By: Scott Radway

The mesmerising emerald islands of Palau top a shortlist of locations for the next season of the popular US reality television series 'Survivor', which pits hardbodied individuals against each other for a top prize of one million dollars.

Palau is an old hand at reality TV, having already hosted the Japanese version of Survivor. It was also recently the exotic backdrop for an advert for the internet portal Yahoo.com, which featured a talking dolphin.

Biologists know the archipelago as the bull's-eye of biodiversity and the economy of the remote Oceania archipelago is driven by eco-tourism. But revenue from television and filmmakers would be welcomed by Palau's 20 000 residents, most of whom live on a handful of main islands.

Where only the creepy-crawlies dare to go

Only critters and creepy-crawlies inhabit the remainder of the archipelago’s 500-odd islands, which leaves the panoramic views, the verdant jungle and the tantalising aqua lagoons pristine.

The 'Survivor' scouting team will no doubt spend some time on the centrepiece Rock Islands, a network of raised limestone peppered with green jungle and surrounded by vast expanses of crystal-clear water.

Getting there

Chief of staff Billy Kuartei said the only hitch to filming in Palau would be the cost of travel for the estimated 300-member film crew that follows the day-in and day-out trickery, debauchery and nudity that have made 'Survivor' a jewel in the reality television crown.

Government officials said they would work with airlines to provide reduced rates if it means they could rake in the millions of dollars in exposure that prime time television in the United States — and 49 other countries — affords.

A promotional boon

Australian tourist officials gauged the promotional value of hosting 'Survivor Outback' in 2000 at $2.6-billion.

In exchange for the reams of publicity for the host nation, the producers of the television show seek everything from tax breaks and visa waivers to security at the film site.

The contestants, many of whom see the show as a jumping off point for their own careers in the entertainment industry, live and compete in an area devoid of any of the modern conveniences they are used to.

The crew, however, is not constrained by such primitivism and lives near enough to catch the cast's soap opera histrionics and to provide emergency care should it be needed.

Producers will also look to ensure that cast members will be able to hunt and fish for their food, and to light fires — which could fly in the face of efforts here to keep the islands as pristine as possible.

Traditional chief system in place

Palau is a nation with a healthy traditional chief system that works alongside a western-style democracy, meaning 'Survivor' may have to take its pitch to the Council of Chiefs for approval.

That could result in the producers of 'Survivor' getting voted off by a tribal council even before any of the cast — although that decision will not likely be televised.

AFP