I returned from Yap with a friend - Winsome from Sydney - in tow. We had really enjoyed the peace and quiet of Yap. Palau seems like Los Vegas in comparison. Consider there used to be less than 20,000 tourists a year. This year we are on target to get closer to 200,000, whilst the population of Palau is below 18,000!
Where are they coming from? Most are on package tours from Asia. So we have 5 new chinese restaurants in town since Christmas. Plus many buildings are being turned into hotels or tour operators. The locals (including us) are looking on in a bemused way because this has happened in the last 5 months or so.
Environment wise I am concerned about water and sewerage (it just about copes normally); plus unregulated development. There is talk of more hotels and even a golf course. Baleldob (main island) has over 75% forest cover - I really hoped it could stay that way as one of the last pristine places in Oceania. Also there is an insatiable appetite for seafood. Normally subsistence activities mean there is not too much overharvesting; but this is changing as fishermen can command premium prices for rarer items such as turtles and sea cucumbers.
