Hey from Easter Island!
I’m having fun with a while in South America and the South Pacific with my accomplice Jessy. We’re right here to tick some far-flung locations off of our bucket lists, in addition to expertise a distinct kind of journey than what we’ve completed lately.
This journey is a bit shorter and fewer exhaustive than, say, our honeymoon and pre-honeymoon journeys, nevertheless it’s one which we’ve been trying ahead to for fairly a while.
The Journey
Easter Island, or Rapa Nui to the locals, is likely one of the world’s most distant outposts. It’s positioned over 3,500km off the coast of Chile, and there aren’t too some ways to get there.
Certainly, it’s a vacation spot which I’ve lengthy dreamed of visiting, and I’m thrilled to lastly discover myself right here.
Our final journey to the South Pacific was for our “pre-honeymoon”, once we spent a while in French Polynesia absorbing the solar and residing within the lap of luxurious. On Easter Island, we’re in for a a lot totally different expertise; nevertheless, it’s positive to be simply as rewarding.
From right here, we’ll head again to Chile for a brand-new expertise of a distinct sort, as we’re off on a five-day trek in Patagonia.
Lengthy gone would be the five-star logos adorned on the outside of our lodging and the frilly breakfast spreads to sit up for.
Reasonably, we’ve opted for a extra rustic expertise this time round, as we’ll be sleeping below the celebs in tents and extra modest vacationer lodgings.
Trekking is one thing that’s new to me, and after listening to from my pals and colleagues about epic adventures within the mountains, I needed to see what it’s like for myself.
From there, we’ll wrap up the journey in Santiago, earlier than heading again to North America.
I’ve beloved my travels in South America through the years, and I’m very pleased so as to add to my experiences on this a part of the world.
The Flights
For this journey, I needed to piece collectively separate flights for us, since I started my journey after TravelMoreCon in Asheville, North Carolina, whereas Jessy began out from our dwelling in Vancouver.
After a fast positioning flight to Miami, I booked via to Santiago by way of Lima on LATAM enterprise class for 45,000 Alaska miles. This can be a product I haven’t had the possibility to check out till now, and I assumed it was a fairly whole lot, particularly given the upcoming devaluation in 2024.
I booked Jessy from Vancouver to Santiago by way of Toronto with Air Canada, utilizing the “Latitude Attitude” to safe lie-flat enterprise class seats on each flights for simply 65,000 Aeroplan factors.
To get to and from Easter Island, we made an Avios redemption from my British Airways Executive Club account with LATAM enterprise class. We paid 38,750 Avios per particular person per course, plus a nominal quantity of taxes and charges.
Oddly sufficient, the supply in enterprise class is a lot better than financial system on this route, and it’s an excellent candy spot to benefit from, particularly for those who used a switch bonus occasion.
For our trek, I booked money fares from Santiago to Punta Arenas, which is the main hub metropolis within the Chilean Patagonian area, after which from Puerto Natales again to Santiago. Puerto Natales serves because the gateway to the W Trek in Torres del Paine.
Coming again, I booked us from Santiago to Vancouver by way of Toronto in Air Canada business class for simply 58,000 Aeroplan factors every. This was an unimaginable deal, contemplating that we booked straight into enterprise class, and have round 16 hours of flying time within the consolation of lie-flat pods.
It’s not essentially straightforward to seek out Air Canada flights at these costs, nevertheless it’s definitely not inconceivable. I used to be lucky sufficient to bump into ample award house on the lowest enterprise class pricing inside the mid-November journey window once I had booked in mid-September.
The Inns
There’s a variety of lodging on this journey, spanning all the pieces from top-tier resorts to tatty tents.
Upon arrival in Santiago, we indulged in a two-night keep on the Mandarin Oriental Santiago. I’ve loved all of my stays with the Mandarin Oriental model thus far, which might be booked with Prince Collection, our luxurious journey company.
On Easter Island, we’re spending three nights at Explora Rapa Nui, top-of-the-line motels on the island. That is one other property that may be booked with Prince Assortment by way of the Virtuoso program, so you should definitely get in contact with us for a quote for those who’re headed this fashion.
As soon as again in Chile, we’re staying at a mixture of Airbnbs, refugios, and campsites throughout our time in Puntas Arenas, Puerto Natales, and the W Trek in Torres del Paine. The campsites shall be a complete new expertise for me, particularly when in comparison with the posh aspect that I sometimes pursue.
To wrap up our journey, we’re booked for 2 nights on the W Santiago, for which I burned a number of Marriott Free Night Awards. This W can be notable for permitting Suite Night Award holders to request the WOW Suite, so I’ll definitely be hoping that my suite improve comes via.
Total, there’s an actual mixture of lodgings on this journey, and I’m trying ahead to getting out of my consolation zone this time round, each actually and figuratively.
Conclusion
My spouse Jessy and I are off to Chile, the place we’ll go to Santiago, Easter Island, and the Chilean Patagonian area.
South America is a vacation spot that gives such a variety of experiences, and I’m happy to be attempting out new airline merchandise and lodging throughout this comparatively fast journey.
From absorbing the paranormal appeal of Easter Island to the lacing up my mountain climbing boots in Torres del Paine, I’m trying ahead to exploring many new frontiers on this journey, and I invite you to comply with alongside on our adventures on the weblog, YouTube, and my Instagram web page within the coming weeks.
