The Republic of Palau is a chain of about 340 islands where 20,000 people live, 600 miles east of the Philippines and 400 miles north of the island of New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea). Settled 3000 years ago by migrants from Southeast Asia, the islands were colonized by the Spanish, sold to Germany in 1899, and then given to Japan following World War I. Japan was unhappy with the land it received from the League of Nations after World War I and began to build up a military presence in the 1920s and 1930s (see the next post with information on Peleliu). A bloody, lengthy battle on Peleliu in World War II resulted in Palau becoming part of a U.S. Trust Territory, and Palau gained its independence in 1994. One of its official languages is English, the country uses American currency, you can drink tap water in the hotel, and electrical plugs are the same as the U.S., so it is a comfortable tourist destination for Americans (though much closer to Taiwan and Japan than to the U.S.). Palau even has a U.S. Zip Code–96940!
Palau is known for its diving, including World War II wrecks, Blue Corner, the Rock Islands, and its pristine coral reefs. It is also famous for Jellyfish Lake, so we had plenty to explore. Fish ‘n Fins was our local dive shop, who transported us daily from the hotel to the dive boat, and we had a fantastic crew of Rodney (boat captain), Silas and Ricko (our two dive guides).
Wonderful! I love the jellies the best 🙂
I loved the jellies too! So different from swimming with them in Puget Sound, Washington, and being worried that they would sting you. The jellies in Palau were everywhere, but not a threat.
Excellent summary Hank & Cindy!
VERY GOOD JOB CINDY!
Amazing blog Cindy and Hank! Thanks so much for sharing!
It is so enjoyable to relive the trip with commentary, I can hear your voice when I read it. Really excellent, thank you !
Our pleasure. It was fun to relive the trip by going through the photos and videos.
Cindy