THE GOOD LIFE Travel


As well as taking in the majesty of Palau’s rock islands (opposite), visitors can also enjoy spectacular diving, watch the world from the Four Seasons Explorer or sample local culture


board; he is leading the way. The only rec- ognised international hotel group that has a presence here is Four Seasons, in which Ong is a big investor. For the moment, that presence is in the form of the Four Seasons Explorer, a 39-metre dive catamaran, which probes the best sites and most scenic loca- tions on a weekly cycle. Soon, however, the group plans to open a 50-room resort.


P


alau’s archipelago melds volcanic and coral islands, representing different stages and types of island formation,


encircled by one of the world’s best-devel- oped reef systems. It sits on the Philippine plate, near the join with the Pacific and the Australian plates. Seismic forces are push- ing Palau upwards at one metre every 2,000 years. Moating the archipelago, deep trenches score the ocean floor. As the natu- ralist Augustin Krämer wrote, Palau is sur- rounded by ‘the strangest submarine geo- morphic conditions on Earth’. Meanwhile, Palau is simultaneously


washed by currents from the Philippines, Indonesia and Micronesia. The combina- tion of exotic geology, shiſting plates, deep trenches, strong tides and tight environ- mental protection creates a natural labora- tory for studying island formation, reef de- velopment and marine life. I find the Four Seasons Explorer anchored


in the lagoon. In live-aboard dive-boat terms, ‘luxury’ usually means electricity and flushing loos. The Explorer, however, takes luxury to a new dimension. The dive deck would have turned Jacques Cousteau mango-green with envy. The kitchen is out- standing, although two regional delicacies that were in season – fruit-bat soup and green turtle – were strangely off the menu. The predominantly Maldivian staff are


helpful and friendly. The 10 cabins and one suite are comfortable and pared down. A bar/lounge/dining room opens on to a small


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100