The Marshall Islands are a group of Micronesian atolls strung out over the vast Pacific Ocean. They are remote, untouched and truly off the beaten path. Few people have heard of the Marshall Islands. Fewer still have set foot on their sandy shores.

From above, the coral atolls of the Marshall Islands look like ribbons of iridescent blue dotting a cobalt ocean.

Blink once and you see the them.

Blink twice, and they’re gone.

TRAVELING TO THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

Due to the Marshall Islands’ extreme isolation, the country only receives a few thousand tourists per year. Aside from wayward sailors and LDS missionaries, visitors primarily consist of those who come to the area for work in the commercial fishing industry. As a result, there are few guides and resources on travel to the area. Even Lonely Planet offers little more than dried-out Thorn Tree Forum threads with dated travel advice.

Yet, perhaps in part due to their mystery and lack of renown, I felt drawn to the Marshall Islands in the years leading up to my visit.

So when my friend, Mariella (a friend whom I had met while teaching in northern Namibia with WorldTeach) told me she had plans to spend six months volunteering on Wotje Atoll in the Marshall Islands, I knew I had to take the opportunity to visit, no matter the logistics.

• GETTING TO THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

There are limited flights to the Marshall Islands. And the Marshallese capital, Majuro, receives all but a handful of them. The most common (and only direct way) to get from North America to the Marshall Islands, is by way of United Airlines’ Island Hopper.

The Island Hopper is a remnant of Pacific Continental Holdings and a lifeline for the remote communities of the Pacific. Connecting a string of islands between Honolulu and Guam, the exorbitantly priced flight takes the better part of an entire day to complete in its entirety. Along the way, it stops in Majuro, Kwajalein, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Chuuk.

• GETTING AROUND THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

Traveling between the atolls of the Marshall Islands is best left to those with loads of time on their hands.

Flights between the Marshall Islands’ outer atolls are expensive, limited and unpredictable. Air Marshall Islands (also known as Air Maybe) flies between Majuro and the larger outer atolls, but flights are often severely delayed or canceled due to weather. Alternatively, some islands may be accessed by cargo boats that travel between Majuro and the outer islands. But even those can be unreliable.

When my friend had to fly between Majuro and Wotje for her teaching assignment, she learned that the weekly flight had been suspended indefinitely due to runway construction. Her only other alternative—a 24 hour boat ride—was also delayed because of the rough January seas. As a result, she was essentially stuck in Majuro for the first few weeks of her contract.

• GETTING AROUND MAJURO WITHOUT A CAR

As difficult as it is to travel to and around the Marshall Islands, getting around Majuro Atoll without a car is both easy and straightforward. The skinny atoll contains only one main road that extends from Darrit to Laura. Shared taxis peruse the road, picking people up and dropping them off at their destinations for a small fee. Standard fees around Majuro are $1 per passenger. To get to and from the airport, the fee is $5.

MAJURO ATOLL: CAPITAL OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS

Due to irregular flight schedules from the capital, Majuro, I couldn’t quite swing a visit to the far-flung Wotje. So instead, Mariella and I decided to meet in Majuro and spend a few days of peace and solitude along the paradisaical sands of nearby Arno Atoll.

Prior to catching the boat to Arno, we spent a half day in Majuro—shopping for handicrafts at Elefa, eating fresh sashimi at the MISCO Market and figuring out the logistics of our rustic beach vacation. 

There is very little tourism on Majuro and, consequently, accommodation options are virtually nil. The few options that exist are underwhelming and overpriced. Most tourists stay at Robert Reimers or the Marshall Islands resort.

For our night in Majuro, Mariella organized a stay in the unique container house apartments next to EZ Price. The immaculate apartments—equipped with air conditioning, a kitchen, TV, (questionable) Internet and a comfortable sitting area—cost $75 per night.

The apartment complex (reservable from the office on the second floor of EZ Price) is truly a diamond in the rough when it comes to lodging.

Majuro is a densely populated, polluted string of land at odds with the romantic images of tropical paradise that I had conjured in my head. I arrived in Majuro and was immediately struck by the island’s overdevelopment. Houses and shops cover every inch of the island’s real estate and cars clog its single road. People are everywhere, beaches are almost nonexistent and stray dogs bark viciously at passersby.

Though Majuro may leave a lot to be desired, however, it is not devoid of things to do. My Marshall Islands itinerary didn’t give me enough time to adequately explore Majuro Atoll, but my friend recommended visiting Laura Beach and Eneko Island. 

ARNO ATOLL

Majuro Atoll’s greatest tourism asset is its proximity to Arno. Located only an hour away from Majuro by boat, Arno’s laid-back shores are worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

Arno is the Pacific I’d dreamed about. It is the Pacific  of swaying palms, of white sand beaches and of turquoise seas.

A boat makes the return trip between Majuro and Arno Atoll every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The boat leaves from the dock near Robert Reimers at around 10am and transports passengers and cargo between the islands. It is the only connection that Arno’s residents have to the outside world. Tourists traveling between the two islands pay $15 each way for the hour-long passage.

The Beachcomer’s Lodge is the only place to stay on Arno. The lodge’s rustic lagoon-facing cabins offer spacious, ventilated rooms that overlook a swathe of white sand beach. For $50 a night, Mariella and I rented a room with a small kitchenette. The room’s large windows afforded a view of Arno’s brilliant white sand and turquoise water.

There isn’t much to do on Arno Atoll, which is precisely what makes the island so special.

On the ribbon-like atoll, we spent our mornings soaking in the vast expanse of powdery beach. In the afternoons, we took walks down the island’s solitary palm-shielded road and relished the tranquility of our surroundings. And at sundown, we stood in awe as colors painted the skies in a palette of fiery hues.

THE MARSHALL ISLANDS: A DISAPPEARING PARADISE

While our three days on Arno Atoll were pure bliss, they also forced us to think about what the future of the Marshall Islands might look like.

During our walks, Mariella and I followed the main road from the Beachcomer, past the dock, to where the island is so thin that water is visible on either side. We became acutely aware of just how little the oceans would have to rise in order to wipe the Marshall Islands completely off the world map. 

Throughout the Marshall Islands, climate change is an elephant in the room. These 29 low-lying atolls rise only a few feet above sea level. The highest point on the Marshalls stands at 30ft. On densely-populated Majuro Atoll, the highest point reaches less than 10ft.

With the rising of the oceans, these islands are likely to disappear. 

It is no wonder the Marshallese are so worried about climate change.

Yet, while addressing climate change is critical to the future of the Pacific Islands, the Marshallese are no strangers to the outside world wreaking havoc on their environment. Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. used the Marshall Islands as a testing ground for nuclear bombs. Twenty-three tests took place on Bikini Atoll, and another 44 bombs were detonated at Enewetak.

Fallout from the testing affected the entire country and forced thousands of islanders to flee their homes.

And today, the sandy beaches of the Marshall Islands face yet another pollutant: Plastic.

Even on the pristine beaches of far-flung Arno Atoll, I found plastic waste embedded in tree roots, wedged into the sand and bobbing in the turquoise water. The waste—most of it clearly washed up from the oceans—threatens the country’s fish supply and contaminates its shores.

Seeing the impacts of pollution and climate change on Arno Atoll forced me to think long and hard about the steps I should take to reduce plastic waste and offset my carbon footprint. Because the Marshall Islands are a special paradise.

To lose them would be a tragedy.

***

The atolls of the Marshall Islands are everything that major beach vacation destinations are not. They are untouched by tourism, unspoiled by development and unheard of by the world at large.

Traveling to the Marshall Islands isn’t for everyone. The islands are remote and offer little in the way of luxury.

Unlike Hawaii or French Polynesia, tourist amenities are limited and often substandard. But for those who have time, patience, curiosity about the unknown a thirst for adventure, the Marshall Islands—at least for now— stand out as one of the last beacons of truly untouched paradise on Earth.

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Few places in the world can rival Easter Island when it comes to capturing the imagination of travelers.

Known locally as Rapa Nui, this small speck of land—sitting smack in the middle of the wild Pacific—is like no other places on Earth. The island’s wild beauty and mysterious history have inspired dreamers, enthralled travelers and baffled historians.

Easter Island is Polynesia at its best—still untouched by the masses, still untarnished by overdevelopment and still clinging to a slow-paced lifestyle that runs on island time. Forget cruise ships, mass tourism and eyesore hotels. Here, tourism is on a much smaller scale. Guesthouses and boutique hotels abound. Chain restaurants are nonexistent. And only one daily flight (LATAM’s 787 from Santiago) connects the island to the outside world. 

