Rapa Nui Traditional Dinner and Show

After hotel pickup, head to the restaurant where your night festivities begin with a welcome ceremony in the pergola. Listen to live music, enjoy a tropical cocktail and observe the ritual of

takona (painted faces). You can even have your face marked with the traditional kiea pigments.

Then gather around a pit for the

umu pae presentation to learn about the Rapa Nui tradition of cooking food on top of hot volcanic stones. Feel free to ask any questions you may have about the process, which includes wrapping the goods in banana leaves and placing them go in the ground to cook for several hours. While the meat cools, work up an appetite as you try out traditional dance steps with members of a performance group.

For dinner, the umu pae–style menu features dishes prepared earlier that day. You can expect some sort of meat — chicken, pork ribs, sausage and fish — plus seasonal vegetables like sweet potato, squash, carrots and taro. Take bites of the succulent meats and vegetables that have simmered for hours. Regular sides include rice, salads, sauces, bread and dessert.

Once you're full, head to the ballroom for a spellbinding folkloric extravaganza that brings Rapa Nui history and legends to life. In between the impressive dancing and traditional chants of ‘Hoko,’ ‘Moai’ and ‘Tanata Manu,’ the chieftain explains what you see.

After the performance, you’ll be taken back to your hotel.