I’ve been living in the Pacific Islands for over 2 years now and have seen my fair share of tropical paradise. Throughout my time in the Pacific, I’ve heard the same thing over and over from everyone I’ve talked to:
“YOU HAVE TO GO TO PALAU!”
At first I kind of thought “yeah, yeah, I’m sure it’s nice and all but I’ve seen beautiful blue water and pristine beaches in Guam, Saipan, the Philippines, Hawaii, and in the Caribbean”.
Since I was over beaches and looking to escape the island life, I was actually planning to go “tramping” in New Zealand for a month instead of another tropical island but due to work and life I had to alter my travel schedule.
Man, am I glad I decided to go to Palau!
Just for a little context, Palau is a tiny little independent island nation in the West Pacific about 500 miles east of the Philippines and 1500 miles south of Japan. It’s home to about 21,000 Palauans. It was a U.S. territory but became its own state in the 1970s. So yes, they speak English but the national language is Palauan.
You go to Palau for the diving!
Palau is well-known in the diving community as having some the best diving in the world. The island tourism is mainly catered to the scuba diving community and resort getaways for Asian honeymooners.
The island does a remarkable job of practicing eco-friendly tourism and it is top notch at preserving the island with sunscreen bans, marine sanctuaries, and limiting the number of tours each day. Palau is probably the most progressive with these measures compared to any modern nation. The rest of the world could take a few pointers – particularly with their fisheries.
Here are some pics of all the water activities available in Palau:
But back to food…
Little did I know Palau has some fabulous restaurants that you would never expect to find in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
Don’t Sleep on THE FOOD!
From the first day I arrived I was really impressed with the quality of food in Palau. They have a unique way of cooking using a lot of native citrus and local vegetables.
Palau has over 20 different kinds of local lemons and limes that only are found in Palau. Each has a distinct taste and are used for different dishes.
Talk about biodiversity!
Being that Palau is such small chain of islands, most of the restaurants are located on the main street in the “main town of Koror. I stayed in the main area of Koror at this little hostel owned and run by a Japanese expat surfer called “DW Hotel”.
It was a no frills place and a great choice for a budget traveller. It’s run by Japanese staff so you get the excellent Japanese customer service.
I wasn’t surprised to see a number of Japanese and Thai restaurants in Palau but what was really interesting was how the Palauans took such pride in preserving their local island cuisines and the history behind the rich culture.
Ali’i – the Palauan Hello
One of the most memorable meals I had was with a group of locals who who were nice enough to take me out. They were some of the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve ever met and treated me just like family.
You find that a lot of the Pacific islanders are like this, where they welcome you and invite you to their family dinners. I’ve experienced Southern hospitality in the U.S. but on the islands it is on a whole other level.
Disclaimer: All my food pics were shot on a Iphone 6S that was scratched up and battery was always dying. My food pics were pretty crappy during this trip even though the food was outstanding. I was just so caught up in enjoying the experience and being present with my hosts, I always forgot to take good pics of the food.
My hosts took me to a local seafood spot and we ordered some of the local favorites like a fried Parrotfish, White Snapper with a vinegar and butter marinade, and topped it off with more Yellowfin tuna sashimi than we could finish. All the fish was garnished with a local green lettuce and calamansi (local lemon). Very simple but perfectly cooked.
The seafood in Palau was beyond good. It was so fresh and everything was caught that day. Freshness wasn’t described as if it was caught that day but whether it was caught in the morning or the afternoon and how long before it arrived on your plate.
The tuna sashimi and Poke was probably the best I’ve ever had. I’d have to say the Poke I’ve had in Hawaii ranks a close second but I loved the lemony twist that the Palauans use from the local lemons.
I ended up venturing to a number of very random restaurants throughout the week that you’d never expect on a Pacific Island including: a Seventh Day Adventist diner, an authentic Italian gelato restaurant, and one of the best Mediterranean restaurants on this side of the globe.
It’s always crazy to me that you can travel to the furthest ends of the earth and then find the most exquisite cuisines from a place thousands of miles away.
The dive shop I was using was owned by an Israeli couple who had been sailing around the world for years and ended up landing in Palau and opening up shop. The wife also happened to be an amazing cook and so they opened up a Mediterranean restaurant as part of the dive shop. It’s called Fish N Fins if you ever end up in Palau.
All the food was excellent but I was really captivated at how they added in the local dishes to their menu. Like a fresh blackened snapper served over hearty polenta, with tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, and fresh grilled vegetables.
Again, wish I had taken more food pics, but alas, there was too much of this:
Though I had some incredible meals and all the restaurants I tried blew away my expectations, the best meal I had was at “The Taj”, the most famous restaurant on Palau.
I heard from friends and coworkers that I HAD to try this place out because not only did it have the best Indian food, the owner (Robert) was the man and everybody loved hanging out with him.
That’s the kind of island this was: where you get to know everyone and share dinner and drinks with the owner of all the restaurants you go to.
I went one night just for drinks and to hang with some of my new local friends, and then returned for a huge dinner on my last night right before I flew back to Guam.
It turned out I just missed Robert because he was in Guam while I was in Palau! Go figure. We just missed each other but it gives me a good reason to go back. Nevertheless, the Taj in Palau rocks and I can see what all the hype was about. I love Indian food and this place had some of the most authentic Indian food I’ve tasted.
This ended up being a trip of a lifetime. The diving and the sea life was absolutely breathtaking, the people super welcoming, but the best surprise was how great food turned out to be. Who knew Palau was such a foodie haven? I can wholeheartedly say I will try and get back to this slice of paradise again someday.
If you ever get the chance or are thinking of a Pacific island getaway, I would strongly recommend going to Palau. You will not be disappointed! 🐠🐢 🏝 🌴 😊