Rapa Nui National Park

Located nearly 2,000 kilometers east of the Pitcairn Islands and about 3,700 kilometers from the coast of Chile, Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. The island‘s windswept cliffs are rugged and unspoiled. The island’s colors—its black volcanic rock, its vibrant green grasses and its cobalt ocean—are unlike any I have ever seen. Yet, the island’s wild scenery is not the primary reason that travelers are drawn to its shores. In fact, before I visited Easter Island, I knew little about its stark beauty.

I, like nearly ever other traveler to Rapa Nui National Park, flew thousands of kilometers over the ocean, in hopes of seeing the island’s UNESCO-listed moai statues.

Easter Island’s claim to fame are the nearly 1,000 moai that litter its verdant landscapes of the Rapa Nui National Park. Some stand erect on ceremonial platforms. Others lie toppled on the barren earth. Some are impeccably preserved. Others lie half-finished and partially submerged underground. Though all different, the moai statues of Rapa Nui reveal a rich civilization of master craftsmen and engineers.

How to Spend 5 Days on Easter Island

We spent four and a half days in Rapa Nui and rented a car for two of them. Having nearly five days on Easter Island, gave us ample time to explore the island’s attractions on foot and with a car.

On our first evening of our Easter Island itinerary, we meandered around the town of Hanga Roa and headed to Ahu Tahei  for sunset. On the following days, we hiked the island’s trails and circled its perimeter with our rented Jeep—letting Rapa Nui envelop us in its beauty from sunrise to sunset.

Easter Island Day 1: Around Hanga Roa

Hanga Roa is Easter Island’s largest (and only) town. With a population of over 3,000, it contains just about all of the island’s guesthouses, tourist amenities and eateries.

After checking into our guesthouse and reserving a rental car for the final two days of our visit, we set out to explore Hanga Roa. We acquainted ourselves with the layout of our surroundings, ate empanada’s at Tia Berta’s and spent the afternoon strolling around its small downtown. 

Hanga Roa itself has few tourist attractions, but its main church is an interesting sight. Blending Christian motifs with Polynesian elements, this unique place of worship makes for a brief, yet interesting, visit.

The moai statues of Ahu Tahai are a short walk from downtown Hanga Roa. Restored in 1974, they sit on a grassy field that serves as an open air museum of Rapa Nui culture. A few fully restored and painted moai near Ahu Tahai give an impression of what the sculptures must have looked like centuries ago.

Though smaller and less dramatic than some of the other sites on the island, Ahu Tahai is undeniably Easter Island’s best sunset location. 

Day 2: Orongo Village and Rano Kao Volcano

Day two of our five day Easter Island itinerary consisted of a hike up to the Orongo Ruins along the dramatic Easter Island Coastline.

Entrance to the Orongo Ceremonial Village and the Rano Kao Volcano is included in the national park fee. The fee, payable at the airport upon arrival, is valid for six days. Though these tickets grant unlimited access to Rapa Nui’s highlights, the Orongo Ceremonial Village can only be visited once with each ticket purchase.

• Rano Kao Volcano

The pleasant walk to the summit of the crater takes roughly two hours each way. From town, we followed the shoreline south, past the Hanga Piko Harbor and the airport. Once past the airport, we cut inland and followed a well-groomed path up to the summit of the Rano Kao Volcano.

Rano Kao has a crater lake that houses one of the island’s only freshwater reserves. It is among the island’s most impressive geological landmarks and a must-visit Easter Island attraction.

The Orongo Ceremonial Village sits perched precariously between the lip of the Rano Kao Volcano and a cliff that plunges into the cobalt ocean.

• Orongo Ceremonial Village

The Orongo Ceremonial Village consists of circular houses that have walls of horizontally overlapping stone slabs. The houses have grass-covered roofs and appear partly subterranean. Near the houses, a cluster of boulders contain petroglyphs with depictions of the birdman.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Orongo was the focus of an islandwide birdman cult. The birdman competitions took place on the fall equinox every September and consisted of competitors climbing 200 meters down a cliff wall, swimming out to the islet of Motu Nui and retrieving a sooty tern egg. The first competitor to retrieve the egg and return it to the village intact, was declared birdman for the year.

As legend goes, the new birdman would shave off his hair and live in seclusion for a year. During this time, he would achieve god-like status and his kin would join the highest ranks of society. On an island with rapidly-disappearing resources, winning the birdman competition would ensure prosperity for one’s tribe.

By the time we finished visiting the Orongo Ceremonial Village and returned to Hanga Roa, the sun was already beginning to descend toward the horizon.

So we headed back down to Ahu Tahai and watched, once again, as the sky transformed into a palette of yellows, oranges and reds.

Day 3: Hike from Hanga Roa to Ahu Akivi

The third day of our Easter Island itinerary consisted of more walking than the last. We chose to hike along the coast to the north of Hanga Roa, toward the impressive inland moai of Ahu Akivi.

The 17 kilometer loop from Hanga Roa to Ahu Akivi affords scenic views of the island’s wild and rugged coastline. For the first half of the hike, the path runs parallel to the island’s windswept shores–passing a series of subterranean caves and toppled moai. Set against the sapphire ocean, the colors of the landscape are incredibly vibrant. I felt as though I were looking at the world through tinted glasses. 

• Ahu Akivi

The moai statues of Ahu Akivi are unique for many reasons: the fact that they lie inland rather than along the coast, the fact that they are the only moai that face the ocean, and the fact that they stand in astronomically precise alignment.

The seven identical statues face sunset during the Spring Equinox and have their backs to sunrise during the Autumn Equinox. For this reason, it is believed that this sacred ahu was the observatory of Rapa Nui. 

• Stark Coastal Landscapes

Aside from the occasional hiker, we saw few other tourists on the trail to Ahu Akivi. On this remote corner of the island, we found we were far more likely to share the trail with cows and wild horses. 

Rapa Nui’s barren landscape has very little shade. Even though a lovely ocean breeze lapped our faces during the hike, the piercing sun drained our energy. For there are few places to find respite in this harsh and uncompromising terrain.

Easter Island was not always treeless, however, and there are various theories as to why the island lost all its vegetation. Some people attribute the deforestation to Rapa Nui’s growing reliance on agriculture. Others argue the trees were chopped down to transport moai. Yet others attribute the loss of trees to invasive rats that were brought from surrounding islands. Perhaps Easter Island’s loss of vegetation is a combination of all three theories. Or perhaps the island lost its forests due to another reason entirely.

Whatever the cause of deforestation, however, the island’s current lack of trees has created an uncompromising and stark landscape that reminded me more of Iceland, than of a Pacific Island. 

Days 4 and 5: Drive around Rapa Nui

While we were able to access some of Easter Island’s highlights on foot, we soon found that renting a car for a few days was an absolute necessity. Yes, Easter Island is small. But it is far too large to circle on foot and its hilly topography makes cycling less than ideal. 

We rented a car from our guesthouse for a daily fee of $50, and chose to spend two days driving around Easter Island. Each day, we circled the island once. Driving around the island twice ensured that we were able to soak in as much as possible–from the main sites, to the lonely moai, to the stunning ocean views. 

• Rano Raraku Quarry

On our first day driving, we stayed primarily along the southern coast. We visited more obscure statues and meandered our way to the rock quarry of Rano Raraku–stopping by the smaller sites of Ahu Vinapu and Ahu Akahanga along the way. 

Like the Orongo Ceremonial Village, Rano Raraku sits on a volcanic crater and can only be visited once with a ticket to the national park. The archeological site is one of Rapa Nui’s most iconic locations and is known for being the island’s main quarry. For about 500 years, it supplied the rock from which most of the island’s known monolithic sculptures were carved.

On the hill sloping down from the quarry, dozens of moai lay scattered about.  Many of these moai are unfinished. Almost all of them still lie partially submerged.

A short trail leads visitors past the ancient quarry’s moai. A secondary path from the ticket control booth wraps around the back side of the mountain into the Rano Raraku Crater. Inside the crater, too, incomplete statues stand half-burried in the ground.

Unfortunately, within minutes of us reaching Rano Raraku, it began to rain. Soon, water pelted down from the skies so ferociously, that it soaked us to the bone. Reluctantly, we returned to our car for cover.

We left Rano Raraku and zoomed around the remainder of the island in counterclockwise fashion–stopping only briefly to snap photos of Ahu Tongariki and Anakena Beach on the way back to Hanga Roa.

