Departures United Kingdom Spring:Summer 2024

DEPARTURES TRAVEL PURE

DEPARTURES TRAVEL PURE SHORES 50 Lost in Palau Hidden away deep within the Pacific Ocean, the jewel-box islands of this archipelagic nation are difficult to reach – which is precisely its allure. A catamaran voyage across this remote territory proves wonderfully eye-opening. by Lee Cobaj SO REMOTE IS Palau that European explorers didn’t visit the country until 1710, nearly 200 years after Magellan mapped the Pacific Ocean – and even then, it was only stumbled upon as the result of a shipwreck that eventually led Jesuit missionaries to the islands’ shores. While Palau might not be quite as difficult to pinpoint now, it still takes effort to reach this verdant corner of the western Pacific Ocean; just two airlines offer regular scheduled flights to the country’s commercial hub and former capital, Koror: United Airlines via Manila and Guam; and Taiwan’s China Airlines out of Taipei. In our easily traversed, hyperconnected world, it’s this remoteness that gives Palau much of its appeal – something in which Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts has had the foresight to invest, becoming the first true luxury brand to enter the Micronesian market. After KEN SEET

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SUZUKI KAKU / ALAMY, KEN SEET, © FOUR SEASONS, KEN SEET nearly 20 years crisscrossing the Maldives, this is where I meet the relocated Four Seasons Explorer, a luxurious 39m double-hull catamaran, with 10 staterooms, one Explorer Suite and a staff of 25, including globetrotting chef Abhay Singh, who has previously cooked for celebrities such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z during his time at Four Seasons Voavah Private Island in the Maldives. The gourmet cuisine is interspersed between one-ofa-kind adventures, as the Explorer makes its way across the length and breadth of this extraordinarily beautiful country, made up of about 340 squiggly palm-painted islands and a vast network of coral reefs. One day, we find ourselves swimming with an estimated one million (harmless) jellyfish in Ongeim’l Tketau lake – a surprisingly meditative experience. Another outing takes us to the Badrulchau stone monoliths, an ancient collection of basalt standing stones carved with crude faces staring out across panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. There is also a trip to the highly informative Belau National Museum, and a tour around the island of Peleliu, the site of one of the most ferocious battles of the Second World War. “It feels like tourism is moving in the right direction, especially with groups like the Four Seasons coming here,” says proud Palauan historian Charles “Des” Matsutaro as we appraise the carcass of a 1944 Japanese Betty Bomber aircraft woven with tropical greenery. “Hopefully, that will open up possibilities for other high-end companies to Clockwise from left: the Badrulchau stone monoliths, which date back to c161; yoga by the Ngardmau Waterfall – the tallest of its kind in Micronesia; snorkelling the sealife-rich waters around Palau’s islands; traditional Palauan dancers; opposite page: the Explorer navigates a maze of bejungled islets come out here to Palau.” Matsutaro’s distinctly American accent and Japanese heritage speak to Palau’s complex history. Nearly two centuries of colonial rule followed the arrival of those early Jesuit missionaries, with the islands first stolen by Spain, then sold to Germany, annexed by Japan, later forming a part of the US-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands before finally gaining independence in 1994. Onboard the Explorer, we experience a far more peaceful existence than Palau’s history might suggest. With 80% of the territory’s waters designated as a national marine reserve – which includes the world’s first shark sanctuary – its underwater world is a vision. Along with all meals and most excursions, diving and snorkelling trips are included in the Explorer’s ,000-a-night rate. Across seven days, I barely see any signs of the coral bleaching so common in other destinations nowadays. Instead, I’m greeted with bright bouquets of cabbage corals appearing like giant rose petals cascading all the way down to the sea bed, sea turtles navigating through great fields of lavendercoloured staghorn ferns, and hypnotic murmurations of a canary-yellow blueline snapper. Mornings arrive in vivid technicolour. Night brings velvety black skies filled with shining stars. We’re not just sailing, we’re moving through the works of Louis Stevenson and Melville, Maugham and Michener, Gauguin and Matisse. It may be an effort to reach Palau, but in this far-flung land, every moment feels like a discovery. fourseasons.com 51 DEPARTURES