GUEST ARTICLE: Palau or ‘Belau’ according to the Palauans is an island nation located in the Pacific about 500 miles east of the Philippines. It consists of some pretty unique sights like the Rock Islands that are made up of limestone and resemble large mushrooms. Palau is famous for its deliciously warm clear blue waters with its incredible marine life and colorful reefs.

It was mid March when we flew to Palau from Hong Kong. After a 2-hour stopover in Manila, Philippines we got off the plane and were welcomed with a beautiful warm tropical night.

Our hotel pickup drove us about 15 minutes into the centre of Palau’s capital Koror. After checking into the Penthouse Hotel (which we can thank TripAdvisor for) we called it a night.

The next morning after breakfast we rented a little beater of a car and set out for our first explore around the island.

The little town of Koror is pretty small but has all of the essentials some good restaurants and all at really reasonable prices. They use American currency there so luckily we went at the right time with our Aussie dollar being so strong.

As we drove out of town we had our first glimpse of the water. The color was just magnificent with beautiful hues of blues and greens and crystal clear. We were eager to feel the temperature of it and when we did we weren’t disappointed, it felt just like bath water!

We knew right away the snorkeling was going to be something else. So we headed straight to a place called Sam’s Tours and booked ourselves in on a snorkeling tour for the next day.

Sam’s picked us up early the next morning and before we knew it we were on our first snorkeling adventure. We had a fantastic guide and driver for our speedboat and only two other snorkelers – excellent! Our first stop was at a place called The Milky Way. The water resembled just that and was a great place to take a dip and take in the scenery.

Next we went to a place called The Big Drop Off. What an amazing snorkeling experience!! The visibility was the clearest we’ve ever seen and the fish bountiful amongst the colorful reef.

Immediately after entering the water we saw a huge Sea Turtle dining on a Jellyfish. It literally felt like swimming in a huge aquarium with sightings of graceful Reef Sharks, Barracuda and Trevally way down below. We could have easily spent hours at this place.

Afterwards we went for lunch at a little island known as Shark City. As we pulled up we could see large shadowy shapes in the deep. After lunch we went for a little snorkel with the sharks.

They were Black Tip Reef Sharks and some were pretty big reaching almost 6 feet in length but completely harmless and really interesting to watch, they are such incredible stealthy creatures.

Next we went to one of the most incredible places we’ve ever been to called Jellyfish Lake. We had seen this famous lake on National Geographic and in all actuality it was one of the main reasons we had initially booked this trip. After docking the boat and a little hike through the rainforest we came upon the fascinating Jellyfish Lake.

Jellyfish Lake is a salt lake located on one of the Rock Islands and is about 12,000 years old. It’s a fairly big lake and we had to swim quite a way to get to where the millions of jellyfish like to congregate.

When we saw our first jellyfish we were completely mesmerized by its beautiful gentle pulsating golden body. It gracefully traversed through the emerald green waters emitting what seemed like tiny soft lights in its body. Before long we were surrounded by millions of these fascinating prehistoric creatures.

Swimming amongst the gentle (sting free!) jellies was absolutely surreal. Diving deep down and then slowly coming back up was visually awesome! The jellyfish being haloed by the brilliant sun was definitely a Kodak moment. Luckily Sam’s had a waterproof camera for me to rent so I made sure to take full advantage of that moment.

After leaving the lake we stopped at a spot called Clam City. Yup, you guessed it we saw Clams…but giant ones! They were definitely the biggest ones we’ve ever seen being about 4-5ft and brilliantly colored.

Our final stop for the day was a place called The Cemetery. It was another great snorkeling spot with some spectacular fans and coral. We saw a Giant Napoleon Wrasse that had to be about a good 6 feet, what an incredible creature.

Just when we were about to pack it in for the day I had my first ever Hammerhead Shark sighting! I couldn’t believe my eyes and I kind of freaked out at first and swam as fast as I could to the shallow coral. I soon realized making such a commotion like that with the ol’ fins probably wasn’t such a good idea and it had the big boy (who easily mirrored me in length) gain interest and swim directly for me.

I swear my heart just about jumped out of my chest but at the same time I was awestruck by this magnificent looking creature. Now I wish I had just stayed calm and soaked in my fortunate encounter. Nothing happened and he disappeared back into the deep blue, what a moment!

