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Review by Shelley Seale, 2019.
A refreshing, tiki-style Mid Century Modern vibe hits you the second you walk into The Laylow. Fun and retro, stylish and whimsical — this hotel brings plenty of unique, personal touches and a casual, “at home” feel that instantly envelope you.
Location 8/10
The Laylow is slightly off the beaten path, yet in the midst of everything Waikiki has to offer. Waikiki Beach is a five-minute walk, and all the shopping, dining and entertainment of the area can be found within a short walk (or ride the complimentary cruiser bikes that the hotel provides!)
Style/character 10/10
Style and personality virtually ooze from every pore of The Laylow. The design aesthetic incorporates the clean, classic lines of the mid century era, while putting a 1970s, Don Ho, Hawaiian tiki-bar spin on it. The second-floor open-air lanai serves as reception, lobby, concierge and bar/restaurant area, with cool ocean breezes flowing through. A collection of classic hula dancer dolls greets you at check-in, and The Laylow’s striking blue and pink palm tree signature motif is placed strategically among the whites, warm natural textiles, and pops of orange throughout the hotel.
Service & facilities 9/10
Staff are engaging, casual, and attentive. Everything feels like team spirit here, in a low-key way. The main common area on the second floor serves as the lobby, with casual settees and wicker swing chairs for lounging. On one side are the coffee and cocktail bars and restaurant; and on the other side you’ll find the swimming pool, surrounded by cabanas and large lounging chairs. Adjoining the pool is a fully-equiped fitness room. Cruiser bicycles are available on loan, and fun touches like daily shave ice and poolside drink samplers are served. Regular cultural events also take place, including free ukulele lessons three times a week — just bring your own personal ukulele from your room and join!
Rooms 10/10
Each of the 251 guest rooms welcomes with calming white walls and neutral flooring as the perfect backdrop for the furniture, made of warm woods, rattan, industrial metal and rich textiles. The Laylow signature tropical motif adorns some walls, while pops of original art and vintage photography are on others. The gorgeous shelving units are filled with books about Hawaiian living and style, along with high-tech, pairing entertainment systems. Bathrooms are well-stocked with fantastic-smelling lemongrass and ginger toiletries, thick bathrobes and towels, and deep-brown faux-wood walled showers with multi-function rain showerheads. The daily destination fee of $29 (£23) includes a nice “E Como Mai” welcome basket with local snacks and two pairs of Laylow rubber sandals.
Food & drink 9/10
The Hideout at The Laylow continues the retro-modern décor in a restaurant and bar space. The menu starts with modern Hawaiian breakfast featuring omelettes, benedicts, pancakes and a la carte items, with the coffee bar serving Stumptown products. The lunch and dinner menus offer everything from burgers and tacos (with Chef Bryan Byard’s Hawaiian spin on ingredients, such as squid, pineapple and local seafood), to classic Hawaiian staples including Kalua pork and Ahi poke. A full pupu (appetizer) menu delights with guacamame dip (a combination of avocado and edamame), chicken satay, Kalua egg rolls and poke tacos. A slightly limited menu is available in-room, poolside, and as takeaway picnics. Nightly live music happens in the open-air Hideout every night, as well as during weekend brunch.
Value for money 10/10
Double rooms from $319 (£250) in low season; and from $349 (£274) in high. The hotel welcomes one dog guest per room weighing up to a maximum of 50 pounds (25 kilograms), with a one-time, non-refundable fee of $150 (£118). The hotel offers valet parking at $39 (£30) per day. Breakfast is not included but available at the restaurant from $10 (£7) and up.
Access for guests with disabilities?
Yes, with elevator access to all floors and rooms that are mobility accessible and roll-in showers. Hearing accessible rooms are also available, with visual alarms and notifications for door and phone.
Family-friendly?
Yes, the hotel accepts all guests. Cribs are available upon request, and many rooms have daybeds that would work for children. The hotel offers free ukulele lessons and lei making and these activities are also open to children; and the concierge can set up family activity packages and suggestions.
