A country · 19 places · 2 regions

Palau, all of it.

19 curated places across 2 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Koror · via Wikimedia Commons

Palau reads below in 2 chapters — Koror and Airai — in any order you like.

Chapter I · Koror · 5 places

Koror

The Belau National Museum in Koror is the oldest museum in Micronesia, founded in the 1950s to preserve and present the cultural heritage of Palau. Its galleries display traditional artefacts, carvings, tools and photographs, and the grounds include a reconstructed bai, the ornately painted men's meeting house that is central to Palauan society. Exhibits cover the island's natural history, customs and the successive colonial administrations that shaped it.

Belau National Museum

Koror, Palau

✦ November–April · $

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon

Koror, Palau

✦ November–March · $$

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon UNESCO Site

Koror, Palau

✦ November–April

All 5 places in Koror →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Airai · 1 place

Airai

The Airai Bai is the oldest surviving traditional meeting house in Palau, a large gabled structure whose facade and gables are covered in painted carvings depicting legends, history and clan symbols. These bai served as council houses for village chiefs and as centres of community life, and few authentic old examples remain. Standing in Airai state on Babeldaob island, it is a rare intact example of Palauan architecture and storytelling art. For visitors, it is one of the best places to appreciate the craftsmanship and social importance of.

✦ November–April

Meet Airai Bai All 1 place in Airai →