Angaur Island

Angaur is the southernmost island of the Palau Islands Group. There is only one village on Angaur, where most of the island's 200 inhabitants live. There are also around 600 crab-eating macaque monkeys on Angaur. The monkeys all descend from one pair that was brought there by the Germans at the beginning of the 20th century. The Germans used the monkeys to monitor the air quality in their phosphate mines that were opened in 1909. Later the Japanese took over the island and continued the operation until WWII. The pits have now been filled up by water and are home to crocodiles.

The village on Angaur sits on the island's western coast. It has a small harbor, which is nearly enclosed. Hidden in the jungle north of the town is an old Japanese lighthouse. It is a bit of a hassle to find it, but the views from its top are excellent.

On Angaur's northwestern coast is a small wooden Shinto shrine and nearby is a beautiful beach. Further north is a statue of the Virgin Mary that was erected to protect Angaur from stormy seas. Also in the vicinity is a Buddhist memorial, where Japanese WWII victims are honored.

In the same area you will find an airplane graveyard, which is littered with pieces of wrecked WWII planes, but nost of it is covered by jungle, so you'll need to look closely if you want to find it.

Accommodation is available in the village in Angaur.