NEW EASTER ISLAND RESORT EXPECTED TO SPIKE TOURISM
Tourism is booming on Isla de Pascua (Easter Island). With the height of the summer tourist season still two months away, flights and hotel rooms in “The World’s Navel” are already becoming a scarce commodity. Nearly 70 percent of hotel rooms on the island have been reserved starting in November, and LAN airlines reports that flight reservations have increased 20 percent compared to last season.
But Explora’s new resort development slated to open in December 2007, should help the accommodation crunch. Posada de Mike Rapu, the new outpost for Explora en Rapa Nui, promises a fresh face of environmentally stylish and sensitive hospitality. Wrapped in solitude on the Easter Island’s southern edge, the new lodge will capture the philosophy that has made Explora one of the world’s most inspired travel companies, while reminding guests that they are mere spectators to the wonders of the island. Distinctively remote, the lodge looks out on the roaring Pacific and the ancient Rano Raraku Volcano, where Easter Island’s historic moai were born.
Each of 30 guest rooms, including four suites, looks onto the Pacific, assuring sunrises beyond imagination. Inside, rooms are designed for subtle comfort using indigenous materials, such as local Rauli wood furniture, bathroom flooring and walls of Piedra Pizarra stone and interior Lenga wood accents. The lodge features a restaurant with a glassed-in kitchen, swimming pool, and Jacuzzis for unwinding after a long day of exploration.
Rates at Posada de Mike Rapu/Explora en Rapa Nui for a three-night stay start at $1,794 per person (double occupancy) for a standard room and $2,334 per person (double occupancy) for a suite. Rates include accommodations, food and beverages, guided hikes with bilingual local guides, and transfers to and from the island’s airport.
November 9, 2007
Posted in: Chile