• Ahu Tongariki

On the final day of our Easter Island itinerary, we started out where we left off. Our first objective was to see the megalithic statues of Ahu Tongariki at sunrise. Ahu Tongariki is one of the most breathtaking sights on the island. Set against a backdrop of sea cliffs and crashing waves, the twelve moai of Easter Island’s largest ahu are a sight to behold.

Luckily, over night the clouds parted and gave way to patches of blue sky–making for a dramatic sunrise behind the silhouetted moai.

After watching the drama of the sunrise behind Ahu Tongariki, we returned to town for breakfast and a short nap. Then, in the late morning, we retraced our steps from the following day and continued on toward Anakena Beach.

On our counterclockwise circle of the island, we stopped periodically to take in views of the azure sea, the galloping wild horses, and the crumbling moai.

As of 2023, regulations now require you to have a guide to visit Ahu Tongariki at sunrise.

• Anakena Beach

Anakena Beach lies at the north end of Rapa Nui. It is the island’s only white sand beach and among the most photogenic spots on the island.

The idyllic Easter Island beach has two ahu. One of them is the picturesque Ahu Nau-Nau which has seven moai statues in various states of restoration. The other—Ahu Ature Huke—has only one moai.

With white sand, sapphire waters, swaying palm trees and regal moai statues, I felt as though I’d entered a dream. This. This must be what paradise looks like, I remember thinking.

Easter Island Entrance Fees and Guides

An entrance fee to Rapa Nui National Park costs $100 for non-Chilean nationals and is valid for up to 10 consecutive days. With the ticket, you have unlimited entry to 12 designated sites within the park (except for Rano Raraku and Orongo, which you can only visit once).

When I visited Easter Island, I didn’t need a guide to access the main archaeological sites. However, it appears that the regulations have changed in the years since.

As of 2003, accredited guides are required for entry to all major sites within the Rapa Nui National Park. Ahu Tahai and Ahu Tongariki are the two exceptions.

Following my itinerary would likely only be possible if you hire a guide and driver. Alternatively, you can visit many of the same sites as part of organized one day,  two day or three day tours.

Where to Stay on Easter Island

Easter Island is not a particularly accommodating destination for budget travelers. In fact, though it is technically a South American territory, I found Easter Island’s prices to be on par with Palau, French Polynesia and many Caribbean Islands.

We chose to stay at Hostal Petero Atamu for the entirety of our five day Easter Island itinerary. The guesthouse–offering basic, yet clean private and shared accommodation–allowed us to enjoy one of the most expensive places on Earth at a reasonable price.

For travelers with a more flexible budget, Easter Island can be much more accommodating. Hare Nua Hotel Boutique and Kona Koa Lodge seem to be great mid-range options, while the Nayara Hangaroa offers a slice of luxury at a higher price point.

****

Easter Island feels worlds away from the humdrum of daily life. The island appears to sit at the edge of the world. Its remote location made me feel as though sailing off its shores would cause me to fall right off the map.

Due in part it its remoteness, the island is full of superlatives. It is magical. Mystifying. Spectacular.

And it is so historically, culturally and geographically removed from everywhere else on Earth, that there’s just no other place like it.

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The post Easter Island 5 Day Itinerary: Things to Do and See appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Sydney may be famous for its natural harbor and world-class Opera House, but Melbourne is Australia’s hot ticket city. It is trendy, it is hip and it is buzzing with life. I’d often heard people rave about Melbourne during my travels. “You’re gonna love it there,” they’d say. And yet, though everybody seemed to love Melbourne, few could articulate exactly what it was that made Australia’s second largest city so special.

Thus, even before setting foot on Australian soil, I knew I’d enjoy Melbourne. I just wasn’t really sure why. 

And so, after a week of gallivanting around Sydney and driving along the Great Ocean Road, we ended our Australian adventure with two days in Melbourne to see what all the fuss was about.

Two Days in Melbourne

Melbourne sits at the eastern terminus of the Great Ocean Road, near sprawling beaches and the Yarra Valley Wine Region.

We spent two full days exploring Melbourne’s resplendent parks, its artsy laneways and its sprawling beaches. 

Melbourne may not be known for one thing in particular, but its funky vibe, its mouthwatering dining, its offbeat neighborhoods and its inclination toward the arts have attracted tourists, expats and young millennials in droves. The city’s architecture is modern, cutting edge and, sometimes, downright wacky. Bold colors, asymmetry and crooked lines are the name of the game here, and they blend together like a giant Tetris puzzle.

We booked a private room at the Urban Central Hostel and enjoyed the accommodation’s clean rooms, affordable prices and proximity to downtown. With a place to stay so close to Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), we were able to maximize our time in the city–exploring its quirky neighborhoods on foot, from morning till night.

Day 1: Explore the Central Business District (CBD)

The Central Business District (known colloquially as the CBD) is the oldest part of Melbourne and and a logical starting place for self-guided city tours. During our first day in in the city, we walked along the downtown riverfront, took the free circle tram around the CBD and meandered through the city’s graffiti-covered laneways.

Melbourne has a bohemian and progressive subculture. The city is gritty, yet sleek. Trendy, yet classy. It is a city that isn’t afraid to take risks. It isn’t afraid to juxtapose old with new, traditional with modern. And nowhere is that more apparent than at Federation Square, at the heart of the city.

• Federation Square

Federation Square lies at the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. It is a central gathering place lined with wacky buildings that are incongruent in architecture and daring in style.

Occupying an entire city block cross from the asymmetrical jumble of steel, Flounder’s Street Station’s imposing yellow structure has become an enduring symbol of Melbourne.

The Melbourne Laneways

Downtown Melbourne is famous for being chock-full of narrow alleyways that are covered in colorful street art. These maze-like streets are filled with coffeeshops, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and eccentric boutiques.

The Melbourne Laneways are an open-air canvas that douse the city in color and creativity. Some are filled with tasteless graffiti, others contain poignant works of art. Centre Place, Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane are some of the most interesting laneways in Melbourne.

• The State Library of Victoria

Melbourne seamlessly integrates modern architecture into its historical past—creating a tapestry of Victorian buildings and glass skyscrapers that join together with elegance and grace. Nestled between flashy glass towers, are historic gems that have been beautifully preserved. Among them, the State Library of Victoria. 

Established in 1854, the Victoria State Library is the oldest in Australia and one of the first free libraries in the world. Its colossal interior is a paradise for scholars and book-lovers. At the heart of the library is the La Trobe Reading Room—an octagonal room that sits below a colossal dome. When was completed in 1913, the six story dome was the largest in the world.

• The Queen Victoria Market

The Queen Victoria Market in the Melbourne CBD sits at the corner of Franklin and Swanston Street. It is one of the largest outdoor markets in the Southern Hemisphere and a great place to sample the variety of multicultural food on offer in Melbourne.

The historic 19th century market occupies two entire city blocks. Piled high with delectable foods, artisan crafts, and just about everything else, it is undoubtedly one of the top places to visit in Melbourne.

Melbourne Day 2: Discovering a Sports-Loving City

In addition to boasting a thriving arts scene, Melbourne is regarded as one of the world’s best cities for sports-lovers. It is home to Formula One races, the Australian rules football championships, cricket matches and the yearly Australian Open tournament.

The second day of our Melbourne brought us away from Melbourne’s quirky center, and revealed a city that is as much in love with sport as it is with art.

• Rod Laver Arena

On our second day in the city, we visited the Rod Laver Arena–the tennis complex that is home to the Australian Open. Though we didn’t take an official tour inside the arena, we enjoyed walking in the footsteps of some of tennis’ greatest stars.

True to Melbourne fashion, the architecture of the tennis complex is a sight in itself. 

From the Rod Laver Arena, we continued toward the beach—past the Shrine of Remembrance and along Lake Albert’s shores—to St Kilda’s bustling beachside promenade.

• Melbourne’s City Parks

Melbourne may be one of Autralia’s largest cities, but it is in no way lacking green space. On our second day in the city, we walked from the CBD, to the Rod Laver Stadium, to St Kilda Beach. For nearly the entirety of our walk, we strolled through open fields of green, past lakes, and along waterside trails. The abundance of nature within the city is one of the things I love most about Melbourne.

The sprawling patch of green between the CBD and St Kilda’s is home to numerous gardens and monuments—including the Alexandra Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the Shrine of Remembrance.

• St Kilda Beach

St Kilda is to Melbourne what Bondi Beach is to Sydney—a popular spot to lounge in the sand, soak up the sun and surf the waves. St Kilda is teeming with kite surfers and sunbathers. It is a popular place to escape the chaos of the city and revel in some of Melbourne’s best skyline views.

