We took two tours with the RN Pioneers and both were amazing. Our guide for the Rise and Fall tour was Sebastian, a great guide. We learned so much from him about the history, culture and spirituality of the Rapa Nui people. We were astounded by the beauty of the Moai and the skill it took to make them.After a day with Sebastian, we felt like friends. Kori was our guide to Orongo. He taught us about the Orongo village and the fascinating bird man competition. Don’t miss this tour about such an interesting chapter in the Rapa Nui history. By taking both tours, we feel we received a good understanding of Rapa Nui history and saw all the major sites with knowledgeable and professional guides. We highly recommend the Rapa Nui Pioneers Society.

I really enjoyed this hike! Christian was a great tour guide - provided lots of historical information and was just a lovely human being. I was happy that I scheduled this hike for my last full day on the island. It was cool to see the areas of the island from higher ground that I toured and kayaked days prior. Since I am a strong hiker, we were able to cover even more area of the peninsula than what is typically done on the tour. We hiked about 10 miles total. I thoroughly enjoyed my day!

During our week on Rapa Nui, we took three tours with Cristián Moreno Pakarati, the founder the Rapa Nui Pioneers Society. The last one was the Poike Peninsula hike and it was terrific. The Poike area is remote (which is why we wanted to see it) and has many unique points of interest that really require a guide to locate. One was the rock sculpture, Maunga Vai a Heva, with its accompanying legend that Cristian explained to us. Another was Ana O Keke, a cliff side cave with well preserved petroglyphs inside and more fascinating history related by Cristain. The hike is about 7 miles and includes a lot of other sites to investigate (small caves, moai remains, and petroglyphs). Cristián’s comprehensive historical knowledge makes every site stop an interesting one. The last stop is the top of the second highest volcano on the island, Ma'unga Pu'a Katiki (aka Poike), with amazing views of the island from its east end. I’d recommend taking this hike towards the end of you time on Rapa Nui because the view from the volcano brings together many of the more popular sites you’ll have already seen.

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.

Christian was an outstanding guide. We hiked around Poike Peninsula for a full day. Christian provided fascinating insights into the local history and customs. It was exactly what I was looking for and the highlight of my two week Patagonia - Rapa Nui trip. If you enjoy hiking this is the trip to book and Christian is the guide to have. Thanks for the memories Christian! Take care brother.

Although this tour was expensive it was worth it for the depth of detail that was given. Our guide, Christian, is an historian whose passion for his subject and his land went way beyond what can be found in print and documentaries. Rapa Nui Is changing fast and a knowledgeable guide is essential to attempt an understanding of the history and to get an insight into Rapanui culture and its future.