About
There are two of us. That is the entire pitch.
Tavake Rapu guides on Rapa Nui. Raghav plans trips from Toronto. Between us that is one guide's calendar and one person's inbox, which caps how much work we can take — and is exactly why the work is good.
On the island
Tavake Rapu was born in Hanga Roa and is accredited by both SERNATUR and Ma'u Henua — the two credentials legally required to take anyone into the archaeological sites. He guides in English, Spanish, Rapa Nui.
He guides one group at a time. That is a deliberate limit, not a growth problem we are working on.
Off the island
Raghav handles the part most operators are weakest at: replying properly, in good English, in a time zone close to yours, before you have committed to anything.
That includes the unglamorous work — checking your return ticket meets the rules, telling you which day to start your park ticket, and sequencing your days so a rainy afternoon does not cost you the quarry.
The honest version
Us versus a large agency
Both columns are true. Which one you want depends on whether you value choosing your guide or guaranteed availability.
| Posterify | A large agency or OTA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who guides you | Tavake Rapu, by name, every time. You know who is collecting you before you pay. | Assigned on the day from a roster of subcontractors you never see in advance. |
| Who answers your email | Raghav, who also wrote the itinerary. One conversation, no handover. | A booking agent working from a script, often several time zones from the destination. |
| What you pay for | Guiding and transport. You book flights and hotel yourself at the price you find. | A bundled package where the flight, hotel, and guide each carry a margin. |
| Group size | Your party only. Never combined with strangers. | Whoever else booked that departure, typically twelve to twenty-four people. |
| Availability | Limited. One guide, one group at a time, and peak weeks fill early. | Almost always available, because capacity is bought in bulk. |
What we promise
Four commitments we can actually keep at this size
We will tell you if you should not come
If you have two nights and want to see the whole island, we will say so rather than sell you a rushed itinerary you will regret.
We will not resell your booking
The guide named on this site is the guide you get. If he is unavailable for your dates, we say no rather than substituting someone you did not choose.
We keep the free guides free
Everything in the planning hub stays readable without an email address. It is useful whether or not you ever hire us.
We date our facts
Park prices and entry rules change. Every planning article carries the date it was last verified, so you know how much to trust it.
One more thing
Rapa Nui is somebody's home
The island is under formal saturation rules: tourist stays are capped at 30 days, accommodation is restricted to accredited properties, and the park is managed by the Rapa Nui community itself through Ma'u Henua. None of that is bureaucracy for its own sake.
Practically, it means we keep groups small, we do not take shortcuts around park rules to give anyone a better photograph, and the guiding fee you pay stays with a local guide rather than a foreign tour operator.
Talk to the people who will actually run your trip
We reply within 24 hours, Monday to Saturday.