somanyfoods
All the sites were impressive and I thought the quarry where the statues were carved was the most impressive.I didn't see the museum listed on TA but I would strongly recommend visiting the museum to explain the history of the island.
Angela075
This site is amazing! You need to produce a valid park ticket to gain entry. In February 2015 a Rapa Nui park ticket cost 30,000Ch and is valid for 5 days. This is very expensive compared to other National Parks in Chile. You must produce the ticket in order to gain entrance to this site and to the Birdman village site at the top of the crater just outside town.A word or two of caution. The site is exposed, there is little in the way of shade or shelter here and only a few benches to sit on. Herds of wild horse come through here too. We got caught in a heavy rain shower and were soaked. All that said the site is amazing! Turn right at the fork in the path for the heads.The Maoi heads were carved from the rock on the outside of the volcano. They are sunk into the earth up to half of their depth. You can see the excavations with half finished heads higher up and worth the climb.Retrace your steps to the fork in the path and take the other path to the crater. It is fairly easy walking except the last part. When I was there part of the top path was missing. Be aware of the herds of wild horses which use this path to gain access to the crater lake to drink, they come upon you pretty quickly! The inside of the crater is worth the climb! There is a lake surrounded by reeds and grassland. On the opposite grassy slope are more Maoi heads, according to the guidebook there are 80. When we visited the area with the heads was closed to tourists. Definitely worth a visit.By the entrance to the site was a cafe, toilets and small gift shop.
Orlyna
Come early as it gets hot and there are less people.I had a guided tour and its so much better as you don't miss things since the written text is limited. I recommend a private tour - you get a lot more.
NKyAdventurer
After spending a couple hours looking at strewn, broken statues, I came across this wonder. It's magical. Seeing the moai in all stages of creation is breathtaking and worth the visit to Easter Island.
MikiT201
It's a magical place to stroll around and let your mind go-however if you are a dog/horse lover beware there are very thin homeless dogs/horses all over the island-it's very sad and I had an issues with this.You can see the island in 3 nights, unless you dive then 4 nights is plenty. It's expensive, for food and there isn't anything to buy-basic junk.
fedfan
As the title suggests, this was my favourite site on the whole island! The famous Heads of Easter Island can be found here but you will quickly discover that its more than just heads, in fact the rest of the body is buried under surface! Quite remarkable! We found th best time for photos is mid to late afternoon. Note there are not much shade or benches to rest however there is a cafe outside the entrance for drinks and empanadas. Entry to this site requires a National Park ticket so make sure its purchased either at the Airport or in the town of Hanga Roa beforehand. Its worth a 2nd visit given its such a spectacular site but note that you will need to pay for 2nd National Park ticket to re-enter.. This is fair enough given that the money is needed for the conservation of this wonderful world heritage site!
aaronsztarkman
Breathtaking. Magical. Jaw-droping. Not enough words to describe this place, one of the most amazing that I have visited in my life. You can admire how the people of the island carved the moai. Advice: Go there at midday or in the afternoon, you'll get better light for your pictures.
remery1513
Our first visit on the island was. Reno Raraku, the quarry where the Moai were. Sculpted. Just like the pictures, but real. The tala exquisite Moai were phenomenal and in all stages of construction and transport. Our guide, Nicko Jankovich (Croatian, Chilean, rapa Nuian) did a wonderful job of creating the milieu of how the Moai were sculpted and moved encompassing fact and local lore. I just loved walking around this site and gaping at the wonderful images, scenery and the reason we came to the most isolated inhabited site on earth. An unforgettable morning and a must see for visitors.
Kilimanjaro1
There are over a couple hundred Moai on the Island, but many are damaged or destryed. At Rano Raruku, you are where the quarry is and these Moai here are the best and are concentrated in a very small area. Just a little further up the road is where the 15 Moai are together. Many people make it a point to go there at sunrise as the sun comes up right behind the Moai and you can get some very pretty photographs.
JamboJourney
We visited this site after Orongo, Tahai, and the south coast. My father and I were blown away. You walk down paths with Moai all around. If you miss the tour buses (11am-2pm), you have the place to yourself and it is magical.
noise43
We were on a guided tour of the many areas of the island and found this, the first visited, to provide much information to understand the moai manufacture, cultural context, transport , etc. There is some steep climbing exposed to hot sun to get to the area where the heads were in the process of being sculpted and the path had loose gravel in spots. Wear shoes with good traction, not smooth soled shoes.
Sandi0615
This is the quarry where almost 400 giant statues remain in various stages of completion - you can see how they built these figures and get a sense on how they moved them. Having a knowledgeable local guide is very helpful.
rchandiramani
It's as if giants played here, sculpting heads and then leaving them lying about; in truth, the heads are only a part (one-third) of the rest of the sculpture that is underground and they were made not by giants but by people. One can read a different expression in each face and as the sun moves and the shadows too, the expressions change. There are scores of these figures, some with more than just the head visible - there's the kneeling Moai, the one lying down (around 21 metres!) and the one with the boat carving on its back. Say Hello to each one.
RandSand
The quarry here is where all the Moai on the island were "born". It is amazing to see how the statues were carved right out of the rock, and even more amazing to realize how far some of them were transported across the island. Here, there are dozens of fascinating Moai, some with unique features.
HungryThirstyTravelr
This site is not to be missed. Absolutely amazing place to see both the island and also the moais before they reach their final destination. Great aerial view of Tongariki too. We didn't have a guide and used a hire car to get there which was easy as the roads are paved and not that busy. Signs were in English and easy to follow.