© Gunther Deichmann - Bai, traditional meeting House

It’s an early start with a full day ahead of us. We are staying at the Palasia Hotel located in the centre of Koror. The room I am in has views across the tree-tops out to the sea, other rooms have town views. The Palasia is one of Palau’s better hotels and has approximately 165 rooms configured around a central open atrium. The hotel is especially popular with Asian tourists (mainly from Taiwan, Japan and Korea) although there were also a number of European divers staying there as well.

Breakfast (and indeed Dinner) was on a buffet basis and although there do appear to be ‘a la carte’ options many of the hotels provide buffets for their meals. Interestingly the dining room was very busy between 07.00am and 08.00am and thereafter pretty much empty. Primarily this is because many people visiting Palau are taking part in daily tour activities such as diving, island tours, kayaking etc. Operators like Sam’s Tours (see more later) collect their guests from the hotels and then assist them back later that day. Very few of the hotels actually have their own dive operator or tour centre in-house and instead the typical model is for the hotels to concentrate on accommodation and for the tours and trips to be provided by external operators. Similarly, very few of the Dive Centres appear have their own accommodation or resorts.

Just a word on tourism in Palau; it’s proximity to the rest of mainland Asia means that it is a popular destination for Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean visitors. There are also a number of arrivals from China. However, diving is the main draw and it is rightly considered to be one of the best diving destinations in the world – this means that there are also steadily increasing numbers of European. Australian, SE Asian and US divers coming to experience the underwater world.

Breakfast at the Palasia was similar to many others – a combination of Western and Asian flavours. We were then met by our guide and Marketing Representative from the PVA – the excellent Mr Kadoi Ruluked – who was to be with us for our trip. Kadoi was a fountain of knowledge and an obvious love of all things Palau related. Our plan today was to see as many of the hotels, resorts and operators as possible during the course of the day. First stop was West Plaza by the Sea.

The West Plaza group own 5 hotels throughout the Koror area and they are very popular with visiting divers. Indeed Sam’s Tours provide some excellent value Diving / Touring packages using West Plaza as the accommodation. West Plaza hotels have basic but clean and efficient rooms, with television, a.c, tea and coffee making facilities etc and are ideal for those on a budget who wish to concentrate their resources on diving and touring. Blue Horizons will provide you with more details of flights, accommodation and diving packages for these hotels.

Next stop was Palau Plantation Resort which has more traditional buildings set in tropical gardens on the side of a small cultivated valley. Definitely popular with the Japanese market the rooms range from simple to high end.

We then briefly called into IMPAC Tours who provided some welcome cold drinks (March temperatures being a warm and sunny 36 degrees). IMPAC provide a range of tours and diving trips primarily for the Japanese market.

Our final stop prior to lunch was to call into the Palau International Coral Reef Center. The PICRC is located on the water on the south west tip of Koror. It is an autonomous government project and non-profit organisation designed to highlight Palau’s marine bio-diversity and to act as an educational / tourist tool. Of course nothing beats seeing the marine world in its natural habitat but this is an interesting place to visit for an hour or so. There are a number of themed aquariums and a great deal of visitor information is available.

Lunch was spent at the impressive Elilai Restaurant. Elilai is a set on a side of the hill of Ngerkebesang and has stunning views across the sea to the neighbouring islands. It is just 5 – 10 minutes drive from downtown Koror. Owner Takuya Mizokami and his team have prepared an interesting fusion menu and a modern dining space that is open and breezy. This is well worth visiting during a visit to Palau. The highlight of lunch for many was a perfectly fresh piece of tuna lightly fried and served ‘fish and chip style’!

Our afternoon continued with a visit to the Cliffside Hotel. Previously this was a very popular choice with Diving guests but has undergone a number of management changes over the past couple of years and some feedback has been a little negative. Rooms are big and spacious and it is to be hoped that the current management can restore the Hotel’s reputation.

Next up was Neco Marine one of the larger dive operators in Palau. They have a solid reputation and a good location with some excellent looking boats moored up to their dock.

Our final stop of the day was at Sam’s Tours where I met old friends and some new ones (hello Adela and Russelle) for the first time. Sam’s Tours considered to be one of the best Dive Operators in the Pacific and probably the world. No space here to do them justice so a full report on Sam’s to follow tomorrow.

At day end we returned back to Palasia for a tour of the hotel and facilities (include fitness centre, pool area, bar, restaurant etc) and a very pleasant meal where we joined by Janine Wong (General Manager) and Janice Aguon (Asst Manager - Sales and Marketing).

Finally, after wrestling with the vagaries of wi-fi access, it was time to head off to the room. The next day was a Rock Islands tour day and one which everyone was very much looking forward to….

Great attendance at the TTE...reporting in almost real Time from the venue at the Mall of Asia SMX


Mall of Asia SMX Travel & Tour Expo

The second day at the Travel&Tour Expo in Manila has been another success for the Palau Visitors Authority and participating Operators.
Of course with the support of Continental Airlines and their special packages from as low as US$ 495. - for 3 days. (for more info see the previous Blog from Friday)
Tomorrow is the last day of the Show, so you better hurry up and book your next vacation at Continental Airlines or Visit the PVA Palau Visitors Authority Booth at the Travel and Trade Expo Mall of Asia complex SMX for your Dream Vacation above and below the waves.
Thinking of getting Married? Then you have to check out the Palau Pacific Resort, they can make all the arrangement for you’re wedding and an unforgettable Honeymoon in Paradise.