The details
2299 Kuhio Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96815, United States
Phone: (1)(808) 922-6600
Accommodation style
City-centre
Diving
X Seaside
Self-catering
Style
Mid-range
X Design
Minimalist
Art Deco
Eco-friendly
X Modern
X Boutique
Budget
Historic
Private
Cheap
X Romantic
X Contemporary
X Luxury
Type
Apartment
Gite
Pub
B&B
Guesthouse
Resort
Riad
Castle
Hostel
Ryokan
X Hotel
Spa
Chateau
Maison d’Hote
Townhouse
Cottage
Motel
Treehouse
Country house
Parador
Villa
Farmhouse
Private Island
Suitable for
Adults-only
X Dog-friendly
X Pet-friendly
X Baby-friendly
X Family-friendly
X Small group
X Business
X Hen do
X Occasion
X Child-friendly
X Honeymoon
X Stag do
X Couple
X LGBT
X Wedding
X Disabled
Board level
All-inclusive
Full-board
X Room only
Bed and breakfast
Half-board
Self-catering
Facilities
X Bar
X Laundry
Sauna
X Beach
X Parking
Spa
Massage Services
X Fitness Centre
X Pool
Steam room/hammam
Golf course
X Restaurant
Tennis court
Kids’ club
X Room service
X Wi-Fi
Fairfax is a 45-minute drive over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, if conditions are right. So avoid commute hour and you can be years away from the bustle of the city in no time. One of the few little towns in the Bay Area where you can still enjoy genuine hippy values, eat and shop at locally owned restaurants and quaint stores, and have a unique California experience. No high rise or franchises here. Just good old fashioned hospitality, peppered with a good dose of genuine concern for the environment, nature, new age philosophy and a rocking night life! You’ll find world class live music every any night of the week, and twice on Sundays! Fairfax is home to a variety of musicians, and hosts an eclectic range of original sounds. Check out and the bars; Peris’ and 19 Broadway as well as smaller venues hosting open mic and acoustic sets.
If you’re looking for some peace of mind, Spirit Rock Meditation Center is just 10 minutes away, with it’s beautiful new meditation hall, talks and residential retreats. You can drop in and hear world renowned Buddhist speakers every Monday night, from the founder Jack Kornfield, or one of the many Western Buddhist teachers, who put the concerns of every day into easily reachable perspectives of Buddhist meditation and philosophy. Or try one of the local yoga studios, Yoga Mountain or Sol Studios.
Natural beauty surrounds Fairfax, and there are easy and more challenging hiking trails through the rolling hills, where you can enjoy relative seclusion in a magical forest setting, traversing creeks and grasslands. Start at Deer Park or Cascade Drive. Fairfax is home to the Mountain Bike museum, and you’ll find mountain bikers of all ages, enjoying bike clubs and social rides, especially on weekends, where bikes tend to outnumber cars in this sleepy town.
Hungry? Fairfax is home to the first ever whole food store/ organic grocery store and restaurant combined. Inspired by the founder of the health food movement in California, back in 1969, Good Earth is still a thriving hub of the Fairfax Community, and you know the freshly prepared delicious salad and hot food bar is going to be all organic, sustainable, tastily prepared and suitable for any taste. Or if you prefer burgers, Thai, Mexican or Acai, just keep going up Broadway and you’ll find whatever you crave in one of the many locally owned and run restaurants. Cup of tea? Wu Wei Tea Temple serves up multiple blends of healing and delicious teas, thick hot chocolate and Golden Milk, all served in the atmosphere of a Turkish salon. And the Coffee Roastery roasts, grinds and serves its own unique coffee blends, right on the corner of the main street. Great people watching, and something for everyone in this little known gem of a town!
Lisa Peers
Lisa Peers had great success as a television and film actress in her early career. She is known for her work on Sunday Too Far Away (1975), Finding Nemo (2003) and Andra (1976).
Lisa now heads up Peers & Players, a program utilizing Corporate Actors, with whom she develops on-site Conference Programs, Team & Leadership Communication, Role-play Training, and training in Public Speaking.
She is an avid traveller and writer and shares her great stories here on Reviews Internaional.
But if you’ve ever wanted to experience that, you can!
