Palau perfect place for 25th wedding anniversary

My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Palau last December along with some friends and family. Our group had some first-timer’s and some who had been there before for business and only had a chance to experience Palau’s amazing Rock Islands. When I learned about the ‘Airai State Cultural Tour, I thought it was the perfect way to give our “first-timers” and “short-timer’s” a glimpse into Belau’s long history that is steeped in tradition that is still in practice to this day!

After we were greeted and given an overview of the Tour, our walk through the ancient stone pathways, shaded by the lush flora and fauna, felt like we were walking back in time! Upon our arrival at the 200-year-old Bai, you can’t help but stop and take it all in! From it’s towering pitched thatched roof to the intricate designs depicting its Clan history- it was a sight to behold. Bringing all this history to life were the stories shared with us by our guides and a few of Airai’s Chiefs!

The Bai tour was amazing, and it didn’t end there, as we were guided through another stone pathway to the War Canoe house and then to a smaller structure with a traditional Palauan feast fit for Chiefs - literally! Our gracious hosts, one of Airai’s ladies’ groups, gave us a tour of all the traditional foods laid out beautifully across the table. The food was delicious - as impressive as its presentation and use of natural materials for serving and eating! In true island hospitality, across Micronesia and the rest of the Pacific, our group was encouraged to go back to the table and enjoy to our heart’s content!

Our group ranged from age 6-months to 70-years old.  Even from my 16-year old son and  millennial daughter, niece and nephew,  our entire group could not stop talking about the experience! Towards the end of our week-long Anniversary vacation, our group unanimously agreed that the Airai State Cultural Tour coupled with Swing’s Boat Tours (we did two - Rock Island & Peleliu) made their “Belau experience” for the first-timer’s and short-timer’s alike, the “best ever” and “meaningful and unforgettable” - of course, with the exception of my 6-month old grand nephew Put’ion!  However, when he gets older, he’ll have plenty of pics to look at!  A lot of those pics will include Puti’on being held by the friendly and heart warming people his parents met in Palau!

Sulang Belau for an epic destination 25th wedding anniversary. We will definitely be back...soon!!