***

Prior to visiting Australia, I really didn’t understand what there was to see and do in Melbourne. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to include the city into my ten day Australia itinerary.

However, after wandering the streets, eating at hole-in-the wall restaurants and strolling through the city’s abundant green spaces I, too, was wooed by Melbourne’s culture, its cuisine and its irresistible lust for life. The city’s lure is powerful and its energy, infectious. 

It didn’t take me long to understand what all the fuss was about.

****

Additional Tips on Visiting Melbourne: 

• I suggest you check out Luke’s Ultimate Guide to Melbourne for more information on things to do in Melbourne. There, you’ll find comprehensive information on the city’s food scene, its colorful laneways and its vibrant neighborhoods.

The post Exploring Marvelous Melbourne: A Two Day Itinerary appeared first on Erika's Travels .

The Great Ocean Road in Australia is a 151 mile ribbon of pavement that winds along seaside cliffs and wide sandy beaches. It is one of the world’s great road trip destinations and a highlight of travel in the Land Down Under.

The world-famous Great Ocean Road is a coastal highway that connects Melbourne and Adelaide. Along the way, it stops by quaint seaside towns, iconic landmarks, and wildlife-filled nature reserves.

Originally constructed as a work project for veterans returning from World War I, it is often regarded as the world’s largest war memorial and one of the most spectacular coastal drives on the planet.

THREE DAY GREAT OCEAN ROAD ITINERARY

Many people visit Australia’s Great Ocean Road in one day. However, racing around hairpin turns and zooming past lookout points in order to reach the Twelve Apostles, would mean missing out on some of the drive’s most memorable highlights.

After kicking off our unexpected trip Down Under with a visit to Sydney, we caught a flight to Melbourne and spent the next three days winding past the sandstone cliffs, the windswept beaches and the koala-filled canopies of the Great Ocean Road.

We spent three days along the Great Ocean Road and took our leisurely time driving the route between Geelong and Port Fairy. Our three day Great Ocean Road itinerary brought us past jaw-dropping coastal scenery and plentiful wildlife–including koalas, kangaroos and colorful birds.

Along the way, we stopped at many of the recommended stops on the Great Ocean Road. These stops—from viewpoints, to wildlife sanctuaries, to sweeping beaches—highlight some of the best places to visit in Australia.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD DAY 1: GEELONG TO APOLLO BAY

We began our three day Great Ocean Road itinerary in Geelong, about an hour west of Melbourne. Setting out from Geelong allowed us to avoid the notorious rush hour traffic of Australia’s second largest city and gave us the freedom to enjoy our first day’s drive at an unhurried pace.

The winding coastal highway between Geelong and Apollo Bay brought us past precipitous landscapes and dramatic, windswept beaches. With each hairpin turn, we came face to face with towering cliffs and crashing waves. Some of the best surfing beaches in the world are located on this stretch of road.

• ANGLESEA GOLF COURSE

Since we had no intention of leaving Australia without at least one kangaroo sighting, we stopped at the Anglesea Golf Course for a near-guaranteed opportunity of seeing Australia’s beloved marsupials. Nicknamed by National Geographic as the “Kangaroo Golf Club,” the Anglesea Golf Club houses more than 300 kangaroos. It didn’t take long before we spotted a troop of them darting around the putting green.

The kangaroos at Anglesea are attracted to the nitrogen-rich grasses of the golf course. Though there is a fence around the fairways, the animals can come and go as they please.

• COASTAL LOOKOUTS

Satisfied with our animal encounters, we hopped back in the car and continued toward Lorne. Along the way, we stopped to admire the views at a number of places, including Point Addis, Airey’s Inlet and Teddy’s Lookout.

Lorne is a charming town that sits at the conflux of beach and rainforest. The seaside village is full of bustling cafes, unique boutiques and delicious fish and chips joints. We found it to be the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before heading onward, toward Kennet River.

• KENNET RIVER KOALAS

Prior to driving the Great Ocean Road, I spent a lot of time researching where to see koalas. I’d expected challenges in spotting the eucalyptus-eating fur balls amongst the thickets of trees and wanted to maximize my chances of leaving Australia with at least one sighting.

Yet, though I expected my search for koalas to be fruitless, Kennett River did not disappoint. In fact, we had hardly pulled into the parking lot before spotting our first koala. Within minutes, we found furry friends everywhere we looked.

After nearly filling our memory cards with photos of cuddly animals, we stayed the night at the lovely Eco YHA Hostel in Apollo Bay—a perfect option for travelers who are backpacking Australia on a budget.

ITINERARY DAY 2: APOLLO BAY TO PORT FAIRY

On the second day of our Great Ocean Road itinerary, we drove from Apollo Bay to Port Fairy, before doubling back toward Port Campbell. Apollo Bay sits at the doorstep of the Great Otway National Park–a lush, rainforest-covered region with waterfalls, hiking trails and koala-filled canopies.

As we headed west from the Great Otway Park, the landscape began to transform. The winding ribbon of road turned inland, away from the coast. It passed through fields and farmlands for roughly forty kilometers, before cutting back to the ocean and revealing the Great Ocean Road’s spectacular sandstone monoliths.

• THE TWELVE APOSTLES

While the first day of driving along the Great Ocean Road reminded me of the precipitous Highway 101 in Oregon, the second day was characterized by towering rock spires rising out of the sea. From the iconic Twelve Apostles to the Bay of Islands, the foamy ocean is littered with golden rock formations that have been chiseled and sculpted by winds and tumultuous waves. They rise from the turquoise sea, practically begging to be photographed.

For most tourists, the Twelve Apostles are the undeniable highlight of the Great Ocean Road. And, judging by the size of the parking lot and the visitor’s center, it was pretty evident that many people had skipped the surrounding viewpoints and headed straight to the landmark attraction.

But skipping the nearby lookouts would be a real shame, for each destination along the road is more incredible and jaw-dropping than the last. Particular sights of interest along the way include the London Bridge, the Loch Ard Gorge, the Grotto and the Arch.

After oohing and ahhing at the marvelous scenery near the Twelve Apostles, we settled into our budget accommodation in Port Campbell and spent the late afternoon journeying toward the tiny lighthouse of Port Fairy.

• TOWER HILL RESERVE

Our main objective along the way, was to visit the Tower Hill Reserve. Tower Hill is a shallow, inactive volcano that contains a crater lake and a scattering of scoria cones. The reserve is free to enter and contains numerous picnic areas and hiking trails.

Though small, the park is arguably the best place along the road to see native Australian animals in their natural habitats.

While driving around the Tower Hill Reserve, we spotted emus, koalas and colorful birds. And when we passed by it later in the evening during our return from Port Fairy, we happened upon 68 kangaroos darting around an open field.

It was a wonderful way to cap off a long day’s drive through some of Australia’s most beautiful scenery.

ITINERARY DAY 3: RETURN FROM PORT CAMPBELL TO MELBOURNE

Had we had more time in Australia, I would have loved to spend extra days enjoying the delights of the Great Ocean Road. I would have loved to continue westward toward Adeleide and the Barossa Valley.

But with a limited itinerary and a return flight to the US on the horizon, we felt compelled to turn back.

As a result, our third day of driving consisted of retracing the route from Port Campbell to Melbourne. Along the way, we stopped at viewpoints we had previously skipped and spent time wandering the rainforest canopies of the Great Otway National Park.

• GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK

The Great Otway National Park is a 250,000+ acre natural area that stretches from Torquay into the hinterland. The park features rugged coastlines, sandy beaches, magnificent waterfalls and and dense forest.

Great Ocean Walk—a 91 kilometer path—passes through the national park and connects Apoollo Bay with the 12 Apostles. It is one of the top hikes in Australia.

Though we obviously didn’t have the time to include a multi-day trek into our three day Great Ocean Road itinerary, we nonetheless enjoyed traipsing through the area’s dense canopies and keeping our eyes peeled for koalas.

WHERE TO STAY ALONG THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

Australia’s famous coastal highway is one of the most beautiful roads in the world. And the best way to experience its grandeur is by divvying up the drive over the course of multiple days.

The villages and coastal towns along the drive house a wide array of accommodation options that suit all travel styles and budgetary constraints. We chose to stay at some of the area’s fantastic Youth Hostels. Others may want to splurge with more luxurious stays at the Anchors Beach house in Port Campbell or the Alkina Lodge inWattle Hill.

In addition to hotels, many of the towns along Australia’s southern coast have small guesthouses for rent. Travelers looking for a more intimate experience may want to stay in one of the many fantastic Airbnbs along the Great Ocean Road.

