Palau - Culture

A spectacular 400 mile long strand of pearls laid across blue sea best describes this jewel of the Pacific. Made of limestone coral reefs lifted above sea level and undercut by ocean currents which over time, have notched the bases so that from the air they look like giant green mushrooms, the Republic of Palau is truly nature at her most majestic.

Koror, the capital, has breathtaking views of the islands, Japanese stone lanterns and the only Shinto Shrine outside Japan, a reminder of Japanese occupation during the war. There is a National Museum founded in 1955 which displays a bounty of island treasure and on special occasions you can see young Palauan women dressed in grass skirts, covered in coconut oil and turmeric perform ancient native dances on the museum's grass.

From Koror you can take a tour boat to one of the many islands for an all day picnic, take up the new sport of kayaking round the Rock Islands, snorkelling on the way, or go swimming, scuba diving and shelling out at the reef. If you prefer fishing, cast a line from the beach or a dinghy and catch a swag of tropical fish.

A village tour of Babeldaob is where you can see some of the impressive historic and cultural sites such as stone walkways and hedges of immense sizes, plus the Palauan equivalent of the Biblical Lot story - an ancient statue of a mother and child who were turned to stone when the mother peeked inside a village men's house, found in Koror.

Overnight accommodation here is not available so visitors can ask to stay with a family. If you do this, return the hospitality by bringing with you gifts such as bread, coffee, canned meat and cigarettes. It's a custom to remove your shoes before entering a home.