote north shore.
The bathtub was perfectly wedged between the trunks of the cypress trees, while the separate stone shower was large and luxurious.
The sink was beautifully carved out of the volcanic rock and the selection of toiletries made our stay very luxurious.
Our Dream Hangaroa package included a daily breakfast buffet at Poerava Restaurant, one of the on-site restaurants.
The restaurant had a beautiful sea view and a nice interior design. C& I enjoyed the continental breakfast with fresh fruit juices.
S-Boy loved the fresh queso cheese and the delicious desserts. As we ate omelettes and drank delicious guava juice, the deep blue Pacific Ocean glittered in the distance.
Our view was blocked by half a dozen billboards put up by protesting local residents in conflict with the Chilean government over a land sale, and the Hangaroa Hotel was in the middle.
It was a stark reminder of the many conflicts that led to the downfall of the Moai, the dangerous cult of the bird-man, and recent power struggles with the mainland - it was Easter Island; not any other island in the Pacific.
Full Disclosure: We stayed as guests of the hotel at the luxurious Hanga Roa Eco Village & Spa on Easter Island. All opinions are our own.
Read more aboutThe UNESCO World Heritage Site of Easter Islandor watch the best10 things to do on Easter Island.
Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa /website/ Address: AV. PONT S/N, OSTERINSEL, CHILE / Phone: +56 (2) 2553 700 or +56 (2) 2957 0141
Most visitors to Easter Island stay a few days, leaving Hanga Roa to tour the island's most important archaeological sites, including Rano Raraku, Rano Kau, Ahu Tahai, Ahu Tongariki, and Anakena Beach, before returning to Santiago.
As C and I were visiting Easter Island for almost a week we decided to stay away from Hanga Roa for a few days to fully experience the magic of Easter Island and learn about the local customs and traditions.
As I mentioned before, C and I love being in unique, experimental facilities and have been very happy to work with usSlow Lodgeon Easter Island.
Located in the Vaihu sector of Easter Island, Lemu Lodge Rapa Nui consists of a group of 6 bungalows near the sea. I fell in love with the beautiful photos of their accommodations on the website and was dying to experience the eco bungalow in person.
Full Disclosure: We stayed as guests of the hotel at the extremely romantic and eco-friendly Lemu Lodge on Easter Island. All opinions are our own.
Like most Easter Island accommodation, Lemu Lodge offers a flower pick-up service from Mataveri Airport, but since we were already on the island and had rented a car, we just drove to Vaihu.
Lemo Lodge is roughly opposite Vaihu Moai and you can see the white roofed bungalows from the main road.
It is a bit difficult to find the access road to Lemu Lodge as there is no sign posted. We managed to ask some Rapanui men on horseback for directions to the hut.
Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by Claudia, Andre and other lodge staff. Reception is in the Club House, which also doubles as a restaurant, serving breakfast and dinner.
To respect local custom we were asked to remove our shoes before entering. We were pleasantly surprised by this tradition; Being Hindus, we follow the same custom in our home.
Upon check-in we were shown to our bungalow and immediately fell in love with our property.
Our bungalow was a large, airy, open plan suite with a large sitting area and bedroom with a king bed. The bathroom featured a unique rustic sink and the outdoor shower completed the relaxing experience.
Our bungalow also had a very nice patio deck; We enjoyed sitting outside and witnessing the beautiful sunrise over the sea.
Upon arrival we were served welcome snacks and fresh fruit juices; The meal was the perfect snack of the day to keep us going while we visited Ahu Tongariki in the afternoon and then headed to Anakena beach for dinner.
Lemu Lodge advertises itself as eco bungalows where you can get in touch with nature, so C and I checked out how green they are. It turns out a lot!
The cabins are not equipped with a heating/cooling system, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Even without a bungalow complex it is cozy and despite our winter visit we felt extremely comfortable under the thick duvet.
Part of communicating with nature is also real. From the cottage guests will enjoy views of the sea and the horses that roam the property. Except for staff and other guests, there are few other facilities nearby. You can have the area to yourself.
We were there on a full moon night and the moonlit sea shimmered in the distance while silhouettes of horses danced in the pastures. It was surreal and beautiful. We planned to photograph the Milky Way, but the moon killed our chances.
The staff at Lemu Lodge were very friendly and served a delicious breakfast every day during our stay.
They were very accommodating of special requests and arranged pre-packaged breakfast sandwiches for us as we watched the sunrise at Ahu Tongariki.
More than once I had to ask for a small S-Boy sandwich as there weren't many restaurants nearby and I always got a filling meal with fresh fruit juice, which is way more than what some hotels offer.
Once we also asked for dinner at a restaurant. Asking for dinner was a very informal affair, there was no menu and the staff verbally confirmed to us if the chicken was ok.
Dinner itself, prepared by Chef Marcos, was a very sophisticated and traditional Chilean three course meal of vegetable soup, chicken with peas and potatoes and a banana caramel cream dessert.
It was delicious and just what we needed after a mile hike in Rano Raruku.
Lemu Lodge also offers its guests various spa programs; Guests can enjoy a relaxing massage on the rocky shore. Management can also organize guided tours to various archaeological sites on the island upon request.
One of our guests went traditional fishing with one of the staff; We also had the opportunity to go horseback riding on the many horses that roam outside the property.
However, the best thing about the property, aside from the friendly staff and exceptional cabin, is its unique location. It was amazing to experience a remote part of Easter Island where fallen moai and crumbled ahus were all too common, wild horses frequented the streets and bonfires were brightly lit at night after visiting the town of Hanga Roa with its cafes, shops, tourists etc .lived had wi-fi zones.
Also, the popular archaeological sites of Rano Raraku and Ahu Tongariki are only a 10-15 minute drive from Vaihu, making Lemu Lodge a perfect base for exploring the east and north-east sides of the island.
Full Disclosure: We stayed as guests of the hotel at the extremely romantic and eco-friendly Lemu Lodge on Easter Island. All opinions are our own.
Lemu Lodge Rapa Nui /website/ Address: Caleta Vaihu s/n, 2770000 Hanga Roa, Chile