WHEN TO VISIT THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD

We visited the Great Ocean road in December, when top tourist attractions filled with road trippers, day trippers, and all in between. Though the temperatures were optimal during our visit, traveling in peak season also came with drawbacks.

To avoid peak season prices and crowds, February/March and October/November are the best times of year for travel along Australia’s Great Ocean Road.

While spring and fall generally bring lovely weather, July-August see the gloomier days and colder temperatures. Since tourism tends to drop in Australia’s winter months, accommodation prices often drop significantly.

***

The Great Ocean Road is among the world’s top scenic coastal drives. Like the Pacific Coast Highway, the Amalfi Coast and the Cape Peninsula, the drive contains numerous places of interest and affords postcard-worthy views at every turn. It takes travelers past world-class surfing breaks, by calm seaside towns and through pockets of rainforest.

Driving the Great Ocean Road is about more than just racing to the Twelve Apostles. It is about soaking in the area’s spectacular scenery and admiring its fascinating wildlife.

I could have easily spent more than three days enjoying the coastal highway, and I am glad that we decided against visiting the area as a day trip.

For the true highlight of the Great Ocean Road is not a particular destination, but rather the ensemble of twists and turns and roadside views that comprise the entire 320km journey.

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The post The Great Ocean Road in Australia: A Three Day Itinerary appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Sydney is a marvelous city with an outsized personality. It is worldly, cosmopolitan and architecturally stunning. The city boasts an eclectic mix of beaches, parks and funky neighborhoods. 

Sydney seamlessly integrates greenery into its cityscape. Forested parks ring the city’s outskirts and penetrate deep into its heart. A stunning natural harbor frames views of towering skyscrapers. It is a place where nature lives hand in hand with some of humankind’s most notable architectural feats. 

THREE DAY SYDNEY ITINERARY

I spent three days in Sydney, on a ten day trip that included visits to Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road. My original plan was to take my parents to Cuba. But, after an unsuccessful attempt at traveling standby to the Caribbean, we found ourselves on a 15 hour flight to the Land Down Under instead. 

Australia is notoriously expensive and Sydney is no exception. In order to stick to our budget, we stayed in the University of Sydney dorms (a perfect budget option for those visiting Sydney during school holidays), ate at inexpensive eateries and took full advantage of the city’s convenient and easy-to-use transportation system.

During our three days in Sydney, we divided my time between the city’s architectural highlights, its beaches and its nearby Blue Mountains.

DAY 1: THE SYDNEY HARBOR

On our first day in Sydney, we visited the city’s landmark attractions and soaked in its pretty harbor views. In order to travel seamlessly around the city, we purchased a public transportation pass.

Public transportation in Sydney centers on the reloadable Opal Card. The Opal Card is valid for buses, boats and trains. It is a pay-as-you-go system that caps off at $15 dollars per day ($5 on Sundays) and encompasses many of the neighborhoods and beaches within the Sydney city limits and beyond.

• CIRCULAR QUAY

We began our visit to Sydney at Circular Quay. A beehive of activity, Sydney’s Circular Quay is the city’s heart and main transportation hub. It is central to most of the city’s major attractions, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Royal Botanic Gardens, The Rocks and the Sydney Opera House.

• THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

From Circular Quay, we made our way toward Australia’s most iconic manmade landmark—the Sydney Opera House.

The world-famous opera house faces the skyscrapers of Circular Quay and sits a stone’s throw away from the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is an innovative and dazzling urban sculpture, a masterpiece of 20th century architecture and one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.  

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the architectural masterpiece resembles the sails of a yacht. Its commanding presence is the defining feature of Sydney.

The interior of the Sydney Opera House contains five performance spaces for dance, concerts, opera and theatre.

• THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN

Dating back to 1816, The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is the oldest scientific institution in Australia. It is among the most important historic botanical institutions in the world and an undeniable highlight of any Sydney itinerary.

The Royal Botanic Garden is free to visit and home to lush foliage and flowers from around the world. It is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and soak in views of the Sydney Opera House and harbor.

• SYDNEY HARBOR BRIDGE

From the resplendent gardens, we made my way toward the imposing Sydney Harbor Bridge. The iconic bridge is Sydney’s second most important landmark after the Opera House. As the world’s largest steel arch bridge, it represents an impressive feat of ingenuity and engineering. 

Adventurous travelers hoping to witness the Sydney Harbor from above, can attempt to climb the Harbor Bridge as part of a tour. The bridge climb costs nearly $200 per person.

Despite its steep price, it is considered one of the top things to do in Sydney.

• THE ROCKS

The Rocks is an early convict settlement that lies at the southern end of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The area was once associated with drunk sailors and prostitutes.

Today, the neighborhood has transformed into a pleasant area to visit. Filled with brewpubs, shops and cobbled streets, it is a great place to grab a bite to eat and wander around.  

DAY 2: THE BEST OF SYDNEY’S BEACHES

On our second full day in Sydney, we used our Opal Cards to soak up the sun at the beach and enjoy the city’s coastal views. Sydney is home to some of Australia’s most popular beach breaks. On warm days, their golden shores fill with families, beach-loungers ad sun-kissed surfers. 

• MANLY BEACH

The first stop on our Sydney beach itinerary was the popular stretch of sand at Manly Beach.

Manly Beach is vibrant and bustling. It is a magnet for shoppers, a haven for surfers, a great place to visit with kids, and a launching pad for nature walks along the harbor shores.

“Only seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care” is a phrase often quoted when describing Manly. And it was immediately easy to see why. The beach feels worlds away from the city’s skyscrapers, its traffic and its suit-clad businesspeople. 

• BONDI BEACH

After our morning at Manly, we headed over to the famous Bondi Beach. Like

Manly Beach, Bondi is a favorite place for tourists and Sydneysiders to hit the waves, lie in the sand and soak up a bit of Vitamin D. It is also the starting point of the Bondi to Coogee trail–a deservedly popular coastal walk that extends into Sydney’s eastern suburbs. 

• THE BONDI TO COOGEE COATAL WALK

The coastal walk is six kilometers long and features stunning views, sandy beaches, neighborhood parks and rock formations. Along the walk, opulent buildings line immaculate crescents of golden sand and sculpted, sandstone cliffs face a tumultuous, azure ocean. 

The walk is a definite must when visiting the Harbor City. 

If I’d had more than three days in Sydney and its surroundings, I would have loved to discover one of the city’s other coastal walks.

DAY 3: DAY TRIP TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS FROM SYDNEY

Engrossed by Sydney’s natural beauty and greenery, we decided to spend the third day of our Sydney itinerary in the beautiful UNESCO-recognized Blue Mountains. Home to more than one hundred kinds of eucalypts and over 400 different animal species, this pristine wilderness is one of the most famous natural attractions in New South Wales.

Sydney’s public transportation network extends past the city’s western suburbs, to the town of Katoomba—the gateway to the Blue Mountains National Park.

• KATOOMBA

Katoomba lies two hours from Sydney by train and is an optimal launching point for hiking and admiring the sweeping mountain views. Katoomba is the biggest town in the mountains. It has a great selection of food and accommodation, and is a logical base for exploring the surrounding wilderness. 

The town of Katoomba itself is quaint and picturesque. Its downtown looks like the set of a Western film. I half expected to see cowboys sauntering by on their horses.

• THE BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

From Katoomba, we walked to some of the most recognizable viewpoints overlooking the Blue Mountains National Park. There, we marveled at the triplet spires of the Three Sisters, gazed out over the vast expanse of eucalyptus-covered land and set out to explore the park’s scenic trails. 

Had it not been for the looming rain cloud, my inadequate footwear or the pesky flies that swarmed me during my Blue Mountains day trip, I would have likely spent more time hiking the trails that extend beyond the main observation areas. But as the flies and the weather and my shoes would have it, I headed back toward Sydney after a few hours in the Blue Mountains and spent my last evening in the city strolling around the Darling Harbor.

***

Sydney is full of things to see. And despite walking from sunrise till sunset to explore as many nooks and crannies as possible, my three days in Sydney barely scratched the surface.

I may not have originally intended to visit Australia, but I thoroughly enjoyed my time visiting the attractions in Sydney and beyond.

And while my visit to Sydney did little to quell my desire to visit Cuba, it was nevertheless the beginning of a wonderful and unexpected ten day jaunt to my sixth and penultimate continent. 

The post Three Days in Sydney: Australia’s Beautiful Harbor City appeared first on Erika's Travels .

