Sybaritic Single Samples the Other World of Easter Island

The Sybaritic Single has always wanted to escape as far as possible. If not the Moon, the second furthest place is Easter Island, known to be the most remote island on Earth.

Six hours after departing from Santiago, the Sybaritic Single approaches Easter Island and, after a short ride in a rickety van, settles in one of the six suites at Nayara Hangaroa. Considered the finest on the island, it is also known to be eco-friendly, which quite often is a red flag for someone who appreciates material luxury.

In case of this ocean-front resort, this is more an excuse for offering no room service, patchy Wi-Fi, an atrocious minibar and mostly unpalatable food. To make things worse, it's also an all-inclusive concept which means the hotel can get away with supremely watery orange juice, wilted lettuce and stale supermarket-grade viennoiserie. No caviar or foie gras here - only “sustainable and seasonal” produce that’s a wonderful way to camouflage appalling miserliness.

Designed by the architect Tomás Bunster, the resort's 10 hectare site has been sympathetically blended into the island and pays homage to the ceremonial village of Orongo, located on the edge of the nearby Ranu Kau volcano. The village-like cluster of low-lying buildings with native cypress beams is complemented by a wastewater treatment plant which reuses water for the gardens, green roofs to help with temperature control (like the old round houses) and a micro turbine that generates electricity.

The Sybaritic Single cannot think of any more self-sufficient luxury hotel, which would also be home to wild horses, straw dogs and dozens of chicken who start their cock-a-doodle-doos at sunrise! Like the horses, all of them are wild, descendants of birds brought by original Polynesian settlers, so no, there are no organic eggs for breakfast.

During the day, the Sybaritic Single tours the island discovering enigmatic Moai statues, more than 900 of them, as well as some ancient ruins surrounded by absolute wilderness and tranquility. The sky a pristine deep shade of blue and the air is spectacularly fresh. At night, the sky becomes a life-size glowing map of the universe with more stars than there are bubbles in a glass of champagne. Leaving Nayara Hangaroa material worries behind, this is the true, timeless luxury he has crossed the world to indulge in.

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