Palau Culture & Nature: Babeldaob & the Reefs

A day exploring Palauan culture and history in Koror before venturing further afield. You visit the excellent Belau National Museum, the oldest museum in Micronesia, which explores Palauan history, culture, legends and traditions, and the Etpison Museum, with its fine collection of Palauan and Micronesian art and artefacts, including beautiful storyboards and traditional money. You see a traditional bai (meeting house) with its intricate carvings and paintings, learn about the unique matrilineal clan society and the legends and customs of Palau, and perhaps watch storyboard carving or browse for local crafts. You might also visit the aquarium to see the marine life of the reefs. This immersion in Palauan culture, history and art in Koror provides a wonderful foundation for the deeper cultural exploration of Babeldaob to come, and reveals the rich human heritage of Palau beyond its reefs. As the sun sets, enjoy a relaxed dinner, reflecting on the fascinating culture you have begun to discover.

Today you experience Palau's most famous marine wonders. A boat carries you into the UNESCO-listed Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a surreal labyrinth of jungle-clad, mushroom-shaped limestone islands scattered across dazzling turquoise water. You cruise among the emerald islets, snorkel over vibrant coral gardens teeming with fish and turtles, and land on a deserted white-sand beach. The highlight is Jellyfish Lake, where you snorkel among millions of harmless golden jellyfish pulsing through sunlit water, an utterly surreal, dreamlike and unforgettable experience, as thousands of jellyfish drift all around you, brushing softly and harmlessly against your skin. Experiencing these extraordinary marine wonders, the essence of Palau, alongside the culture and land of the journey, ensures a wonderfully rounded experience. As the boat returns across the turquoise lagoon, you take in the beauty of the emerald islands, and a relaxed dinner in Koror rounds off a magical day. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to the lush, little-visited main island of Babeldaob.

Today you journey to Babeldaob, Palau's large, lush and little-visited main island, a world away from the lagoon. You hike or take a jungle monorail to the spectacular Ngardmau waterfall, the largest in Palau, where you can swim in a cool, clear pool beneath the cascade, reached through dense tropical rainforest alive with birdsong. You then explore the mysterious ancient stone monoliths of Badrulchau, on a grassy hillside overlooking the sea, where dozens of large, weathered basalt monoliths, some carved with faces, stand in rows, their origin a mystery said in legend to have been erected by the gods, and thought to date back over a thousand years, an evocative and moving experience. You settle into accommodation on Babeldaob, immersed in the lush, wild beauty and deep history of the main island. As the sun sets over the rainforest, a relaxed dinner rounds off a fascinating day of nature and ancient mystery, revealing the terrestrial soul of Palau.

A day immersed in the traditional culture of Babeldaob. You visit traditional Palauan villages, seeing beautiful bai (meeting houses) with their intricate, colourful carvings and paintings depicting the legends, history and social codes of Palau, and learn about the famous Palauan storyboards, exquisitely carved wooden panels that tell traditional legends, perhaps watching a carver at work. You meet local people, learn about the matrilineal clan society, the customs, legends and daily life of Palau, and share a traditional lunch. You might also visit historic sites, the old Japanese-era relics, and the ancient terraces and earthworks that dot the island. This rich immersion in living Palauan culture, its beautiful architecture, unique carving traditions, ancient legends and strong community, reveals the deep human soul of Palau beyond the reefs, and is a fascinating and moving highlight. As the sun sets over the lush island, enjoy a relaxed dinner, reflecting on the rich culture and heritage you have experienced, a world away from the turquoise lagoons.

A day exploring the lush, wild nature of Babeldaob. You might cruise the island's rivers and mangrove estuaries, rich in birdlife and home to Palau's unique wildlife, including endemic birds and, in the mangroves, saltwater crocodiles, hike through rainforest to hidden waterfalls and pools, explore the wild landscapes of savannah, forest and coast, and take in the untouched, green beauty of the island. Babeldaob's lush, unspoiled nature, largely untouched and rarely visited, offers wonderful gentle adventure and a fascinating contrast to the marine wonders of the lagoon. Your guide shares the natural history, legends and conservation of the island as you explore. This immersion in the wild, lush nature of Babeldaob reveals the rich terrestrial beauty of Palau, and adds a wonderful natural and adventurous dimension to the cultural journey. As the sun sets over the rainforest and rivers, enjoy a relaxed dinner, reflecting on the wild, green beauty of Palau's main island, and rest ahead of your return to Koror and the reefs tomorrow.

Today you journey back to Koror, and enjoy a final day among Palau's marine wonders. You might take a boat trip to snorkel the pristine reefs and coral gardens of the Rock Islands, teeming with turtles, giant clams and clouds of fish, swim once more among the jellyfish, or snorkel the glittering Chandelier Cave. Alternatively, you might relax and explore more of Koror. Palau's blend of extraordinary marine wonders, rich culture, deep history and lush nature has revealed a destination of remarkable depth and beauty, far beyond the dive sites. As your journey draws to a close, a farewell dinner celebrates the full range of wonders you have experienced, the marine magic of the Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake, the ancient monoliths and traditional villages, the beautiful bai and storyboards, and the lush rainforest, waterfalls and rivers of Babeldaob, and you reflect on the deep culture, rich history and pristine nature of one of the most remarkable and least-understood nations in the Pacific.

After a final morning in Koror, perhaps a last look at the turquoise lagoon or a visit to the museum, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced a rare and deep side of Palau, not just its world-famous reefs and Rock Islands, but the rich culture, ancient history and lush nature of the main island of Babeldaob, its mysterious monoliths, traditional villages, beautiful bai and storyboards, jungle waterfalls and mangrove rivers, alongside the marine wonders of the lagoon and Jellyfish Lake. The images and encounters stay vivid long after you land, the ancient stones on the hilltop, the intricate storyboards, the golden jellyfish, the lush green island. For the curious traveller, this in-depth journey reveals the deep human and terrestrial soul of Palau, far beyond the dive sites, and you depart with a richer, more complete understanding of this remarkable island nation, already treasuring the memory of its culture, history and pristine nature.