The first time I snorkelled in Palau, I saw spinner dolphins, a four-metre-wide manta ray, three hawksbill turtles, two green turtles, four blacktip reef sharks, five whitetip reef sharks, and perhaps 50 species of reef fish. I also saw the kind of luminously bright coral I used to take for granted on our own Great Barrier Reef. But I’m not back in the island nation solely to see that underwater treasure trove again. Because if you think the snorkelling is good in Palau, you should try the sea kayaking.
From the window of my plane on the descent in, Palau is stretched out below like an untouristed version of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. The water looks as blue as the Maldives’, but the islands are much taller, and covered in thick, dark green forest with no visible human development.
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