Find places in Palau

Must-Haves

• Drop Off Bar and Grill (Malakal)
  A waterfront favourite with divers for fish tacos, burgers and sunset over the harbour.

Low Cost and Authentic

• The Taj (Downtown Koror)
  Long-running Indian kitchen with generous curries and plenty for vegetarians.
• Kramer's Cafe (Koror)
  Relaxed local spot for fresh fish, burgers and cold drinks after a day on the water.

Great for Date Night

• Elilai (Koror)
  Hillside dining with sweeping lagoon views and a menu that mixes Pacific and Asian flavours.

Fun for Everyone

• Bottom Time Bar and Grill (Malakal)
  The deck at Sam's Tours, where divers swap stories over grilled food by the dock.

Must-Haves

• Rock Island Cafe (Downtown Koror)
  A Main Street institution for breakfast, coffee and island plates in the centre of town.

Great for Date Night

• Sunset drinks on the Malakal waterfront (Malakal)
  Watch the Rock Islands turn gold from a harbour-side deck with a cold drink.

Must-Haves

• Belau National Museum (Koror)
  The oldest museum in Micronesia, covering clans, money beads, storyboards and the war years.
• Etpison Museum (Koror)
  A private museum with fine collections on Palauan culture, money and natural history.

Fun for Everyone

• Palau International Coral Reef Center Aquarium (Malakal)
  See Palau's reefs, jellyfish and giant clams before you get in the water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Belau National Museum bai (Koror)
  A traditional men's meeting house painted with story panels, on the museum grounds.
• Nan'yo Shrine (Koror)
  A small reconstructed Shinto shrine recalling the era when Koror was capital of Japan's South Seas.

Must-Haves

• Koror Jail storyboard shop (Koror)
  Buy hand-carved storyboards, the iconic Palauan craft, made by inmates at the jail.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Surangel's (Koror)
  The big local supermarket for snacks, reef-safe sunscreen and picnic supplies.
• WCTC Shopping Center (Koror)
  A central store for everyday needs, souvenirs and groceries.

Off the Beaten Path

• Etpison Museum gift shop (Koror)
  Well-chosen books, crafts and storyboards to take home.

Fun for Everyone

• Long Island Park (Koror)
  A shady waterfront park with a little beach where local families swim and picnic.
• Ngermid Bay (Ngermid)
  Calm green water and mangroves on the edge of town, popular with kayakers.

Must-Haves

• Japan Palau Friendship Bridge (Koror and Airai)
  The bridge linking Koror to Babeldaob, lovely at sunset with views across the channel.

Off the Beaten Path

• Malakal Hill (Malakal)
  A short, steep climb for a view over the harbour and the first of the Rock Islands.

Great for Date Night

• Nikko Bay (Koror)
  A sheltered bay of mushroom-shaped islets that is ideal for kayaking at sunset.

Must-Haves

• Sam's Tours (Malakal)
  A long-established dive and tour operator for Rock Islands trips, Jellyfish Lake and diving.
• Fish 'n Fins (Malakal)
  Palau's pioneering dive shop, known for Blue Corner and wreck dives.

Fun for Everyone

• Neco Marine (Malakal)
  Dive and snorkel trips plus a well-stocked shop for gear.

Off the Beaten Path

• Planet Blue Kayak Tours (Koror)
  Guided kayak days through hidden lagoons and caves of the Rock Islands.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Icebox Park (Downtown Koror)
  The town's gathering place, with markets and performances on festival days.

Must-Haves

• Olechotel Belau Fair (Koror)
  Palau's big cultural fair each summer, with traditional food, dance and crafts.
• Independence Day (Koror)
  On 1 October Palau celebrates independence with parades, games and food stalls.

Fun for Everyone

• Constitution Day (Koror)
  A July public holiday with canoe races, music and family events.

Must-Haves

• Palau Pacific Resort (Arakebesang)
  The classic beach resort with its own white-sand beach and house reef.
• Cove Resort Palau (Malakal)
  Modern resort beside the marina, handy for early boat departures.

Great for Date Night

• Palau Royal Resort (Malakal)
  Waterfront resort with a private lagoon beach and easy access to dive boats.

Fun for Everyone

• Palasia Hotel (Downtown Koror)
  Big central hotel within walking distance of shops, restaurants and the museum.
• Sea Passion Hotel (Koror)
  A comfortable waterfront hotel with a pool and harbour views.

