We spent the day with Cristián, our guide from the Rapi Nui Pioneers Society (RPS), on the Royal Muri District hike. Cristián is a professional historian whose knowledge of the archeological wonders of Easter Island is amazing. As we hiked the ten miles of this excursion along the stunning hillsides of northern Rapi Nui, he showed us ancient village locations, ahu sites, original boat house foundations, fallen moai, caves, and even a ocean blow hole. At each stop, Cristián gave us historical commentary and explanations of what we were seeing. I can be a bit curious about things, but there seemed to be no question he could not answer. At the end of the day, we had time to swim at Anakena beach (delightful) before we were driven back to our guest houses. You’ll need to be a hiker with proper boots and clothing for this trip but you will see and experience parts of Rapi Nui that fewer than one in a hundred ever do,
The RPS tours can cost a bit more than others, but remember that you are also supporting an organization dedicated to Rapi Nui research, preservation, and responsible tourism.