Hi friends! Today I get to talk about my favorite place on earth PALAU. Not many people have heard of this slice of paradise so I’m excited to hopefully convince you to add it to your bucket list or visit one day!
I lived in Palau from about 6 months old until I was 9. That’s all thanks to my grandmother who raised me there. Most of my family still lives on the island. Aunts, uncles, cousins. Basically if you throw a rock in Palau you’ll probably hit someone I’m related to!
In 2022 my grandmother passed away. It was her passing that brought me back home. While it was (and still is) the biggest heartache I’ve ever experienced - It was also a reminder of how strong my family’s culture and bond is even after all these years apart.
Growing up I had no idea how tiny our world was. Then I moved to the States and it hit me like a ton of brick. New language. New culture. New everything. Nine year old me was not ready.
But Palau never left me. Now I’m passing it on to my daughter. I want to teach her some Palauan which she already knows a few words here and there. I want her to know where she comes from. And one day I’m taking her home so she can meet my grandmother, who’s resting on our family’s land.
I wanted to share 7 reasons to visit!
1. The Rock Islands (there are about 300 of them. Seriously.)
Picture green islands popping out of bright blue water as far as you can see. That was my weekend growing up. My uncles would take us out almost every weekend. Most men in Palau fish, so they’d drop us kids off on a Rock Island and go spearfishing. Then they’d come back with fresh fish and we’d eat it with rice or as sashimi right there. A lot of these islands have never even been touched by people. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.
Photo: This is one of the rock islands Ngeremdiu. Beautiful I know.
2. Swim with Sharks (yes, on purpose)
On September 25, 2009 Palau became the world’s first shark sanctuary. Commercial shark fishing was banned across over 200,000 square miles of ocean. Fun fact: September 25 is also my birthday. So obviously the sharks and I are connected!
When I went back in 2022 my family and I swam with grey reef sharks. It took me right back to being a kid doing the same thing with all my cousins. It sounds scary but it’s not. do it!
Enjoy this video of us checking out the sharks right before we jumped in with them!
3. The Culture
I am so proud of where I come from. Palauan culture is all about family, respect, and community. Go see the Airai Bai, Palau’s oldest bai (a traditional men’s meeting house). Learn the story behind the Japan Palau Friendship Bridge. Visit the old WWII Japanese Communications Center. There’s so much history packed into this little island and you’ll feel it everywhere you go
4. The Milky Way (nature’s spa day)
The Milky Way is a lagoon with soft white clay at the bottom. Palauans believe the clay helps you look and feel younger. As kids we’d cover ourselves head to toe in it and then jump back in the water to rinse off. Now people pay for this at spas. Looking at my Nieces enjoy the same things I did as a kid makes me so happy! We didn’t have time to be buried in screens when our entire back and front yard was a playground!
5. The Women of Palau
This one means a lot to me. Palau is a matrilineal society. Women hold real power and respect here. They help choose leaders and they keep families and traditions going.
I grew up watching my aunts work the taro patch. There’s a Palauan saying, “a mesei a delal a telid,” which means the taro patch is the mother of our life. My grandmother, my mom, my aunts. They are the strongest women I know. If you visit you’ll see that strength everywhere.
6. Jellyfish Lake
Jellyfish Lake on Eil Malk Island is filled with golden jellyfish that move across the lake every day following the sun. And you get to swim right through them. Don’t worry. They’ve lost most of their sting over thousands of years living in the lake. It’s one of the most magical things you’ll ever do. (This has been opened and reopened a few times - definitely worth checking to see if it’s still open!)
7. THE FOOD
I saved the best for last. Fresh seafood. Tropical fruit so sweet you’ll wonder what you’ve been eating your whole life. Real Palauan home cooking!
My family still sends me food in the States, which I am so thankful for. They can’t ship everything because some fish and fruits can’t legally come into the US. But they send me bilum, kukau, and crabs whenever they can.
And when I went home? My uncles made me steamed crabs because they know I loveeee crabs.
Palau is so much more than a pretty place on a map. It’s my family, my grandmother, and the place that made me who I am. If you ever get the chance to go, please do. And if you do, tell me so I can give you a list of everywhere to eat, what to check out, and things to see!!
Sulang!