This past March, I had the opportunity to visit Guam on a layover. I knew next to nothing about the island’s history and culture before visiting, and even less about what there was to do there. But I was curious about Guam ever since my vacation to neighboring Palau, so I was thrilled when I was able to pick up an eight-day work trip around Asia that included a short pitstop in the tiny US territory.

Omitted from our history books and given such little mention that some Americans don’t even know it exists, Guam remains virtually forgotten.

To be fair, Guam is tiny. And, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean–closer to the Philippines and Indonesia than it is to the mainland United States–is not where one would expect to find the US territory where America’s day begins.

Still, I found the fact that so few Americans have even heard of Guam, let alone visited, a difficult fact to comprehend. For the tiny island is blessed with all the recipes for a relaxing vacation–lush green forest, soft sandy beaches and turquoise waters teeming with marine life. 

My layover in Guam was brief. With only sixteen hours on the island, I had to divide my time between  sleep and sightseeing, so I went to bed as soon as I checked into my hotel and woke up at about eight the following morning. After grabbing a bite to eat at the popular Pika Cafe in Tamuning, I jumpstarted my half-day of exploration.

My first stop was a visit to Two Lover’s Point–a clifftop lookout with breathtaking views of the island’s white sand beaches and coral reef. Like the Chamorro version of Romeo and Juliet, the story behind the lookout tells of two forbidden lovers who plummeted to death over the limestone cliffs.

Views from Two Lover’s Point are stunning. Deep sapphire water extends in three directions, met by rolling emerald hills. I could see palm-lined beaches of inviting white sand and the ocean’s patchwork of blues and greens.

Lying beyond the empty stretches of beach, I could see the hotels and high-rises of Tumon Bay—a crescent of powdery sand that is home to many of the popular resorts on the island.

After walking back to my hotel from Two Lover’s Point, I opted to rent snorkel equipment and divide my time between lounging in the sand and admiring the tropical fish in the offshore reef.

Since I knew very little about Guam before my layover, I used my visit as an opportunity to brush up on the island’s history. Like Palau, Guam has been tossed around from hand to hand—from the Spanish to the Americans to the Japanese and back to the Americans—and exploited for its strategic position in the Pacific theater.

In over a century of United States rule, the Chamorro people have never had an opportunity to decide their political status and, while the population has been granted US Citizenship, its residents are barred from voting in US general elections and are denied some of the basic rights granted to citizens of the US mainland.

Today, Guam remains an unincorporated territory of the United States and contains a naval base for the US military.

Due to the island’s naval base, members of the US military are everywhere. American civilian tourists, however, are few and far between.

I suppose that Guam’s isolation and remote location are the reasons that few travelers from the fifty states choose to visit the far-flung American territory in the middle of the Pacific. With the larger, more popular and more accessible Hawaii just a plane hop away, Guam flies largely under the radar. 

Yet, while I was hard-pressed to find any non-military Americans on my flight to Guam, I was surprised to see that the Micronesian island is very much on the tourist trail for Japanese travelers. Deemed as the “Poor Man’s Hawaii,” Guam is a budget alternative to the upscale islands of the Aloha Sate. There are dozens of flights a day between Japan and Guam and, to my knowledge, they are always full. This constant influx of Japanese tourists has led some people to liken the island to a Japanese theme park.

As I walked up and down the stretch of sand at Tumon Bay, I could certainly see why. Camera-toting, selfie-taking tourists were everywhere.

Had I had more than sixteen hours in Guam, I would have likely strayed away from the touristy beaches of Tumon Bay and discovered corners of the island that have largely avoided the onslaught of development and hotel construction. I’ve heard that away from Tumon Bay, in places like Coco Beach and Ratidian Point, tour groups and hotels can be few and far between.

Yet, with only sixteen hours on Guam, I figured that staying around the crescent of perfect beach at Tumon Bay would be the best way to maximize my time and savor the warm, Pacific sun without feeling rushed.

Time and time again, I’d heard my colleagues tell me that there is nothing to do in Guam and that the island is boring and ugly in comparison to its more famous Pacific neighbors.

But, as with so many other places, I let my layover prove them wrong.

Even if I was not able to do everything I would have liked, my brief stay on the island was the perfect antidote to the megacities of Shanghai and Tokyo that I visited on either end of the layover, for it gave me the opportunity to snorkel with tropical fish, swim in the warm Pacific waters and soak in the bliss and tranquility of island life.

What better way to spend a day at work? 

The post Exploring Tumon Bay in Guam appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Babeldaob is the largest island in Palau and home to tiny Ngerulmud, Palau’s capital city. Beautiful rolling hills blanket this dense, forested island. Despite being Palau’s largest island and only a stone’s throw away from Koror (the country’s largest city), Babeldaob is underdeveloped, sparsely populated and often relegated to an afterthought in visits to the country.

After consecutive excursions to Jellyfish Lake and the South Rock Islands, Melissa and I spent our final day in Palau exploring Babeldaob, the archipelago’s largest island. Since joining a day tour to the island would have cost us upwards of $100 per person, we teamed up with another guest at our AirBnb and rented a car to tour the island.

Our Self-Guided Day Tour of Babeldaob Island

Renting a car to drive around Babeldaob proved to be a good idea. It allowed us the freedom to choose our own itinerary, as well as the ability to discover the quirky and eccentric attractions of Palau’s largest island on our own terms.

Our self-guided day trip around Babeldaob consisted of quirky attractions that rarely make it onto Palau travel itineraries. These destinations–some that we’d researched and some that we discovered by chance–made for an informative, scenic and unexpected afternoon.

• Japanese Historical Relics on Babeldaob

The first roadside stop on our drive around Babeldaob, was a Japanese Administration Center from WWII. A deserted and ruined building with rusting military equipment, the building lies crumbling amidst trees and tall grasses.

During WWI, Japan annexed Palau from Germany and occupied the islands until the Battle of Peleliu in WWII. The Battle of Peleliu occurred in 1944, when US troops fought Japan over influence in the Pacific Theater. After two months of fighting, US and Allied Forces won the battle. To this day, the Battle of Peleliu remains one of the deadliest turf wars in US history and remnants of the war between Japan and the US still lie scattered about many of Palau’s islands.

From the small informational placard adjacent to the ruins, we learned that the structure served the Japanese during the war. Yet, aside from the placard. we found very little other information about the structure.

A second sign next to the building informed visitors that taking pictures would incur a $25 fee. But the sign was only written in Chinese, so I took out my camera and snapped a few photos.

In mere seconds, a throng of men appeared from the bushes, chasing our car and demanding we pay money to visit the monument.

We quickly put down our cameras, backed away from the building and continued down the road.

• Capitol Building in Ngerulmud, Melekoek State

After being chased down by security guards for attempting to take photos of the ruined army base, we headed toward Palau’s capitol building–an imposing and impressive structure that rises above the verdant jungle and towers over everything in its vicinity.

Never mind that the capital city of Ngerulmud has a population of less than 400, making it the smallest capital of any independent country in the world. (Yes, it is even smaller than the Vatican City). Or that the city of Ngerlumud is so small we never actually were able to find it. Never mind that there are only 20,000 residents in the entire country of Palau–making it one of the smallest countries in the world by population. Or that the small island nation is among the most remote on Earth.

Palau’s capitol building is so impressive and stately that one would think it belonged to a wealthy and powerful nation.

We spent about an hour touring the inside of Palau’s capitol building and taking in the ocean views from its courtyard.  Then, we continued our self-guided tour of the island with a visit to the prehistoric stone monoliths of northern Babeldaob.

• Badrulchau Archeological Site on Babeladaob

The Badrulchau Archeological Site dates back to 161AD and comprises about 40 carved monoliths that have, over time, lost most of their distinguishing features. Today, a few of the stones vaguely resemble heads, though we had to stretch our imaginations a bit to see their features.

What makes the monoliths all the more intriguing, is the fact that the stones do not originate in Palau. This means that, as with the moai of Easter Island, the material used to build the Badrulchau statues was imported from elsewhere.

Little is known about Palau’s early history and, as a result, the country’s largest archeological site is shrouded in mystery.

It is worthwhile to visit Badrulchau for the beautiful ocean views as much as for the megalithic stones. Colorful fruits and flowers dot the lush vegetation and a patchwork of turquoise and sapphire water forms a jaw-dropping backdrop to the archeological site.

• Eco-Theme Park and Waterfall on Babeldaob Island

Though we enjoyed our visit to Ngerulmud and Badrulchau, the highlight of our day trip around Babeldaob was undoubtedly our visit to the quirky Eco-Theme Park.