There are a number of homes that have been previously owned by famous actors and other show biz people, and spots where many celebs have taken their own vacays, that are actually available for anyone to rent.
Here are a few places where you, too, can live like a rock star – at least for a few days!
Once owned by the legendary Elizabeth Taylor, this Palm Springs home is a sanctuary for object d’art, photography, oil paintings and is complete with priceless possessions and objects d’art which belonged to the iconic actress. It's the only home ever owned by Elizabeth Taylor in Palm Springs. Renovated and furnished by Kathy Ireland, this estate is frequently called, ‘The Jewel of the Desert’.
Monroe/JFK Mountainside Estate
Did you ever think that you could stay in the home where JFK and Marilyn Monroe used to tryst — for only $120 a night? This storied 4-bedroom home was designed by a student of Frank Loyd Wright and very recently was exquisitely remodeled. This modern masterpiece is located in the best area of metropolitan 'Phoenix'. Just minutes from the Biltmore and Scottsdale shopping areas, it is a great place to travel from. The Frank Lloyd Wright design, completed by one of his students, is timeless. Large glass windows and door allow the visitor to feel as if they are living out-of-doors. A 1000 sq. ft. view deck give the visitor a breath taking 240 degree view of the city lights of Paradise Valley, Mummy Mountain, Camelback Mountain and the Paradise Valley Country Club Golf course.
Elvis Presley’s Former Beverly Hills Home
The King’s former Beverly Hills estate boasts 3-bedrooms, 4-baths, and spans 5,367 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows and walls of glass in every room. 4th Bedroom and 5th bath are located in the guest house. This Trousdale property, perched on a small cliff, was one he shared with wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie in the late 1960's. The backyard features expansive lounging and entertaining space, including a large pool and spa. This magnificent property still has the original gates that Elvis used to come and talk to fans through.
Set far back behind gates and mature trees, a long driveway and four-car motor court lead to the newly renovated 5,400-square-foot mid-century residence and attached guesthouse. Spacious interiors are magnified by high ceilings, warm hardwood floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows that let in abundant natural light. Features an incredibly luxurious master suite, skylights, fireplaces and coffered ceilings are complemented by contemporary updates.
Ample outdoor lounging and entertaining space is offered throughout a large patio featuring a fireplace, custom pool and spa, as well as lush lawns, set against breathtaking panoramic vistas. Only minutes from the best shopping, dining, and entertainment of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Trousdale is a celebrity enclave within Beverly Hills and is currently the most desirable neighborhood in the City of Beverly Hills. Most homes are designed by some of the most notable names in architecture. Some of the other notable personalities have lived in this neighborhood include Richard Nixon, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Jennifer Anniston.
17-Acre Celebrity Hilltop Estate in Jamaica
This property has seen a host of celebrity guests, including Meryl Streep and Tracy Ullman. In fact, Oscar Hammerstein wrote 'The Sound of Music' from the terrace, overlooking the beautiful hillside!
This villa is filled with history and is very private; located about 5 minutes from the beach and 20 minutes from the airport. The home is fully staffed with a chef, butler, housekeeper, gardener and laundress. A van and driver can be arranged for any size group. Private spa treatments are available on site. The home also has a tranquil pavilion ideal for yoga retreats and the like.
Luxury Estate Flamingo on the Mexican Riviera
If you REALLY want to splurge (to the tune of $18,000 per night!) – you can stay at the same over-the-top home where the Kardashians have stayed. With 12 bedrooms and 14+ bathrooms, this magnificent beachfront retreat is nestled amid acres of lush tropical gardens in Punta Mita, Mexico. Located just below the Tropic of Cancer on the Pacific Mexican Riviera, it combines natural beauty, warm tropical weather, priceless seclusion, warm ocean water, a five-star chef, world-class service, and unparalleled luxury accommodations into a getaway destination unlike any other place on earth.
This house provides a carefree environment for relaxation and recreation that is the very definition of paradise. A discrete, but attentive staff is available around the clock to accommodate any request with an array of amenities to satisfy the most discriminating wish list.
Additional home vacation rental tips:
Location: Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina Instagram: @homehotelba Fame: Home hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina was visited by the Rolling Stones. Home hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is located in downtown Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires, amidst hip and boutique style shops, lively restaurants and elegant hotels.