We got back to Sam’s at about 5pm. What an absolutely fantastic day and talk about getting your money’s worth! In fact we loved it so much that we booked ourselves on one more trip before we went home, how could we not?! And that trip was easily just as good as the first one and with only one other passenger ~ perfect!

On our last day we went on a Dolphin Encounter located just a few minutes out of Koror in the very picturesque Dolphin Bay. It’s a really great facility and accommodating to everyone, especially people with special needs. We had the pleasure of getting to know 6 different Bottle Nosed Dolphins and signed ourselves up for the Dolphin Symphony.

That meant we got a chance to take a ride with a very gentle dolphin called Layla. Her skin was so soft it felt kind of like an eggplant. That ride was such an exhilarating experience and now I can see why they say dolphins are known for lifting up the spirits I swear I felt like a kid again!

We stayed for a week in Palau but we could have easily stayed on for another. It’s pretty obvious we had an unbelievable time there and had experiences we’ll surely treasure forever. It was by far the best snorkeling spot we’ve ever been to (and we’ve been to quite a few). The clarity of the water and the abundance of fish and brilliant corals were just superb and if you love snorkeling or diving as much as we do this spot is a must- must- must do!

Rob Gower’s Palau Photo Gallery

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: The airports in Solomon Islands may be very basic but they’re a gateway to places like the world used to be. The atmosphere was beautifully tranquil, and the scenery breathtaking and snorkeling in the warm waters revealed an amazing array of sea life.

The flight from Brisbane, Australia to Honiara, Solomons was pretty short and only took us about 3 hours. When we stepped off the plane we were overcome with the intense heat and humidity. The International Airport was one of the smallest we’ve been to and equipped with only the bare bone essentials. After going through immigration we made our way to the Domestic Airport, which we found was only a small walk down the road.

Dragging our suitcases in that searing heat along a nicely paved road that soon turned into a dusty gravel one was a shocker (note to self – next time use old luggage!) The Domestic Airport was pretty funny, a mere shack with a few benches and one lone ticketing agent. We soon discovered that the term “Island Time” refers pretty much to all islands. After waiting for an hour and some our little twin engine plane was finally ready, first stop a little place called Seghe.

After about an hour in the air and getting the best aerial view of some pretty breathtaking scenery we started to descend. When we spotted Seghe we were trying to figure out where the runway was and were surprised when we started lining up for a grass field?!

Luckily (but of course) we landed without a hitch and started hauling off our luggage to at the Seghe airport. The ‘airport’ was pretty funny being nothing more than a small shack. Five of us were let off and it wasn’t too long before we were met by a cool looking little Rasta man called Chai. He loaded all of our luggage into a small tinny boat and then we headed to our final destination – Uepi island.

After a 1/2 hr scenic boat ride we arrived at the beautiful little Island of Uepi and its Resort. The whole place looked incredible, lush jungle and water so clear it was like looking into a huge aquarium! The thought of Fantasy Island ran through my mind but instead of being greeted by Tattoo and Mr.Roarke we were met by the very lovely owners Grant and Jill.

They are both Australians who have been running the resort for about almost 30years. Besides ourselves there were 11 other guests. Our bungalow was situated at the very end overlooking the Maravo Lagoon. Seeing as we were literally in the middle of nowhere the bungalow wasn’t the fanciest and equipped with only the bare essentials, no TVs out there! But that was exactly what we were looking for. We were looking for a place like the world used to be. The atmosphere was beautifully tranquil and the scenery breathtaking.

For dinner that night we all met at the main hut and were served all types of delicious fresh seafood and vegetable dishes all done Solomon style. Every dinner was fantastic and varied as were the special lunches that were delivered to our bungalow at lunch. Breakfasts were also great, lots of fresh island fruits and homemade bread and pancakes.

Dinnertime was a great time to get acquainted with all of the other guests who were also there for the same reason – the fantastic snorkeling and diving. Initially we hadn’t actually heard too much about the Solomon Islands but after googling ‘the best snorkeling in the world,’ up popped an enthusiastic diving article that directed us to Uepi Island and before we knew it we were in paradise!

The next morning after breakfast we eagerly went on our first snorkel. After lathering up with sunscreen and putting on our full bodied snorkel suits (which I highly recommend unless you want to fry) we dove in. The water was heavenly and definitely the warmest we’ve ever been in, it literally felt like swimming in a warm bath.

