Polynesians are believed to have settled this island between 300 and 1200 CE, and today their descendants  60 percent of the population of barely 7,800. Consider visiting in February, when the island’s main festival, Tapati Rapa Nui, takes place, a memorable cultural extravaganza of song, dance, and competitions between the clans of the Polynesian people who have lived here since the first century AD (actually, recent research indicates possibly as late as 1200 AD).

Read more in our post Chile's Extraordinary Rapa Nui - aka Easter Island.

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