A chic and boutique hotel itself, with an air of Los Angeles comfort, Home hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is styled with effervescence and colour. With a spaciously retro feel the decor shows off a an arty décor. The hotel features funky floral hand-painted wallpaper, polished cement flooring, colour blocking, and shiny retro furniture. Rooms: Home hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, rooms are all different sizes and décor, including unique loft rooms. A spa tub feature’s as the room’s centrepiece.
There are plenty of books to read, an IPod docking station with surround sound, flat screen TV, mini bar, luxury bedding, numerous drawers for storage, security safe, Home self branded cosmetics in large bathroom with his n hers toilets, balcony to sit and watch the sun set through an urban skyline.
Cuisine: Weekend brunching, & evening cocktails Home hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina dining by poolside is al fresco for weekend brunch is popular. Or cocktails in the evening at the trendy bar is on trend. Breakfast included in a hotel stay is outstanding, with a set menu including juice shots, lightly whipped yoghurt, fruit salad, scrambled eggs, and warm bread basket with caramel butter or orange salt butter, sour cream & bacon bits spread, pear marmalade, and fine chocolate spread. The dish to try at Home hotel is Huevos Rancheros. This is a delicious Mexican tortilla covered in layers of sour cream, guacamole, and the perfect amount of coriander, a surprising fried egg and the most amazing spicy tomato sauce. Hand sliced potato pieces and a side of refried beans complete the plate. The cocktail to tantalise the taste buds is definitely the Caipichofa, or Quinto, expertly made by friendly bar staff, in front of a wallpaper of liqueurs. Bloody Mary is a healthy choice, and light snack not to miss is the quality corn chips with guacamole and a moreish lemon hummus.
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For the nature and wildlife lover, Patagonia is the place to come in South America; whether you are a hard-core adventurer or a traveler more interested in light hiking, fishing or horseback riding. Ice Age valleys and moraines, jagged mountain ridges, fjords and glaciers, native forests and an abundance of waterfalls make the human visitor aware, at every moment, of the nature around them. In the town of Puerto Natales, Remota Hotel was built on the concept of blending nature with human civilization.
The property was created with the idea of mixing the architectural design with the natural surroundings, designed by legendary architect German del Sol who won the National Prize for his work on Remota. The buildings are integrated in harmony with the Patagonian landscape, at times blurring the lines between where nature ends and Remota begins. Using construction techniques such as earth-and-grass covered rooftops, sustainable local materials and energy-saving implementations was key for Del Sol. And these are no mere “nod to green concerns” gestures. The entire hotel utilizes a system that recycles the indoor air two to three times a day, using no energy whatsoever.
It’s a place where visitors can feel at one with Patagonia, and be in the present moment. Del Sol believed that beauty was in the imperfections, and embraced those aspects of his natural materials to create a place that offers an experience to guests, not just a hotel stay. “The loneliness of the vast landscape is perhaps what seduces the wanderer’s soul,” says del Sol. “Everyone can make a discovery if one sees the same old things with new eyes. Maybe, because we only get to know that which puts up some resistance, the place where it is hard to get to is that which we believe, somehow, that we deserve. Thus, perhaps, the myth of Patagonia is the myth of a remote place, where we feel that the journey has been accomplished, and we are delicately returned to what is ours.” Patagonia Sights and Excursions Hotel Remota tour guides are among the best in Chile, specially trained in the hotel’s own guide school. Remota is the only operation that offers certified fly fishing experience, as well as navigations, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle tours and bird watching, with world well-known specialists.
Every evening the guides gather in the bar of the hotel, where they can plan with guests their excursions for the next day out of more than 30 possibilities in Torres del Paine National Park, as well as beyond mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests, cattle farms and caves of ancestral native cultures. Tours can be done by vehicle (4x4), horseback, bicycle, or walking, sailing the fjords; it all depends on the guests preference and the area they would like to visit. Details about Hotel Remota The guest rooms are an invitation to rest body and soul, the relaxing aroma of the lenga wood together with the light radiating from the heat reflecting windows and the magnificent views to the fjord of Last Hope are the perfect setting for perfect comfort. Remota offers 72 wonderfully appointed, spacious rooms. The common areas are divided into multi levels, with several comfortable and stylish living rooms built around large fireplaces, leading eventually up to the restaurant and bar. The amazing food is part of the Remota experience, with skilled chefs creating a variety of inventive dishes from the fresh seafood of Patagonia and local ingredients.