The fish were amazing! We had never seen so many types and of such varied sizes and colors. The most thrilling experience would have to be when we spotted our first sharks (Black Tips about 3-4ft). They are such beautiful stealthy creatures, they were never aggressive but more curious and would sometimes come within feet of us to check us out with their roving eyes – very cool! I think we must have stayed in for 3 hours on that first snorkel, there were just so many wonderful spots to explore around the island.

Every day there was a boat trip organized for the divers and snorkelers to be taken around the island or to other nearby destinations. Uepi is a barrier reef island flanked by the Maravo Lagoon, the longest in the southern hemisphere (if not the world).

On the other side of the island are the great ocean depths and a place they call “The Slot” which has a drop off of 2000m. During one snorkeling expedition while swimming over a field of giant colored sea fans, 5 giant Grey Whaler Sharks (5-6ft) came out of the depths only meters from us. It was such an incredible sight watching how graceful they were and huge!

One day Grant and Jill organized a very special trip for all of us and took us to a nearby village where we got a chance to meet the people of the Vakabo Tribe. It was a wonderful experience and great to interact with some true Solomon Islanders. It was interesting to see that they still live by the land, no TVs there!

They all live in small wooden huts scattered throughout the jungle and the kids have a nice little school accompanied with a big playing field. Some of the resort guests had been there before so this time around they went bearing gifts of books and soccer balls. I hope we get a chance to go back there again one day so we can do the same.

The fishing was also fantastic and we were lucky enough to catch ourselves some barracuda and ocean trout and a few line snappers that I think we’re probably glad we didn’t see! The sunsets were also some of the nicest we’ve seen, rich warm golden hues draping the tropical landscape and the still waters of the Maravo Lagoon…breathtaking.

Our week holiday in the Solomon Islands was a real dream come true. It was so relaxing and full of wonderful memories that we will never forget, we really loved it’s untouched beauty, something that’s hard to find these days. If you you’re an avid snorkel/diver and are looking for an unforgettable trip, this is definitely one not to miss! Find info at www.uepi.com – you won’t regret going.

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: Talofa! (that’s hello in Samoan) Samoa is by far the best island we’ve been to so far with beautiful warm weather, brilliant coloured water, white sandy beaches, excellent reefs and delicious food! The people are super friendly and like the other islands have the most beautiful voices.

We were lucky to see a local Samoan performance one night at a local hotel called Aggie Grays. The show was great – filled with lots of harmonic singing, body slapping, foot stomping and hoots of joy, it was probably the best island show I’ve seen and at the end they topped it off with a dazzling fire show. The fashion here is pretty basic and almost everyone wears a lavalava or what we know as a sarong.

The staple foods here are of course Taro, Bananas, Coconuts and lots of fresh fish.

We rented ourselves a little RAV and everyday we toured a bit of the island. The roads are excellent and it was pretty easy to get around but be prepared to have a ‘slow’ trip, Samoa is very laid back, Island time is what they call it. You also have to keep your eyes open for the heaps of stray dogs around and the pigs and chickens too.

On our first day we found one of the most spectacular beaches we’ve ever seen with the most amazing blue water, bright white sand and palm trees, it really was paradise. The water was also deliciously warm and the colourful fish abundant amongst the delicate coral. We rented a Fale (hut) for the day and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

One day we went to visit the famous Robert Louis Stevenson house, for those of you who don’t recognize the famous author he wrote a few little novels including Dr.Jekyll & Mr.Hyde and Treasure Island.

The 100 year old house is still in good nick thanks to a wealthy American who took over the place in 1994 and invested a heap of money into it. The Samoan people loved and still hold great respect for Mr.Stevenson. Whilst he was alive he did many good things for the Samoan people and encouraged their independence. They buried him on a hill adjacent to the property and stories are still told of his greatness.

One day as we were driving around the island we stopped by a couple of locals selling coconuts. We chatted with them for a while to find out more about their way of life.

Rachel and La lived across the road in a tiny Fale things looked pretty bleak for them. They were pretty poor and were just getting by trying to sell the coconuts they collected everyday ($1AUD/each). Seeing how dire their situation was we couldn’t help but stock them up with some food essentials on our next time around.

