Before You Go
- Confirm passport validity and entry requirements.
- Check whether a tourist visa is required.
- Keep digital copies of important documents.
- Consider purchasing travel insurance.
Ngerulmud
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Palauan, English
NovโApr
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Welcome to Palau, a Pacific archipelago renowned for some of the clearest waters and richest coral reefs on Earth. The Rock Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rise from turquoise lagoons in hundreds of mushroom-shaped limestone formations. Jellyfish Lake offers the surreal experience of swimming among millions of stingless jellyfish found nowhere else in the world. Palau's reefs teem with manta rays, sharks, and vibrant coral, drawing divers from across the globe. Koror, the country's largest town, offers a relaxed gateway to the surrounding marine wilderness. Palau's commitment to marine conservation has helped preserve one of the healthiest reef systems remaining anywhere. Traditional Palauan culture remains deeply tied to the ocean, reflected in storytelling and communal customs. Palau invites travelers to discover a pristine, protected corner of Pacific paradise.
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Helpful information to consider before and during your visit.
Discover some of Palau's most popular flavors, traditional dishes and memorable local treats during your visit.
Fruit Bat Soup is a signature Palau specialty known for its distinctive local ingredients, seasoning and traditional preparation.
This popular Palau dish brings together familiar regional flavors and is commonly enjoyed in homes, markets or local restaurants.
A well-loved part of Palau cuisine, Grilled Reef Fish reflects the country's culinary traditions and locally available ingredients.
Tinola is a comforting regional favorite, prepared in styles that may vary between families, cities and different parts of Palau.
Visitors often seek out Ulkoy for an authentic taste of Palau's everyday cooking and food culture.
This traditional favorite highlights the bold, savory or gently spiced flavors associated with cooking in Palau.
Cassava Cake is widely recognized in Palau and is often served at casual meals, celebrations or community gatherings.
A memorable choice for travelers, Coconut Crab offers a flavorful introduction to the ingredients and techniques used across Palau.
This classic food is an important part of Palau's culinary identity and is best sampled freshly prepared.
Palau is home to Jellyfish Lake, a marine lake where millions of golden jellyfish migrate across the water daily, and because the lake's jellyfish evolved with virtually no natural predators over thousands of years, they lost most of their ability to sting, allowing swimmers to snorkel among them safely. The country was also one of the first in the world to establish a nationwide shark sanctuary, banning commercial shark fishing across its entire exclusive economic zone in 2009.
Palau requires all visiting tourists to sign a legally binding "Palau Pledge" stamped into their passports upon arrival, promising to act in an ecologically responsible manner during their stay, making it the first country in the world to implement an environmental pledge as an actual immigration requirement. The country's Rock Islands, several hundred mushroom-shaped limestone islands rising out of turquoise lagoons, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visually distinctive archipelagos on Earth.
Palau has a small population of under 20,000 people, yet it maintains a Compact of Free Association with the United States similar to the Marshall Islands, allowing close economic and defense ties despite its tiny size.
Another little-known fact is that Albanians have a unique cultural tradition called "Besa," meaning "to keep one's promise." This centuries-old code of honor became internationally recognized during World War II when Albania was one of the few European countries where the Jewish population actually increased because local families risked their lives to shelter refugees. Albania also boasts the stunning Blue Eye (Syri i Kaltรซr), a natural spring with crystal-clear turquoise water whose exact depth remains unknown despite multiple explorations.
Finally, Albania enjoys more than 300 sunny days each year, rivaling many Mediterranean destinations. The country is also famous for its "sworn virgins"โa centuries-old tradition in remote mountain villages where women could legally assume male social roles by taking a lifelong vow of celibacy, preserving family inheritance and leadership in the absence of male heirs.