A separate building houses a relaxing indoor heated pool, open-air Jacuzzi and men’s and women’s locker rooms with saunas. Every stay at Hotel Remota is a program that includes: • Accommodations • Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, with soft and alcoholic drinks or house wine. • 8 Daily Excursions offered according to the day’s program, with a bilingual guide. (English-Spanish) • Excursion hours are pre-established. Consult reception. • Use of the sauna, open-air Jacuzzi, and heated indoor pool. • Complementary transfers. Premium wines, massage services, outdoor equipment, personal goods, gift shop items, fly-fishing gear and tips are not included.
About Chile and Patagonia: http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/patagonia-2/
Hotel Remota website: http://www.remotahotel.com
Contact information: Ruta 9 Norte, km 1.5 Puerto Natales, Chile This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 56 | 2 | 23871500
All-inclusive programs at Hotel Remota start at $1,950 per person for 3 nights.
San Andres and Providencia are two beautiful islands and although they are closer to Nicaragua, they’re a part of the Colombian territory… In December I had a holiday in paradise. My final destination was Providencia, a small, isolated island away from the bussle of the daily city life. Spending a few days there was all I needed after a year of hard work.
As there are not direct flights to Providencia a great and inexpensive option is to reach the island by sea with the Splendor Catamaran with the company called Conocemos Navegando. The catamaran itself is spacious and comfortable, with great chairs, air conditioning and TV for everyone to enjoy. The company runs trips every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am from Tonino dock in San Andres.
Making the reservations through their website (http://www.
As we arrived at the port on the day of the trip, the sun was rising over the bay as we checked in and the staff and capitan were, with the lack of a better word, legends. They made sure that everyone on board was prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride by handing out juice and anti-nausea tablets. Throughout the journey they were always fun and attentive.
We made it to the island a couple of hours late, the swell was a bit rough but the catamaran mangaged the sea with ease. We were happy to be in Providencia and ready to have a few days of relaxing in the sun.
A trip From San Andres To Provicencia Island on the Splendor Catamaran
San Andres and Providencia are two beautiful islands and although they are closer to Nicaragua, they’re a part of the Colombian territory… In December I had a holiday in paradise. My final destination was Providencia, a small, isolated island away from the bussle of the daily city life. Spending a few days there was all I needed after a year of hard work.
As there are not direct flights to Providencia a great and inexpensive option is to reach the island by sea with the Splendor Catamaran with the company called Conocemos Navegando. The catamaran itself is spacious and comfortable, with great chairs, air conditioning and TV for everyone to enjoy. The company runs trips every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 am from Tonino dock in San Andres.
Making the reservations through their website (http://www.catamaransanandresyprovidencia.com/en) was really easy and their customer service was fantastic. They can help with bookings in either English or Spanish.
As we arrived at the port on the day of the trip, the sun was rising over the bay as we checked in and the staff and capitan were, with the lack of a better word, legends. They made sure that everyone on board was prepared for a bit of a bumpy ride by handing out juice and anti-nausea tablets. Throughout the journey they were always fun and attentive.
We made it to the island a couple of hours late, the swell was a bit rough but the catamaran mangaged the sea with ease. We were happy to be in Providencia and ready to have a few days of relaxing in the sun.
For the nature and wildlife lover, Patagonia is the place to come in South America; whether you are a hard-core adventurer or a traveler more interested in light hiking, fishing or horseback riding. Ice Age valleys and moraines, jagged mountain ridges, fjords and glaciers, native forests and an abundance of waterfalls make the human visitor aware, at every moment, of the nature around them.
In the town of Puerto Natales, Remota Hotel was built on the concept of blending nature with human civilization. The property was created with the idea of mixing the architectural design with the natural surroundings, designed by legendary architect German del Sol who won the National Prize for his work on Remota.
