Experience the Wonders of Palau at the Rainbow’s End!
Where does the Rainbow End? Palau is an archipelago located in the westernmost corner of Micronesia with more than 586 islands and about 20,000 inhabitants. Consistently ranked as one of the world's best dive destinations, Palau is the ultimate paradise for the adventurous traveler, boasting some of the most spectacular water features and beaches as well as the world famous Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake.
Palau is part of the Micronesian Island chain and is beautifully located just 7° north of the Equator in the western Pacific Ocean. This gives Palau some of the most favorable tropical weather on earth with moderate temperatures and soft ocean breezes all year round. You can reach Palau via Continental Airlines in just 1-hour and 45-minutes from Guam! For more information, visit Palau Visitors Authority website at www.visit-palau.com or www.continental.com for Continental Airlines special holiday packages.
- Culture in Palau - Experience the Enchanting Heritage of Palau
The islands are locally known as Belau. Early explorers called them Los Palaos and Pelew Islands. The Spanish dubbed it the Caroline Islands before the Germans finally gave it its present name, Palau.
It took a stroke of fate to initiate Palau’s contact with the outside world. On a stormy August night in 1783, British Captain Henry Wilson ran aground in his ship Antelope, off the stores of Ulong Island. What he discovered was fascinating- an ancient culture steeped in tradition and living perfect harmony with nature.
Palau villages were traditionally organized around matrilineal clans. Men and women had strictly defined roles. A council of chiefs governed the villages, while a parallel council of women held an advisory role in the control of land, money, and the selection of chiefs. While women were caretakers of their homes and families, they also carried the responsibility of educating their children about Palauan traditions and culture, ensuring the continuity of the village or clan. They also cultivated taro fields and harvested shellfish from the shallow reefs. The sea was the domain of men, who braved its fury to harvest the fish necessary to sustain the village and wage battle. Inter-village wars were common so men spent a lot of time in the men’s meeting house called “bai”, mastering techniques of canoe-building and refining their weaponry skills. Palau’s modern life balances on rich culture inheritance and practices that endow the people with a sense of ownership to their Island. Traditional arts and practices are commonly performed and held during festive occasions to emphasize the people’s way of entertainment and hospitality. Dig further into its history and explore the island to find remnants of an ancient lifestyle that is not much different than the modern world it is today.
- Diving in Palau - Experience the Underwater Wonders of Palau
Beneath the surface, Palau shelters a diverse marine life that is as colorful and rich as on land with more than 1,400 species of fish, 500 species of corals, and 7 out 9 species of giant clams can be found in Palau. Visualize diving with gentle giant Manta rays as they circle a cleaning station to have their gills cleaned by small wrasses. Encounters with endangered species like the Hawks-bill turtle, or unique encounters with the Chambered Nautilus, a deep-water shell species found only in few Pacific Islands, are easily done in Palau. Even rare pelagic species like the giant whale shark, Orca killer whales, and Marlins are sometimes spotted around the outer reefs. January to April is Palau’s busy season for diving, but it is good year-round.
Palau has two deepwater trenches, the Palau trench on the east and the Philippine Trench on the west. The cold, nutrient-rich waters here teem with different species, some still to be discovered by science. Palau has been recognized as one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World” by author Rick Sammon, and has been featured in many scientific movies and documentaries.
- Nature in Palau - Experience the Undisputed Nature of Palau
Few places on earth can match the astonishing natural beauty of Palau. Approximately 75% of Palau is covered in native forest and mangroves that are home to various endemic plants and faunas. Over a 100 plant species and birds have been recorded to which at least 1/3 of these species are endemic to the island. Hidden away in these lush tropical jungle and forests lie obscured waterfalls that presides magically over their respective natural domain. The friendliness of Palau s’ people is unabashed disarming, but it is their immense esteem for the islands’ natural resources –a respect anchored in steep tradition- that has yielded broad conservation of natures’ gifts. The effect is profound in that Palau remains an earnestly enchanting land, a tropical paradise of untouched coral reefs rife with exotic sea life. Many of these reefs lie in unbelievable proximity to dozens of deserted, glistening white sand beaches on the edges of palm-shaded tropical islands.
- Activities in Palau - Experience the Non-Stop Fun in Palau
As famous as it is credited to its diving, Palau is not limited to just its glorious blue waters, and may offer you a simple yet fulfilling itinerary filled with activities. Snorkeling is also one of Palau’s main water activities besides diving. Other marine activities include kayaking, fishing, jet-ski, banana boating, close encounter with dolphins, snorkeling with millions of jellyfish at the Jellyfish Lake and much more!
There are numerous activities on land as well such as tours to museums for more in depth culture and historical discovery about Palau, trekking through ancient village grounds and ruins, cruise on a jungle river boat to see crocodiles and endemic plants along the river, or visit the local wood carving shops for a memorable souvenir as a token of your visit to Palau. A visit to Palau would not be complete without tasting some of the local delicacies such as tapioca, mangrove crab, coconut candy, even fruit bat soup!
For more information, please contact:
Palau Visitors Authority
P.O. Box 256, Koror, Republic of Palau, 96940
Tel (680)488-2793/1930, Fax (680)488-1453
E-mail: pva@visit-palau.com
Web Site: www.visit-palau.com
