Abercrombie & Kent Launches a ‘Wild Horse Nine’ Trip to Easter Island
The seven-day private itinerary pairs filming locations in Santiago and Rapa Nui with a firsthand account of Chile’s 1973 coup and dinner in a Rapa Nui family’s home.
Photo: Sophie Laurent / Unsplash
Abercrombie & Kent has partnered with Searchlight Pictures on a seven-day private journey through Santiago and Easter Island, timed to the Nov. 6 U.S. theatrical release of Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine. The itinerary pairs filming locations with visits that put Chile’s 1973 coup in historical context and introduce travelers to the living culture of Rapa Nui, as Easter Island is also known.
In the film, two CIA agents played by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell are sent from Santiago to Easter Island by their bureau chief, played by Steve Buscemi, shortly before the coup. A&K follows the same route, starting in the Chilean capital with a backstage visit to the Municipal Theatre, which appears in the film.
The Santiago portion also includes visits to La Moneda Palace, the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, and Villa Grimaldi, a former detention center now preserved as a memorial. Over dinner, travelers hear firsthand from a Chilean resident who lived through the coup.
“Great films have the power to transport audiences to extraordinary places, and we believe travel offers the opportunity to experience those stories in an entirely new way,” said Peter Chipchase, chief brand officer of A&K Travel Group, in the announcement.
From Santiago, travelers fly roughly 2,000 miles into the Pacific to Rapa Nui. Local guides take them to Rano Raraku, the volcanic quarry where hundreds of the island’s moai were carved, and to Anakena Beach, where ceremonial platforms stand near the shore. The itinerary also visits Hotel Iorana, another filming location, and includes a light breakfast at Ahu Tongariki as the sun rises over its 15 restored moai. At Ahu Tahai, guests can watch the sun set behind the statues over cocktails.
Away from the archaeological sites, travelers share dinner in a Rapa Nui family’s home and attend a performance featuring ancestral chants, traditional dance, and Polynesian storytelling. An evening session on celestial navigation explores how Polynesian voyagers used the stars to find their way across the Pacific.
Wild Horse Nine: An Easter Island Adventure starts at $11,795 per person. The suggested length is seven days, and advisors can work with A&K to tailor the privately guided itinerary to their clients’ interests.