Must-Haves

• Rock Islands Southern Lagoon (Southern Lagoon)
  A UNESCO World Heritage site of hundreds of forested limestone islands in turquoise water.
• Jellyfish Lake (Ongeim'l Tketau) (Mecherchar)
  Swim among golden jellyfish in a marine lake, when numbers allow it to open.
• Blue Corner (Ngemelis)
  A world-famous dive with sharks, barracuda and turtles riding the current.
• German Channel (Ngemelis)
  A channel where manta rays visit cleaning stations, good for divers and snorkellers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ulong Channel (Ulong)
  A drift dive over giant lettuce coral with sharks at the mouth.

Fun for Everyone

• Milky Way (Ngeruktabel)
  A hidden cove of white limestone mud that people smear on as a natural spa treatment.
• Jake Seaplane (Malakal)
  A shallow Second World War floatplane wreck that snorkellers can see clearly.

Off the Beaten Path

• Chandelier Cave (Malakal)
  A cave dive into air-filled chambers of stalactites close to Koror.
• Iro Maru (Urukthapel)
  A Japanese navy oiler wreck covered in coral and fish.
• Helmet Wreck (Malakal Harbor)
  A wartime freighter with helmets, depth charges and coral still aboard.

Must-Haves

• Belau National Capitol (Melekeok)
  The striking white capitol building at Ngerulmud, Palau's seat of government.
• Badrulchau Stone Monoliths (Ngarchelong)
  Dozens of ancient basalt monoliths on a grassy hill above the sea.
• Airai Bai (Airai)
  One of the oldest traditional meeting houses still standing, painted with legends.

Must-Haves

• Ngardmau Waterfall (Ngardmau)
  The tallest waterfall in Palau, reached by a jungle trail and river walk.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mount Ngerchelchuus (Ngardmau)
  The highest point in Palau, with views over the forest to both coasts.
• Lake Ngardok Nature Reserve (Melekeok)
  The largest natural freshwater lake in Micronesia, home to rare birds.
• Ebiil Channel (Ngarchelong)
  A protected channel known for grouper spawning and dolphins.

Fun for Everyone

• Ngiwal shoreline (Ngiwal)
  A peaceful east coast village with reef flats and seaside picnic huts.

Fun for Everyone

• Round-island drive on the Compact Road (Babeldaob)
  The ring road links villages, bai and waterfalls around the big island.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Taro patch visit (Babeldaob)
  Taro fields tended by women's groups, at the heart of Palauan culture.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Roadside fruit and snack stands (Babeldaob)
  Buy coconuts, bananas and homemade snacks from village stalls.

Must-Haves

• Peleliu WWII Memorial Museum (Peleliu)
  Artefacts and photographs from the 1944 battle in an old Japanese building.
• Thousand Man Cave (Peleliu)
  A vast tunnel complex dug by Japanese forces into the limestone.
• Peleliu Peace Memorial Park (Peleliu)
  A memorial to those of all nations who died on the island.

Off the Beaten Path

• Japanese Army Command Post (Peleliu)
  A shell-scarred two-storey concrete headquarters in the jungle.
• Peleliu Shrine (Peleliu)
  A small Japanese shrine and memorial facing the sea.

Must-Haves

• Bloody Nose Ridge (Umurbrogol)
  The ridge at the centre of the battle, with memorials and wide views.
• Orange Beach (Peleliu)
  The landing beach of 1944, now quiet and beautiful with memorial markers.
• Peleliu Wall (Peleliu)
  A dramatic dive along a wall of coral with strong currents and big fish.

Off the Beaten Path

• Peleliu Corner (Peleliu)
  An advanced dive at the southern tip of the island where the currents meet.

Fun for Everyone

• Peleliu Airfield (Peleliu)
  The airfield fought over in 1944, with rusting tanks and aircraft nearby.

Must-Haves

• Kayangel Atoll (Kayangel)
  Palau's northernmost atoll, a ring of white beaches around a turquoise lagoon.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ngeruangel Reef (Kayangel)
  A protected sunken atoll north of Kayangel, rich in coral and fish.

Fun for Everyone

• Kayangel lagoon swim (Kayangel)
  Clear, shallow water on the lagoon side for gentle swimming.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kayangel village walk (Kayangel)
  Stroll the sandy paths of the only village and see island life slow down.

Must-Haves

• Boat from Ngarchelong to Kayangel (Ngarchelong)
  The crossing from the north of Babeldaob is the way most visitors arrive.