The buildings are integrated in harmony with the Patagonian landscape, at times blurring the lines between where nature ends and Remota begins. Using construction techniques such as earth-and-grass covered rooftops, sustainable local materials and energy-saving implementations was key for Del Sol. And these are no mere “nod to green concerns” gestures. The entire hotel utilizes a system that recycles the indoor air two to three times a day, using no energy whatsoever.
It’s a place where visitors can feel at one with Patagonia, and be in the present moment. Del Sol believed that beauty was in the imperfections, and embraced those aspects of his natural materials to create a place that offers an experience to guests, not just a hotel stay.
“The loneliness of the vast landscape is perhaps what seduces the wanderer’s soul,” says del Sol. “Everyone can make a discovery if one sees the same old things with new eyes. Maybe, because we only get to know that which puts up some resistance, the place where it is hard to get to is that which we believe, somehow, that we deserve. Thus, perhaps, the myth of Patagonia is the myth of a remote place, where we feel that the journey has been accomplished, and we are delicately returned to what is ours.”
Patagonia Sights and Excursions Hotel Remota tour guides are among the best in Chile, specially trained in the hotel’s own guide school. Remota is the only operation that offers certified fly fishing experience, as well as navigations, hiking, horseback riding, bicycle tours and bird watching, with world well-known specialists. Every evening the guides gather in the bar of the hotel, where they can plan with guests their excursions for the next day out of more than 30 possibilities in Torres del Paine National Park, as well as beyond mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests, cattle farms and caves of ancestral native cultures. Tours can be done by vehicle (4x4), horseback, bicycle, or walking, sailing the fjords; it all depends on the guests preference and the area they would like to visit.
Details about Hotel Remota The guest rooms are an invitation to rest body and soul, the relaxing aroma of the lenga wood together with the light radiating from the heat reflecting windows and the magnificent views to the fjord of Last Hope are the perfect setting for perfect comfort. Remota offers 72 wonderfully appointed, spacious rooms. The common areas are divided into multi levels, with several comfortable and stylish living rooms built around large fireplaces, leading eventually up to the restaurant and bar. The amazing food is part of the Remota experience, with skilled chefs creating a variety of inventive dishes from the fresh seafood of Patagonia and local ingredients. A separate building houses a relaxing indoor heated pool, open-air Jacuzzi and men’s and women’s locker rooms with saunas.
Every stay at Hotel Remota is a program that includes:
• Accommodations
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, with soft and alcoholic drinks or house wine.
• 8 Daily Excursions offered according to the day’s program, with a bilingual guide. (English-Spanish)
• Excursion hours are pre-established. Consult reception.
• Use of the sauna, open-air Jacuzzi, and heated indoor pool.
• Complementary transfers.
Premium wines, massage services, outdoor equipment, personal goods, gift shop items, fly-fishing gear and tips are not included.
About Chile and Patagonia: http://chile.travel/en/where-to-go/patagonia-2/
Hotel Remota website: http://www.remotahotel.com
Contact information: Ruta 9 Norte, km 1.5 Puerto Natales, Chile This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 56 | 2 | 23871500
All-inclusive programs at Hotel Remota start at $1,950 per person for 3 nights.
One of the most remote places you can visit on Earth is also one of the most mysterious: Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui in the native language. Dubbed Easter Island when the first Europeans landed here on Easter Day 1722, the island is the most isolated inhabited place on earth – farther from the next piece of land than any other settled place on our planet.
Nearly six hours by air from mainland Chile, Rapa Nui holds some of the greatest mysteries known to humankind. It is most famous, of course, for the legendary statues that seem to stand guard around its coastline. Many people who could never begin to pick out the island on a map would recognize a photograph of one of these statues, called Moai, instantly.
More than 600 Moai sculptures are found around the small island, ranging in size from a meter to more than eight meters in height. But exactly how the statues got there, and their significance, remain largely unknown and controversial; as does the reason so many were toppled, and why the thriving, sophisticated civilization here went into a sudden decline and disappeared in the late 18th century. After decades of research and archaeology, scientific investigation and oral history handed down for generations, the answers given are often at odds — even among the Rapa Nui people themselves.
