Move over Maldives, here comes Palau

The staff provides superb service and outstanding food – featuring everything from tuna crudo and banana-wrapped fish to tandoori platters – but the heart of the Four Seasons Explorer is its PADI centre, which caters for divers of all abilities.

Palau is a thrilling place to dive, with more than 600 varieties of corals (“Much better than the Maldives, very healthy,” says Latheef), superb water clarity and more than 1500 species of fish, from schools of wrasse and sweetlips to gorgeous bannerfish and Moorish idols.

As the all-inclusive rates cover unlimited dives – as well as other activities, meals and non-alcoholic drinks – we do three dives a day and each one is different. There are coral-encrusted World War II wrecks and wall dives teeming with life. We glide past stalactites in underwater caves and have close-up encounters with manta rays and sharks, octopus and cuttlefish, turtles, moray eels and more. The onboard marine biologists’ nightly talks give us context for our sightings and should you want to go deep in a different way, several team members are also accomplished free divers.

Palau’s attractions don’t all lie beneath the waves, so there is plenty to keep non-divers busy. Its limestone islands may be noticeably lacking in beaches but they are home to a remarkable collection of marine lakes (including the famous Jellyfish Lake), World War II sites, cave paintings and 2000-year-old monoliths. Then there are scenic waterfalls, perfect for picnicking, as well as visits to local communities complete with demonstrations of traditional dance.

Part of the pleasure of exploring Palau is that it remains truly wild. The country’s 20,000-strong population lives on just nine islands, and every day feels like we are discovering new territory. There are no crowds, as you might find at other world-class dive sites. Only on one day do we spy another boat at our intended anchor point, but it is just heading off as we arrive. So I’m surprised to learn that, through our entire stay, we are never more than a couple of hours away from the sleepy capital, Koror.

One of the people most excited about the arrival of the Four Seasons Explorer is Palau Visitors Authority director Kadoi Ruluked. “It will put Palau on the map, help us in marketing to a different type of clientele,” he tells me.

Like destinations such as Botswana and Bhutan, Palau wants to target high-spending tourists, and its strong commitment to sustainability will help it appeal to this demographic. Palau has a long-standing commitment to conservation: 80 per cent of its waters – half a million square kilometres of ocean – are protected marine territory. It established the world’s first shark sanctuary in 2009 and introduced the Palau Pledge, a promise to protect the country’s environmental and cultural heritage, which is stamped in visitor passports on entry.

“You will rarely see marine trash,” Ruluked tells me. “Conservation is ingrained in the Palauan genes. It’s something we are taught growing up. It is passed down through the generations.”

One vessel, no matter how luxurious, is not enough to carry a tourism industry, of course, but more new projects are on their way. Four Seasons has also signed an agreement to manage a new-build island resort, while a Hotel Indigo is set to open at the end of this year.

Expanding the tourism offering is not Ruluked’s only priority. He is also focused on improving air accessibility. Pre-COVID, Palau had good connectivity with near neighbours such as the Philippines and Taiwan, but it has taken a while to coax cash-strapped airlines back. I fly to Palau from Brisbane with Air Niugini, a straightforward route which connects through Port Moresby.

Ruluked is also passionate about using tourism to sustain the country’s 4000-year-old culture, and says the same guides who teach tourists about the colourful bai meeting houses and the intricate grass skirts that take months to make will also be teaching the country’s young people.

“We don’t just want to open this to tourism, we want to bring schoolchildren in to pass down the knowledge of our traditional culture.”

The writer was a guest of Four Seasons.