The city is best known for its traditional Palauan men’s meeting house, a so-called Bai. In former times, each village in Palau used to have its own Bai. At the beginning of the 20th century, more than 100 bais were still in existence in Palau.
Palau’s oldest bai (men’s meeting house) is over 100 years old, 21m long and 6m wide, with a steeply pitched roof reaching a height of 12m. It was constructed using local materials of wood and thatch on a stone platform. A number of legendary scenes and symbolic motifs are painted inside and outside. Airai Bai is in a clearing in the village of Airai. It’s not signposted; ask locals for directions. Chances are the keeper of the bai will miraculously appear and ask for the entrance fee.