It is an enchanting place to visit, the legends and mystery simply adding to the allure. Visiting the many archeological spots that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a knowledgeable tour guide — a must in order to understand in any depth what you are seeing — can take weeks. But in a matter of days, one can see the major sites of importance. The protected Parque Nacional Rapa Nui makes up forty percent of the island’s surface.
The top place to stay on the island is Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa, less than a kilometer the airport and the only town on the island, Hanga Roa. The entire resort is carefully built and designed using natural materials and local handicrafts as much as possible. The common areas, restaurants, meeting rooms, spas, and buildings with the guest rooms are all placed around the property within easy walking distance, but with plenty of green space and privacy in between. Views are spectacular, right at the water's edge with the wild surf beating at black rocks mere yards away.
75 rooms and suites are carefully decorated in island style, with privacy and comfort combined with luxurious amenities. The Kainga rooms feature "columns" of polished Cypress trunks, pebbled floors, a native-crafted clay tub and separate rainfall shower. The built-in desk and sofa bed offer usability and comfort, and the private terraces with ocean views are the crowning touch. On my first morning here, I looked out my terrace doors to see a dozen of the island's wild horses yards away, just beyond the property fence. That combined with the stunning sunrise coming up over the cliffs and Hanga Roa town, amidst the morning fog, was a spectacular greeting.
Six Ma'unga suites also offer large, open living areas with built-in seating and an additional guest bathroom. All of the rooms have curved ceilings and walls, which is one of the things I found most pleasing. Everything about Hangaroa Ecovillage feels organic, without a hard edge to the place. It's like an immersion into the Rapa Nui lifestyle.
Internet connection is available in all rooms, and each has a stocked minibar - snacks are complimentary, and replenished.
The beautifully landscaped grounds include a lovely pool, the main lobby and gathering areas, exercise room and three meeting and event rooms. There is also a spa, Manavai, which provides unique treatments using locally-crafted ingredients. Separate private treatment rooms offer the ultimate in relaxation and rejuvenation.
A highlight of a stay here is definitely the dining experience. The hotel excels with its seafood dishes, which are beyond outstanding. The main restaurant, Poerava, serves breakfast and lunch in a gorgeous setting overlooking the ocean. For evening cocktails and dining, Kaloa invites guests for a complimentary sunset cocktail. There is a small separate bar, along with several levels of private dining tables. The decor is minimalist and chic, and reminiscent of dining in a top continental restaurant. Both the service and food are top-notch in both dining rooms, as is the selection of Chilean wines offered to accompany the inventive, fresh dishes.
Hanga Roa town is only a short walk away (taxis can also be easily had). The town is small,home to about five thousand residents, but interesting to stroll around. There are a number of nice little shops, restaurants and bars, particularly along the main street and the beach side. An artisan market and two museums are highly worthwhile. Don’t forget to stop by the post office for a must-have Easter Island memento: for a suggested tip, the postmaster will stamp your passport with the official Easter Island stamp.
One of the best things about staying at Hangaroa Eco Village is the fact that they can set up all your excursions for you. They work with the first (and best) tour operator on the island, Mahinatur Services, which has been in business since 1967. You can set up your excursions direct from the hotel and your tour guide will be there to meet you (and usually other resort guests) each morning or afternoon. Every excursion we went on was top-notch, with excellent and knowledgeable English-speaking guides. This helped to make our Easter Island visit one of the top travel experiences I have ever had - and certainly one of the most unique in the world.
DETAILS
Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa
AV. PONT S / N, Hangaroa,
Easter Island, Chile
+56 (2) 2957 0300
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.hangaroa.cl
Getting There:
LAN Airlines operates daily flights from Santiago to Easter Island (except Tuesday), with twice-weekly flights that continue on to Tahiti. They are also generally the best bet for flying into Chile from North America, Central America and South America.
Easter Island Information:
The official Chile Tourism websiteoffers a wealth of information about visiting the country and Easter Island.
Easter Island Tourism also has their own website about the island.
Images by Keith Hajovsky
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