Hostal Vai Kapua

Talking to the owner, Lucy, during our breakfasts was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. Born on the island, she grew up speaking Rapa Nui at home and taught us basic phrases, the nuances of pronunciation (which we butchered! but we tried), and showed us local TV programming about some of the island's cultural programs and celebrations. Lucy also offered us sightseeing tips and even wrote out a little language lesson for us to take home with us, which was a nice surprise and hugely appreciated. Vaikapua is located in a convenient area, very close to car rentals, eateries, and souvenir shops (granted the town is very small!). The room itself was adequate. No air conditioning, a simple screen door as a window, and a bathroom with good water pressure and hot water. The bathroom was definitely dated and the linoleum stuff on the walls was peeling off, but that didn't bother us, especially for the ridiculously affordable room rate. This is absolutely par for the course in a place like Easter Island, it reminded me of the small B&Bs I stayed in while visiting Cuba's provincial regions. Roosters will wake you up in the morning, but you'll want to wake around that time anyway to go sightseeing. This was not an inconvenience for us. Breakfast was also delicious, with fresh local fruit and banana bread, and some bread with cheese, butter, and meat. To drink, we had fresh fruit juice and hot water for coffee or tea. It was an amazing deal to have this included. One note: Though the website mentions that a kitchen is available for guests, DO NOT USE IT. Thinking we could cook some spaghetti one night to save money, the kitchen was clearly not used often was not very clean (flies, questionable dishes and cutlery, etc). Rest assured the private cooking area Lucy uses for your breakfast is much better, but do not plan to cook yourself! I very much want to return to Easter Island and will absolutely stay here again when I return.