The Eco-Theme Park is a popular stop along the Babeldaob circuit and is situated in a dense jungle that surrounds the Ngardmau Waterfall. At the entrance to the park is a small visitor center of sorts, with a few caged birds, a giant teddy bear in a harness and a rickety-looking monorail that is seemingly powered by a lawnmower motor.

Imagine the exact opposite of a Disney roller-coaster, and that is what the theme park’s monorail looks like.

With package tourists from China and Japan flooding the small conglomeration of islands, the Palauans have become increasingly creative about finding ways to get their hands on tourist dollars. Every point of interest–from beaches to historic monuments and from museums to natural attractions–seemed to require pricy fees. And the theme park was no exception.

We immediately agreed that zip-lining was out of our price range, so we paid the $10 entrance fee and decided, instead, to spend our time enjoying the waterfall. There are two different ways that one can reach the Ngardmau Waterfall–by foot or by the aforementioned jungle monorail.

We chose to walk, since taking the monorail would cost us upwards of $30 each.

A treacherous hiking path parallels the monorail tracks and led us down a slick rock face, past rushing streams. We followed the monorail tracks through the jungle and laughed every time we heard the train’s little engine sneak up behind us.

Our fascination with the impromptu roller-coaster must have been apparent for, after having walked half the way to the waterfall, one of the park attendants picked us up for a free ride.

Atop our little roller-coaster, we climbed hills, crossed rivers and cut through thickets of trees. The monorail seemed to be held together by threads, making our overland excursion one of adventure and laughter. The train’s rickety seats wobbled below my weight and felt as though they would collapse at any moment.

All the while, the lawnmower-like locomotive propelled us forward–at what felt like 5 miles an hour–until we reached Ngardmau Waterfall.

By the time we reached the waterfall, most other tourists had already left, so we we were able to have the site mostly to ourselves.

We cooled off in the water and climbed behind the waterfall, enjoying the solitude and natural beauty of this freshwater swimming-hole.

***

Traveling to Babeldaob was full of surprises. Home a quirky theme park, monolithic statues, WWII relics and an imposing capitol building in the world’s smallest capital, there are plenty of things to do in Babeldaob on a self-guided day trip.

Most would surmise that a visit to Palau is not complete without discovering the country’s underwater world and snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake. And I agree. But so too, do I think that no visit to the Palau would be complete without a visit to the bizarre and often quirky above-water attractions of the country’s lush and tropical interior.

The post Driving around Babeldaob: Palau’s Largest Island appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Housing everything from untouched coral gardens to docile reef sharks and from manta rays to WWII shipwrecks, the small Micronesian nation of Palau consistently tops the list of best dive sites in the world. I’d had my heart set on visiting Palau since I first saw video footage of the country’s underwater sanctuaries and pristine seas a few years ago.

The only problem was, I’ve always been too afraid to go scuba diving.

Throughout my travels, there have been many times in which I’ve had the opportunity to strap an oxygen tank to my back and plunge into the underwater world. But each time, I’ve stopped short of taking a diving class and turned to snorkeling instead.

Palau was no exception.

Without a scuba certification or the courage to equalize my ears, I began to research things to do in Palau for non-divers.

Yet, tourism in Palau is so centered around scuba diving, that I found very little information on snorkeling or alternative activities. I remember worrying that, as a non-diver, I would be missing out on all that the country has to offer. But then I remembered thinking, if the diving is so fantastic, the snorkeling in Palau should at least be decent, right?  

PALAU SNORKELING TOUR

The Scuba diving in Palau is some of the best in the world. It is the reason that travelers from around the world choose to visit this tiny fleck of emerald in the vast Pacific Ocean. So after our successful day trip to Jellyfish Lake, my friend Melissa decided to take a dive trip to the German Channel in search of turtles and manta rays.

I, on the other hand (still too scared to take the plunge) joined Impac Tours on a snorkeling and beach-filled day trip to the South Rock Islands.

As I’d imagined, the snorkeling in Palau was wonderful.

In fact, not only was it wonderful, but it was also some of the best I’ve seen anywhere—as good, if not better, than And Atoll in Micronesia, Moorea in French Polynesia, and Komodo Island in Indonesia.

• SNORKELING AT CLAM CITY

My day tour to the South Rock Islands started with a visit to Clam City, home to some of the world’s largest mollusks. Though the reef around Clam City is relatively dead and the water clarity pales in comparison to that of the archipelago’s other snorkeling locations, the sheer size of the clams is impressive.

We swam around Clam City for about twenty minutes, before continuing toward the Big Drop Off via the German Channel.

• THE GERMAN CHANNEL

From 1899 until the Japanese takeover of Palau in 1914, Germany occupied the Palauan islands. During this time period, the Germans blasted a channel through the barrier reef between Ngemelis and Carp Island to facilitate their exploitation of Palau’s rich bauxite and phosphate reserves.

Today, the deep ocean trench is teeming with some of the world’s most plentiful communities of manta rays and sharks. With knowledge of the marine life below me, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret as our catamaran passed through the channel without stopping.

• SNORKELING AT THE BIG DROP OFF

Yet, my regret quickly washed away as soon as I set my eyes on the underwater world of the Big Drop Off. Much like the reef at Tetiaroa Atoll, the Big Drop Off’s sheer wall runs the length of the island and plunges into a dark abyss. The reef at the Big Drop Off is teeming with life. I swam around schools of brightly colored fish and even spotted a few white-tipped reef sharks darting amongst the pristine coral gardens.

I may have missed the Manta Rays at the German Channel, but snorkeling at the Big Drop Off in Palau was more incredible than I’d even imagined.

• LUNCH AT CARP ISLAND

After a successful snorkel, our tour of the South Rock Islands continued to the star-shaped Carp Island. Though Palau is not known for its beaches, Carp Island’s white sands and swaying palms are as idyllic as any I have ever seen. I swung in a hammock of the Carp Island Resort and watched the translucent waters lap gently against the white sand, enjoying my own little slice of paradise.

Before I knew it, I had drifted to sleep.

But it wasn’t long before a storm began to brew overhead and torrential rains jolted me out of my reverie.

Our tour had allotted two hours for Carp Island. Yet, unfortunately, the inclement weather caused me to spend most of that time under a covered shelter.

• LONG ISLAND, PALAU

On the way back to Koror, the rains temporarily subsided and our boat made a quick stop at Long Beach–a thin squiggle of white sand in the middle of the ocean. I walked the length of the sandbar and looked 360 degrees in every direction. It was an incredible feeling to stand on a strip of sand in the middle of the ocean, with nothing but turquoise water and emerald limestone formations on my horizon.

Though the stormy weather lasted most of the afternoon and put a literal damper on my designated ‘beach day,’ my quick trip to Palau proved that visiting the island nation as a non-diver is absolutely worthwhile.

***

One day, I hope to get over the the fear of popping my ears. And maybe, when that day arrives, I’ll return to Palau’s crystal waters with an oxygen tank in tow and a new bout of courage.

For this trip, however, I was perfectly content snorkeling the coral gardens and exploring the above-water attractions that Palau has to offer.

The post Snorkeling Tour of Palau’s Rock Islands appeared first on Erika's Travels .

Imagine floating in a real life lava lamp, surrounded by millions of gelatinous golden orbs that drift gently through the water.

These orbs swirl effortlessly around you, in search of sunlight. They  swarm around your fingertips, brush up against your body, and coast right in front of your incredulous eyes.

It might sound like a dream, but such a place exists on the tiny uninhabited island of Eil Malk in Palau.

It’s called Jellyfish Lake.

And it’s extraordinary.

JELLYFISH LAKE IN PALAU: AN OVERVIEW

Jellyfish Lake lies amidst Palau’s Rock Islands, southeast of both Babeldaob Island and the country’s largest city, Koror. The marine lake connects to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the limestone.

The lake’s relative isolation and lack of predators has fostered the ideal habitat for millions of golden orb jellyfish to flourish.

Scientists believe that the jellyfish came to inhabit the lake after a rise in sea levels trapped them in the lagoon some 12,000 years ago.

With an abundance of algae for food and no predators to keep them in check, the jellyfish numbers began multiplying quickly. A lack of predators has not only caused the numbers of jellyfish to multiply, but it has also allowed them to evolve without stinging capabilities.

Over the centuries, their numbers have waxed and waned. In 2005, there were around 30 million jellyfish in the lake. Yet, over the next decade, the numbers began to plummet. By 2016, there were almost none.

Luckily, the population of jellyfish began rebounding in the last few years. And though the jellyfish haven’t yet reached their pre-2016 population, they now number in the millions once again.