Samoa is the cleanest and most picturesque island we’ve been to and some of the yard work (foliage) is really incredible. There are so many things to explore there, you definitely need at least a week and when that’s over you’ll probably want to stay on for a few more (like us!). We had such a good time and look forward to returning!

Postscript – A month after we left this beautiful island paradise it was hit by a now infamous tsunami. The immediate tragedy of the situation is well documented. The long term tragedy would be if tourists don’t go back to Samoa.

The people of Samoa really depend on tourism. It is a major source of income for the small island nation. The vast majority of the island was physically untouched by the tsunami so remains a wonderful place for a vacation. Go to Samoa!

This travel diary has been written by Rob Gower, a traveler who works part-time for a bus hire company and enjoys traveling along roads less traveled!

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: One of the joys of living in a different country is learning new skills. Mastering them is an entirely different matter…

Coconut photo credit: fjota

Coconut scrapers are small wooden stools with a protruding razor-edged knife. In the hands of the competent they are an essential part of the preparations for every meal in Papua New Guinea. Local women seem to be able to sit and shred coconuts in minutes, nurse babies and hold multiple conversations simultaneously.

Obviously this meant that fresh coconut cream for vegetable soup was always going to be a distinct possibility after my arrival in Papua New Guinea (even in my unqualified hands)

Having borrowed one from a neighbor (a process that involved considerable and potentially alarming hand gestures on my part due to the mangled nature of my local language skills), I proudly set it up on the balcony of my house

Rule 1 for novice coconut scrapers: Don’t set it up in public view if you want to preserve any shreds of credibility with the locals as a functioning, adult human being.

I began by chasing the coconut around the tiles of the verandah with a massive cleaver. While the lead-up to each cut was impressive (think two-handed sword grip from a standing position), it served only to send it skittering in random directions.

Entreaties to my temporary house guest to “just hold it for me so it doesn’t keep toppling” were strangely refused.

Much later (after the coconut had died the death of a thousand cuts) I had managed to splash most of the juice onto the floor. Undaunted, and sure that temporary setbacks aside, I was about to bring the enterprise to a swift and satisfying halt, I proudly straddled the scraper.

Minutes of tendon-straining effort at a time produced only a thin frosting of coconut on the scrapers blade

Rule 2: Truth in advertising laws for novice coconut scrapers require a new word to be selected – coconut rubbing, dabbing or tickling are all current candidates.

No matter how I arranged it at the bottom of the saucepan (of an unreasonably optimistic size in retrospect), the prospects of dinner were becoming increasingly more remote.

I tried straddling it, standing in front of it, leaning on it, cursing it, manhandling the scraper and using it in reverse.

That’s when I heard the smirking …

To cut a long story short – the saying “it takes a village to raise a child” could quite equally be altered to “it takes a village (including kids and a posse of elderly Papua New Guinean women) to help the expatriate scrape his coconut (while mocking him mercilessly in the process)”

This guest article has been written by Dylan Tovey. Dylan is in Papua New Guinea (PNG) doing volunteer work with a local medical charity. He is supported by Australian Volunteers and Brilliant Prints.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: It is amazingly easy to establish an ordinary (even mundane) existence in the most extraordinary of places. But sometimes life in a place like Papua New Guinea can challenge even the most seasoned of travelers…

Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Police photo credit: conner395

When you read about mass riots in foreign countries in a newspaper in Australia, they seem all encompassing. But closer in, it becomes much less clear and definable. Being one street away from a disturbance can mean that you find out about it later than readers in suburban Brisbane.

Frightening things can happen, but life always manages to bounce so quickly back to normal, that you wonder whether anything occurred in the first place.

I have some close local friends who will tell me very seriously and earnestly that they think that the Papuan Government should shoot all the Asian immigrants (some of who have been here for three generations).

“You can never really trust Asians” they say. There’s this weird dynamic in which Australians are viewed very warmly, but extreme hostility is directed towards the Asian community (despite many acting in exactly the same fashion)

Earlier in the year, this became very apparent as a small protest in Port Moresby (the Papuan Guinea Capitol) about Asian Immigration sparked spasmodic riots across much of the country (including the town where I am living).

How many TV’s can a rioter fit inside their pocket?

Most of the disturbance is opportunistic. Rolling waves of people come in from the squatter settlements (not to protest but because the word has circulated that their will be a free for all on many of the Asian shops).

