The “Discover Ngaraard” tour brought together a walk, ancient petroglyphs, a traditional lunch, and a hike. The itinerary combined different impressions of Ngaraard State with places, names, and stories. The natural landscape is also part of the picture: the West Coast Mangrove Conservation Area is one of the protected areas of Ngaraard State.

A tour between a village, petroglyphs, and a bai

The tour’s walk led to Ngerchokl, known as the “Fountain of Youth.” The itinerary also included a visit to the ancient petroglyphs of Olebakelderau. A traditional lunch was held at Kuabes Park. An orientation tour in August 2024 also included a hike up to Bai ra Ngeruau. The tour descriptions thus bring together different aspects: a walk to a named place, ancient rock carvings, a shared meal, and a hike to a bai. This offers a concrete glimpse into the variety of themes associated with Ngaraard.

Villages, stone formations, and other listings

Registered sites in Ngaraard include different categories. Beluu er a Elab is listed as a traditional village in Ngaraard; it was registered on March 13, 1991. Two more listings followed in 1993: Chetoikechang in Ngkeklau, registered as a stone formation on June 1, and Bai er a Ngeruau ma Chelsel a Beluu er a Ngebuked, registered as a traditional village on June 2. Ngerchokl in Ngebuked was registered as a stone formation on July 19, 1995; on the same day, Imeduurang in Ngeribkang, Chol, was listed as a bathing pool.

Later listings reveal further facets of the area’s history. Beluu er a Ngkeklau/Ngotel in Ngkeklau has been registered as a traditional village since July 5, 2001. Ked ra Malk in Ngebuked followed on September 2, 2004, as a stone platform. In 2005, the petroglyph site Blotk el Llecheklel a Chad el ngar er a Bad in Olebakelderau and the traditional village Beluu er a Desengong in Desengong were registered, on May 25 and October 6, respectively.

In Choll, too, the listings span several years: Omkuul has been registered as a stone platform since May 31, 2007, and Tangelbad as a landmark since October 23 of the same year. Diong ra Omtikel was listed there as a bathing pool on September 26, 2012. The register entry for Cheldeklel a Dilrengulbai, dated August 18, 2021, describes it as an underwater fortress.

Another cultural motif can be seen at the entrance to Kuabes Beach Park: totem poles honor the love story of Surech and Tulei. They add another dimension to the area’s history alongside the registered villages, stone sites, and petroglyph sites.

Ngaraard within the wider destination of Palau

The wider destination of Palau also includes landscapes in other states. Lake Ngardok is in Melekeok and is the largest natural freshwater lake in Micronesia. The Rock Islands Southern Lagoon is located in Koror State. The marine area covers 100,200 hectares and includes 445 coral limestone islands and 52 marine lagoons. These examples place Ngaraard in the broader context of Palau without conflating the locations.

Discover more destinations: Choll

For the main travel overview: Palau.