JELLYFISH LAKE DAY TOUR ITINERARY

Snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake is, without a doubt, the #1 thing to do in Palau. The underwater experience is so unique and mesmerizing that it must be seen to be believed.

During our four day trip to Palau, my friend and I joined a Jellyfish Lake day trip with Impac Tours. The tour included kayaking in the South Rock Islands, swimming in the Milky Way, and a bento-box lunch on Ngermeus Island.

• KAYAKING THE SOUTH ROCK ISLANDS

We began our day trip to Jellyfish Lake with a kayaking excursion around the South Rock Islands—a collection of more than 200 weathered limestone knobs that dot Palau’s transparent waters.

Much like the limestone formations near Koh Phi Phi in Thailand, the Rock Islands jut out of the sea and support lush vegetation and mangrove forests that are teeming with life.

Kayaking amid the jungle-like vegetation of the Rock Islands was peaceful and serene. Overhead, we could hear a cacophony of birdsong and the light rustle of leaves.

• THE MILKY WAY LAGOON IN PALAU

Palau’s Milky Way is a scenic lagoon with brilliant turquoise waters. A popular stop on tours of the Rock Islands, it is both touristy and worth the stop.

The natural spa is known for the baby blue color and therapeutic properties. The color is a result of the white limestone mud that coats the lagoon floor.

• SNORKELING AT NGERMEAUS ISLAND

After a pit-stop at Palau’s premier natural spa, our tour stopped for lunch on Ngermeaus Island.

There, we ate our lunch quickly in order to squeeze in a bit of snorkeling before our highly anticipated visit to Jellyfish Lake.

The reef around Ngermeaus island did not disappoint. We saw brilliantly colored fish, delicate coral and giant clams. Shortly before leaving the island, we had the opportunity to swim amongst docile black-tipped reef sharks.

SNORKELING AT JELLYFISH LAKE

The promise of swimming amidst millions of non-stinging jellyfish is what first enticed me to visit Palau.

So it is safe to say that I had high expectations for my tour.

But it is also safe to say that the Jellyfish Lake completely blew my expectations out of the water.

The isolated marine lake is the crown jewel of any visit to Palau. There is just no other place in the world quite like it.

Jellyfish Lake was much bigger than I had imagined and its water was a deep emerald green. To reach its shores, we had to climb a steep path and then descend back down to the water’s edge.

Following the suggestion of our tour guide, I jumped in the water and swam toward the center of the lake. Away from the shade, I eventually began to see a few jellyfish floating in my direction.

Then, I started to see them in clusters; first in groups of two or three, and then in the hundreds.

The farther I swam, the denser and denser the the crowd became.

As we arrived at the point with the most direct sunlight, the water suddenly pulsated with golden orbs.

It was magical. Surreal. And 100% worth the hype (and price tag).

JELLYFISH LAKE TOURS AND FEES

Visiting Palau’s Jellyfish Lake is expensive. To swim in the lake, we had to join a tour that cost us upward of $100 per person. In addition to the price of the tour, we were required to purchase a $120 conservation permit for the lake and surrounding islands. Thus, our day trip to Jellyfish Lake resulted in a tab of over $200.

Since my visit, the price of visiting Jellyfish Lake has only gotten more expensive. Day tours now cost about $200, excluding the mandatory Koror State Permit. Day tours of Jellyfish Lake are bookable online and include lunch.

Worth it? Absolutely.

I can’t think of many places I’ve been that can compare.

WHERE TO STAY IN PALAU

Palau has a decent variety of hotel offerings compared to some of the Pacific’s other far-flung islands. Though it doesn’t have the dreamy brochure-worthy resorts of more well-trodden island chains like Hawaii and French Polynesia, you’ll still find a smattering of hotels at different price points.

Most accommodations in Palau center around the island chain’s largest city, Koror.

Yogi Dives B&B is among the cheapest places to stay in Koror.

The 4 star Cove Resort is another popular option that boasts an outdoor swimming pool, garden, and restaurant.

The Palau Pacific Resort is generally considered to be the nicest accommodation option on the island.

GETTING TO PALAU

United Airlines flies to Palau from Guam and Manila. Connecting in Manila, you can continue onward on the Island Hopper to various Micronesian islands—including Chuuk, Kosrae and Pohnpei in the FSM, and Majuro in the Marshall Islands.

Alternatively, you can fly to Palau on China Airlines from Taipei or Jeju Air from Seoul.

There are no scheduled boats or ferries between the Palauan islands and its neighboring countries.

****

Palau is a small island nation with beautiful scenery and extraordinary snorkeling.

Between swimming with sharks, bathing in the Milky Way and kayaking among the mangroves, our day trip to Jellyfish Lake was perfect from start to finish.

And our tour’s cherry on top—snorkeling in Jellyfish Lake—turned out to be one of the most visually stunning experiences in my travels to date.

The post Day Trip to Jellyfish Lake in Palau appeared first on Erika's Travels .

While Moorea is famous for its crystal clear waters and Tahiti for its jet-black sands, Tetiaroa Atoll is the type of place that is most synonymous with my imaginings of the Pacific. Paradisiacal and remote, it is an isolated ring of white sand lined with palm trees and surrounded by coral gardens.

Tetiaroa’s isolation gave me the feeling that I was journeying to the end of the Earth. Aside from Arno Atoll in the Marshall Islands and And Atoll in Micronesia, I’m not sure if I’ve ever been anywhere so off-the-beaten-path and far-flung. 

The atoll—famed for being the private island of actor Marlon Brando—is neither touristy nor deveoped. Currently, the island has no permanent residents and, thus, those arriving on day trips from Papeete are often the only people within 50 kilometers.

DAY TOUR OF TETIAROA ATOLL

While snorkeling at the Lagoonarium in Moorea, a fellow traveler recommended that we take a day trip to Tetiaroa Atoll on our penultimate day in French Polynesia. And though we had never heard of the island before, we needed little convincing. 

Our day trip to Tetiaroa with Poe Charters began with a two hour journey from Tahiti on a catamaran. For most of the ride, our boat cut through the open waters of the Pacific. The waves were relentless and the winds strong enough to create swells that would periodically pour over the sides of the boat and shower us with water.

I began to worry that the grey skies would bring rain and that our stay on the island would be met with adverse weather conditions.  

But when we arrived in Tetiaroa, the sun peaked through the clouds just in time for our walk around the atoll to motu Tahuna Iti, more commonly known as Bird Island. 

BIRD ISLAND ON TETIAROA ATOLL

Beyond its breathtaking beauty, Tetiaroa is a natural haven for avian life. Despite its tiny size, Bird Island is a seabird sanctuary that is home to a large and diverse array of avian species, including brown boobies and grey-black terns.

Each day, thousands of migrating birds make the journey from Tahiti—choosing to nest amongst the dense vegetation of the predator-free island.

We stayed on the strip of soft white sand for a while and swam in the warm waters of the shallow lagoon, watching the seabirds fly overhead. 

The scenery was incredible—in many ways reminiscent of Panama’s San Blas Islands, with its snowy-colored sand, its vibrant turquoise waters and its lack of large hotels and resorts. 

After lounging around on Bird Island and walking out to the shallow islands of the lagoon, our group headed back to the boat for a tasty lunch of seared swordfish and poisson cru.

SNORKELING IN TETIAROA

For the second half of our day trip to Tetiaroa, we had the opportunity to explore the underwater world of the island’s lagoon. As with the snorkeling in Moorea’s Lagoonarium, Dan and I had the opportunity to swim amongst colorful species of tropical fish, admire the intricate coral and come face to face with docile lemon sharks.

The reef surrounding Tetiaroa provides a perfect place for marine life to flourish.  At least 167 fish species—including colorful parrotfish, spotted eagle rays and reef sharks—frequent the island’s waters.

The reef around Tetiaroa is among the best I’ve ever seen. In terms of visibility and preservation, it rivals those in Micronesia’s And Atoll and Palau’s South Rock Islands.

While its coral gardens are perfectly preserved, the fish are plentiful and the visibility is unparalleled, what struck Dan and I most about swimming in the reef, was that we found ourselves at the edge of an ocean shelf, where the shallow reef dropped off into a dark abyss. From the water’s surface, we were able to see the varying shades of blue representing the depths of the ocean floor.

***

Our day trip to Tetiaroa Atoll was worth every penny of the hefty $120 price tag. Marlon Brando’s uninhabited island is nothing like Moorea or Tahiti, but it is no less beautiful.

With its swaying palms, its powdered shores and its far-flung appeal, the beautiful Polynesian atoll provided the exact paradise I’d imagined when planning a trip to the South Pacific.

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