In response, shops lock down (trapping customers inside for hours). Police vehicles charge around almost randomly, occasionally lobbing tear gas into the crowd as they get too thick (unlike Australia, tear gas in PNG seems to be a standard response to everything from an overly wild party on upwards).

As a crime control strategy it seems to work wonders. Our part of town is wonderfully relaxed, stripped of the restless groups of young men who otherwise occupy every corner. Life happily goes on, while areas a few streets away are chaotic.

The next day is eerily quiet

Police officers are lined up everywhere, idling swinging wooden baseball bats wrapped in brightly coloured tape (although the more discerning police officer seems to prefer the fan belt from a car).

One local supermarket has 33 guards (many of them armed) and four security dogs milling around in their car park.

Strangely all this activity seems to defuse the tension from the previous day. People are still around in large numbers, but they seem happy to look at all the commotion (it feels strangely like everyone is having a day out)

In the next few days, there are plenty of grand statements about the unrest reflecting the community’s frustration with illegal immigration (statements generally uttered by someone who is also trying to sell you a suspiciously cheap piece of electronic equipment still bearing the sticker of one of the Asian food chains).

Those of us on the sidelines can only wonder where all the pent up anger has gone. The violence and riots have seemingly passed in a camera flash of rage. Blinding in that instant, but seemingly forgotten the moment after.

This guest article has been written by Dylan Tovey. Dylan is in Papua New Guinea (PNG) doing volunteer work with a local medical charity. He is supported by Australian Volunteers and Brilliant Prints.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

GUEST ARTICLE: The first time I took a blood sample, my hands trembled. It was obvious that I was jamming the needle in too tightly, but the elderly lady crouched opposite me simply closed her eyes and tried to smile. The small children clustered around the back of the rickety wooden table that was our treatment centre giggled, and it suddenly wasn’t just the heat that was making me sweat…

Papua New Guinea Flag photo credit: kabl1992

Running medical clinics in rural villages in Papua New Guinea requires the acceptance of certain compromises.

It means accepting that villagers will treat health care as an opportunity for community participation, having animated discussions about the complaints of the person being treated.

It means accepting that physical examinations will need to take place wherever privacy permits, even if that means using the back of a car or a woven screen of grass.

It requires a constant balancing act between the desire to deliver high quality medical care, and the sheer weight and volume of human need in villages deprived of alternative services.

These are not lessons they teach you during orientation in the air-conditioned offices of Australian Volunteers International in Melbourne.

They tell you about insect borne diseases and crime, culture and language, but they do not tell you what it feels like to drive away from a village knowing that you’ve seen less than half the people who spent hours walking to attend your clinic.

They cannot tell you what to say to a nurse who has just had to tell a mother that she and her husband have passed the HIV virus onto her child.

For me, these stories have come to represent the contradictions and heartbreak of a place that is rapidly starting to feel like home. It is double digit malnutrition figures in a land of abundant natural food sources.

It is the challenge of survival in urban settlements while the millions in royalties from PNG’s mines are squandered by politicians. It is a health system so fractured that the women of this generation are more likely to die in child birth than that of their mothers.

Telling these stories, sharing these stories, shouting these stories is for me one of the only ways of making sense of bewildering, intoxicating, devastating reality of living and working in a foreign country. ..

By the roadside a garbage truck is being chased by young men.

They grab at the truck as it skews wildly from side to side. One, more agile than most, makes it onto the back. He kicks once, scattering garbage bags over the dusty ground. They barely touch the ground before being ripped apart by the waiting crowd. People die in these fights, tempers flaring over the waste of wealthier parts of the city.

Sometimes when I lie awake in the middle of the night, I think about all these things. I think about the work we do each day, and I wonder what it means for the lives of the people with whom we work.

I try to imagine that it part of a process of moving forward for Papua New Guinea, of building a future for the giggling toddlers who cluster around our tables when we run clinics in the village. It makes it easier to get up each morning if you can believe that change could be just around the corner…

This guest article has been written by Dylan Tovey. Dylan is in Papua New Guinea (PNG) doing volunteer work with a local medical charity. He is supported by Australian Volunteers and Brilliant Prints.

If you’ve travelled somewhere off the beaten track, can write well and have good quality photos I encourage you to contact me and I’ll consider publishing your travel diary here including generous attribution and links back to your website as thanks for your contribution

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