San Blas Islands are part of Panama and it is an archipelago with around 370 islands and small sandy islands part of coral reefs. Only 49 of them are inhabited and mostly by the local Kuna Indians.
It is easy to get to.
The San Blas Islands are located in the Northwest of Panama, which borders Colombia in the East and Costa Rica in the West. You can fly from Panama straight into the San Blas Islands or you can take a boat from either Cartagena or Capurganá.
The San Blas Islands are remote but don’t feel overwhelmed by getting here.
If you don’t want to cross the jungle or open waters of the Caribbean Sea you can use a plane to get to San Blas. You can book flights at Air Panama or Aeroperlas, but make sure you book in advance.
Discover the pristine and untouched archipelagos in the world
Most of these impressively pristine islands have few roads and even fewer people. Here you can discover many new species that are unknown to the science in some of those uninhabited islands. If you are searching for that desert island feel, San Blas is the perfect destination.
San Blas is also known to have some of the best spots for snorkeling in the Caribbean of Central America. Many of the islands are ringed by healthy coral reefs and gorgeous water. The coral reef attracts many stunning species. The best time to go snorkeling is from June to October because the water visibility is better and there are fewer currents.
Photo credit: Markus Leupold-Löwenthal / Wikipedia
The Kuna People
The real name of San Blas is Kuna Yala – Land of the Kuna. The Cuna are famous for their bright molas, a colorful textile art form made with the techniques of appliqué and reverse appliqué.
About 50.000 Kuna’s live on the 49 major islands of San Blas and are controlled by their own community leader called a Sahila.
The island is picture-perfect with lapping waves, swaying palm trees, and gentle breezes and no Wi-Fi or TVs. Evenings are leisurely, with everyone relaxing and enjoying the slow Caribbean pace.
San Blas is an indigenous territory located northeast of Panama. Discover the San Blas Islands and relax in a typical rustic bungalow over water, hosted by a native Guna family. The San Blas Islands are popular with eco-tourists due to their pristine natural state.
Featured image photo credit: Marc Veraart / Flickr
Owning a hybrid or electric car may not be affordable for everyone right now, there are plenty of ways to reduce your vehicle’s carbon wheel print, regardless of its age and model type.
Fortunately, even if you can’t get a new, more efficient vehicle, there are a handful of things you can do to make whatever vehicle you do have more environmentally friendly.
A recent experiment by Chevrolet used two identical compact cars on the same routine every day, but the vehicles were driven by different people with very different driving habits. The results of this experiment show that a few small changes in our driving habits could make the car more eco-friendly and saving on gas each month.
Simple Ways to Make Your Vehicle More Eco-Friendly
It’s not that difficult or time-consuming to make some main changes to your vehicle that will make it more eco-friendly. Here are seven simple ways to make your ride more eco-friendly.
1. Check Your Tires
Making sure your tires are using the correct tire pressure is one of the easiest ways to make your vehicle more eco-friendly. And it also improves the traction and driving experience. If your tires’ pressure is not well maintained, your engine will use more gas to keep them moving.
The best way to find what the normal tire pressure should be is to check the inside of your driver’s door for a sticker that lists the suggested pressure range for your tires. Also, a great investment is to buy a tire pressure gauge to regularly check all four tires.
2. Remove Extra Weight
A heavy car will use more gas. If you store your golf clubs, guitar amps, ski equipment, and other heavy items in your vehicle, it will require you to spend more money on gas to keep the engine running.
Reducing the weight of your vehicle by as little as 10 percent can improve your fuel economy by 6 percent or more. With that in mind, leave what you can at home, and over time you should notice nice savings in gas expenses. The same is true for unused car accessories. As Men’s Fitness magazine notes, removing your vehicle’s roof rack will improve your fuel economy by about 5 percent.
3. Get Regular Tune-Ups
Another easy way to make your vehicle more eco-friendly is getting regular tune-ups which can result in a 4 percent boost in your gas mileage.
Maintaining your vehicle helps you save gas and it also creates less pollution and operates more efficiently.
4. Avoid Overusing the A/C
Yes, Los Angeles gets plenty warm in the middle of summer, but using the A/C in your car as sparingly as possible is great for the planet. Excess use of your car’s air conditioner puts a strain on your car’s electrical system, which makes the engine gobble up gas.
Have a mechanic check the A/C system to be sure the refrigerant is at the right level; that way, when you do use it, it will work as efficiently as possible. Then see if you can skip the A/C on days when it’s warm — but not too hot — and open the windows and/or sunroof instead to get some cooler air.
5. Accelerate Smoothly
As soon as the streetlight turns green, resist the urge to put force on the pedal as rapidly accelerating uses up a lot of gas. The same is if you have to slam on your brakes right before the next intersection. By accelerating smoothly, you can increase the mileage of your vehicle by 20%, making your car more eco-friendly.
Additionally, when you’re driving for long distances, use your cruise control function, as this will keep your car at a gas-friendly speed and prevent a lot of back and forth acceleration and deceleration.
6. Drive with your Windows Up
Many people think that fresh air is better than driving with the A/C on. The truth is that keeping your windows down adds more wind resistance pushing your car in the opposite direction you’re trying to go. This causes to burn more fuel. If you drive with your windows up, you’ll save more fuel in the long run.
7. Use the Car Wash
At first look, it may seem like a greener option if you wash your car in your driveway, but the reality is completely different. Doing that actually is environmentally unfriendly and causes more harm than good. The water that runs off your car is usually loaded with gasoline, oil and exhaust residue goes straight into rivers and wetlands, where it damages the ecosystem.
