When they stamped our passports at the airport, we were surprised to see we could stay for a year.  At first, we joked, “Ha ha ha, yeah we should stay for a year!” The idea was laughable.  But no longer.  After only one week, the thought has serious temptation to it.

To be honest, we didn’t really research Palau before coming here.  Amanda knew it had good diving, had seen a few photos of lush islands and a lake filled with jellyfish.  Normally, you see some photos like those and you expect them to be among the few preserved unspoiled areas in a sea of development.  Or maybe we were just feeling bitter after just visited Agra and Delhi – two of the nastiest cities on earth.

We booked a diving trip not really knowing what to expect and too bleary eyed from 36 hours of travel to care.  But when we got on the boat, something changed.  It was like our happy switches were turned on.  Before us, endless limestone islands interconnected like jig saw puzzle pieces, outlining cool, narrow channels, brilliant blue bays and open stretches of cobalt blue water.  In the hour’s ride to our dive site, we started to get the feeling that a year wouldn’t give you nearly enough time to explore Palau.  And because every island we passed was made of jagged limestone, there was no development, hotels or villages.  No pollution, no plastic bags floating in the water, no oil slicks, no growling motors or noisy traffic.  Just the sea, the islands and the occasional dive boat.

On our check dive we saw several mantas, turtles and sharks.  That was only the beginning.  The next three days had us dropping into 100 foot holes, skimming walls in a heavy current, and hooking in on a ledge with a current blast so strong it felt like a hurricane.

We heard whispers about a low key resort on a star shaped island.  Again, not knowing more than a few photos in a Japanese tourist brochure, we booked three nights.  Sometime ignorance is bliss. It lowers expectations and makes everything a surprising delight.  Our bungalow sat 40 feet from the shore.  A trail across the island led us through mangrove swamps, past poison trees and alongside abandoned “stone money.”  We borrowed kayaks from the resort to paddle into a lagoon at sunset, keeping a sharp eye out for turtles, puffer fish, crocodile and sting rays (with six foot wingspans that lift themselves off the sand a few feet below our boat and coast away into the crystal blue water).

We took a day trip to the island of Peleliu, the site of one of the bloodiest land battles of World War II (If you’ve ever seen the min- series The Pacific, it’s featured in one of the episodes), and we explored around Bloody Nose Ridge with our guide.  He points out old rusty weapons, Japanese sake bottles, and mortors left behind.  We have to stay on the marked trail because there  is unexploded ordinance STILL laying around.  In fact the day before we arrived, someone uncovered an unexploded bomb only a foot off the path.  Later we drive to various tanks and planes where he shows us how they were knocked out by enemy fire.

It’s really easy to gush on a blog like this one, to make everything sound flawless and amazing.  But Palau is one of those places where you want to scream: IT REALLY IS LIKE THIS!  YOU CAN’T MISS THIS!

We are already dreaming of coming back to Palau with a plan for a multi-night kayaking trip down to a southern island. The dive shop, Sam’s Tours, can set up interested folks with kayaks, camping gear, and a waterproof map of the area conveniently marked with an itinerary that accommodates the tides and currents.

For more Palau photos click here