A Palapa or a Tiki Hut?

I’ve often been asked the difference between a Palapa and a Tiki Hut. Let’s try to clarify this!

First of all, the word Palapa has different meanings depending in which country you are. For instance, in Indonesia it means «fruits of labor». This is the reason why a series of Indonesian satellites was called Palapa… In South Africa it is a term of endearment and in Spanish a Palapa is an open-sided dwelling with a thatched roof.

On the contrary of the Palapa which has open sides, a Tiki Hut is usually enclosed on the sides by walls.

The other important distinction is that the Tiki Hut is usually designed with structural supports around the edges, while a Palapa usually has its supports directly under the roof. The two most common Palapa types are one-pole Palapa and two-pole Palapa, although custom Palapa design can be adapted to produce variations.

So now we know the difference between a Palapa and a Tiki Hut, which one do you have at home?