Most on board had come to Palau to take to the water. Palau’s reef is in robust good health and the country is renowned for offering some of the world’s best snorkelling and diving. Each evening, the avid divers among our group rhapsodised about encounters with manta rays and kaleidoscopic corals that were among the most vibrant they’d ever seen.
I was happy enough snorkelling. Alone in a sheltered cove one calm morning, I cut through waters so still and dazzlingly clear it somehow felt like I was flying through the air rather than swimming. Yellowed leaves from the trees above me spiralled slowly downwards towards a coral carpet that shimmered with iridescent flashes of amethysts, peppermints and tangerines. For all the bells and whistles the Four Seasons Explorer offered on board, it was having the opportunity to experience such beauty, hundreds of miles from anything resembling mass tourism, that felt like the ultimate luxury.
Stays onboard Four Seasons Explorer Palau in the entry-level State Room start from $3,696 (£2,861) per room per night, based on double occupancy. This includes diving, snorkelling, watersports and most activities and excursions but excludes alcoholic beverages. Flights extra.
Cookson Adventures can organise a seven-night adventure on Four Seasons Explorer Palau from $59,995 (£46,442) based on two sharing the Explorer Suite with private sundeck and business-class flights on China Airlines via Taipei. This includes diving, snorkelling, water sports and most activities and excursions, but excludes alcoholic beverages.