When commercial car washes are required by law to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, where it gets treated before being sent back into our waterways. Additionally, commercial car washes employ both computer-controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles to minimize water usage.
Palau (Belau) is a group of islands in the Micronesia area of Oceania, to the southeast of the Philippines. Palau enjoys a tropical climate all year round with an annual mean temperature of 82°F (28°C), although rain falls more frequently between July and October, there is still much sunshine. Typhoons are rare, as Palau is outside the main typhoon zone.
Tourism is Palau’s most important industry, and it is one of the wealthiest nations in the Pacific. It’s a magnet for tropical vacationers and a revered UNESCO World Heritage site.
President Remengesau declared most of Palau’s territorial waters, the size of California, a marine sanctuary in 2015.
The Palau Roman Tmetuchl International Airport is connected by the Friendship Bridge to the main city of Koror. The larger and more luxurious resorts are set closest to the dive sites.
The capital of Palau is Ngerulmud. It has only been the capital city since 2006. The city of Koror previously held the title of capital. Palauan are making the largest ethnic group of the country. Other minority ethnic groups include Chinese, Vietnamese, White, Carolinian, and Filipino.
Palauians are known for their hospitality, and they are largely very happy to welcome and show respect for foreign visitors and cultural differences. However, this respect should be returned. Visitors should not violate historic areas, pollute the environment, harm the ocean, or denigrate the people or local culture.
Palau is also one of the few places in the world to see the nautilus. Don’t forget to check out the many shipwrecks which are littered with nudibranch, scorpionfish, pipefish and other critters.
The diving season is all year round, but the best time to dive Palau is during the “dry” season, between October – June.
This is one of the most beautiful island destinations on the planet and also one that is renowned for its incredibly diverse dive sites.
Kayak or snorkel tour of the Rock Islands
The famous Rock Islands are a maze of unsurpassed beauty—tropical gardens atop limestone ridges set in glass-clear waters.
From Koror you can take easy day-trips to the jungle-capped Rock Islands, to Turtle Cove, Soft Coral Arch, and Ngemelis Wall. The only free public place in Koror where you can find coral reef is Icebox Park, located within walking distance from the port.
The best way is to explore kayaking is by joining tours. Kayaks are specially developed for paddling on open waters of lakes or oceans.
It is a snorkeler’s paradise, and expeditions can take you on an in-depth exploration of Palau both above and below the water’s surface.
Ngardmau Falls
The Ngardmau Waterfall is located on the island of Babeldaob and it is Palau’s tallest waterfall.
The waterfall was designated the “Taki” Conservation Area in 2005 and expanded in the area in 2010. The conservation area includes a variety of terrestrial habitats, with upland old-growth forest, savanna, river, swamp forest, and secondary forest. The conservation area is part of the Middle Ridge Important Bird Area, and the endangered Micronesian megapode has been observed there, in addition to other endemic birds.
The constant foot traffic on the dirt trail has substantially increased erosion and sedimentation into the river. This threatens the community water source, river fauna, and marine flora and fauna at the river mouth.
There are 52 basalt megaliths, some of them weighing over 5 tonnes. The purpose of these monoliths are unknown, many believe that they served as supports of what could have been the largest bai (meeting house) ever built in Palau.
Six of these stone monoliths have rough faces carved into them. Island settled over 1,000 years before by inhabitants of the Philippines
Belau National Museum is Micronesia’s oldest museum. To get closer to the customs and an introduction to the natural history of the region or browse the extensive exhibits focusing on Palauan art, communities, and traditions. Here you’ll find an impressive array of specimens, artifacts, and models inform you about the area’s diverse animal and plant life, spiritual and ceremonial history.
The museum was established in 1955 and it was originally located in the former Japanese Administration Weather Bureau building and later relocated to a new building. The museum exhibits artifacts from all aspects of the local life of Palauan people.
The Milky Way is located in the rock islands of this Micronesian country and is famous for its being a natural spa treatment. Locals and tourists look forward to applying the white limestone mud from the lagoon all over their bodies. Locals claim that applying the mud will make you lose ten years off your age.
The Milky Way Lagoon also offers a stunning view of natural beauty and it is a nice place to have a soothing, relaxing and peaceful time.
Visit the Airai Bai
Palau’s oldest bai is over 100 years old, 21m long and 6m wide. Airai Bai is a men’s meetinghouse where we can gain a unique insight into local customs.
Palau was first inhabited by Austronesian settlers and it developed a unique society where women often played a dominant rule in government and religion.
The assembly hall is 79 by 20 feet, rising to a height of 40 feet. The roof is woven from nipa leaves and tropical woods are used across the floors and walls.
Etpison Museum
Learn about Palauan Culture at the Etpison Museum. The museum is open 9-5 Monday – Saturday and there is a $10 entry fee.
The museum features cultural displays with dioramas, and includes displays on the history and foreign influence, traditional money types, the famous 1st childbirth ceremony, Palau and Yap canoes.
The museum opened the Captain Wilson Art Gallery at the Palau Pacific Resort in April 2017, which showcases Palau’s nature and culture through the photography of Mandy Etpison.
Do you need a Palau visa?
Visas are not required for USA, UK, CAN and AUS. US citizens are issued a free one year visa on arrival. UK, AUS and CAN citizens are issued a free 30-day tourist visa upon arrival.