Smiling faces at the PVA Booth: visit-palau.com
Left: representative from Fish n’Fins & Ocean Hunter, Carol Ngiraidis Vice President/CFO Dolphins Pacific, Darin d Leon General Manager and CEO Palau Visitors Authority (PVA), Adela M. Balangkig Accounting Manager Sam,’s Tours, Loreen Sugiyama Marketing Palau Pacific Resort (PPR) and Lutchie Jorge PVA Sales and Marketing Representative.

Continental Airlines, located right next to
the Palau Visitors Authority Booth, PVA

Saturdays huge Crowd

Aerial view of pinchers lagoon, a favorite spot for dive training
due to its shallow waters. (excerpts from Fins Magazine)

:: PALAU ::
Palau was first brought to world attention when Captain Henry Wilson of the English vessel “Antelope” was
shipwrecked on Palau’s barrier reef near the island of Ulong in 1783. With assistance from Koror’s High Chief
Ibedul, Captain Wilson and his crew used wreckage of the Antelope to build another vessel and sailed away three
months later. Joining them on their journey back to England was Lebuu, son of the high chief. Word of Captain Wilson’s voyage spread, leading to further European contact, and in 1885, Spain was granted control of Palau by Pope Leo XIII. In 1899, Palau was sold by Spain to Germany, which quickly established mining and other operations to tap Palau’s abundant natural resources. Following Germany’s defeat in World War I, Palau was granted to the Japanese under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, and by 1922, it had become the administrative headquarters for Japanese-controlled territories in Micronesia and the South Pacific. Japan closed off Palau (and other areas in Micronesia) from the rest of the world and began heavy fortification of the islands. Palau endured heavy fighting during World War II, including massive aerial bombardments of Koror, particularly during the assault of Peleliu Island by US Marines that resulted in horrendous casualties on both sides. Remnants of WWII
are still visible throughout Palau today, including many ship and plane wrecks resting at the bottom of Palau’s
inner lagoon. On 1 October 1994, Palau became the last of the UN Trust Territory islands to gain independence, following the signing of a Compact of Free Association with the United States, and it became a member of the United Nations.

Exploring, kayaking and spectacular diving in Palau
(excerpts from Fins Magazine)

Palau is located at the crossroads of the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Sea, which is one of the world’s richest
zones of tropical marine biodiversity. This makes Palau a world-class scuba diving destination that few places on
the globe can rival. Palau’s marine ecosystems include barrier reefs, fringing reefs, seagrass beds, marine lakes and mangrove forests. Palau’s marine biodiversity includes over 1,300 species of fish, an abundance of large pelagic animals and over 700 species of corals. Palau was chosen by the National Geographic Society as the
first Underwater Wonder of the World and was featured on Discovery Channel’s “Living Edens” series. It is home to one of the highest number of marine species in the world, and its marine habitats support an enormous density of coral, fish and other invertebrates. Seven of the nine species of giant Tridacna clams are found in Palau, along with the world’s most remote population of dugongs. Palau’s signature dive is Blue Corner, a shallow reef-top promontory with vivid corals, huge schools of fish and ever-present schools of patrolling sharks.Without a doubt, Blue Corner consistently lives up to its reputation for “adrenaline diving” and is a dive that can be repeated time and again without fear of boredom!

In our next few blogs we introduce you to Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei...plus a lot more.

Tags: Adventure Travel

Palau Visitors Authority PVA

http://www.visit-palau.com/

NECO Marine

http://www.necomarine.com/

Day Dream Palau


Ocean Hunter I, II &III Liveaboard
& FishnFins Dive Center

http://oceanhunter.com/

Sam's Tour Palau, Micronesia

http://www.samstours.com/main.html

Splash Dive Center at PPR

http://www.splash-palau.com/eg/

Sail and DIVE with the Eclipse, Liveaboard

http://www.palau-divensail.com/

The Aggressor Fleet - Liveaboard

http://www.aggressor.com/subpage11.php

Palau's mushroom-shaped rock islands offer a variety of exciting dives: WWII wrecks, shark-infested channels, blue holes, a freshwater lake with stingless jellyfish and even a few caves. There are also sheer walls covered in lush soft corals and huge anemones. Beginner divers may find Palau's strong currents challenging. All dives are made from the 18-passenger dive skiff, which is lowered into the water by a hydraulic cradle. Seven-day charters are Sunday to Sunday with five days and one-half days of diving. Diving begins Monday and ends Saturday morning. Transfers from the Palau airport are provided on the day of arrival and departure.

Tags: LIVEABOARD, Dive CENTERS, DIVING

Tags: Culture, Museum, History, Belau Culture, Books on PALAU, Publications on PALAU, MICRONESIA, Federated States of MICRONESIA