Palau: Experience the wonders of this tropical paradise

Lost in a great expanse of deep blue ocean, there lies a living Eden, one of the few remaining paradises on Earth - PALAU. With untouched beauty that can only be found in this remote corner of the mighty Pacific, this oasis harbors a diverse environment and an ancient island culture, still alive in the warm and inviting people. This is a country that beckons to romantic explorers, divers, and family vacationers, urging them to experience its breathtaking wonders, to encounter its 5,000 years of tradition, and to discover the lush tropical allure of...PALAU.

As you arrive in Palau, a flight through the clouds offers a panoramic view of the dazzling coral seas and lush green islands. The Republic of Palau is easily accessible by way of flights by the following airlines:

• United Airlines with daily flight direct from Guam, and 2 flights a week direct from Manila, Philippines.
• Delta Air Lines with 3 flights a week direct from Narita, Japan to Palau.
• Asiana Airlines with 4 flights a week direct from Seoul (Incheon), Korea to Palau.
• Korean Air with 2 to 3 flights a week direct from Seoul (Incheon), Korea to Palau.
• China Airlines with 4 flights a week direct from Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) to Palau.
• Palau Airways with 3 flights a week direct from Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) to Palau; and 2 flights a week direct from Hong Kong to Palau.
• Japan Airlines with regular charter flights direct from Kansei, Japan and Narita, Japan to Palau.

Palau’s 500 tropical islands offer endless attractions across both land and sea. Visitors will find a wide variety of experiences, from the wildly adventurous to the luxuriously relaxing. Palau is home to over 1,500 species of fish and 700 types of corals - a vast marine paradise. Dive or snorkel amongst living reefs, schools of colorful fish, coral gardens, and sunken treasures. Palau’s reefs are one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World, including the finest wall diving in all of Micronesia. One can even have a close encounter with dolphins, swimming with these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat. Kayak through shallow lagoons, jungle canopies, and mangrove channels...keep your eyes open for the 147 species of birds that inhabit Palau of which 13 of those species are endemic to Palau. Relax and enjoy to your heart’s content the world-renowned Rock Islands that just recently have been inscribed unto the World Heritage List for UNESCO. Of course, no holiday in Palau would be complete without a tour to the famous Jellyfish Lake, home to millions of sting-less golden jellyfish, this is the only environment of its kind in the world open for visitors.

Palau offers the visitors a wide variety of hotel accommodations, from full-service luxury resorts and moderately priced bungalows to economical motels and bungalows modeled on traditional architectural styles. While many of Palau’s guests prefer to stay in the town of Koror, where most resorts and motels are located, some prefer the more private and secluded bungalows of the northern and southern islands. Whether price, comfort, or lifestyle are your considerations, Palau’s natural beauty ensures a pleasant experience and memorable stay.

View Accommodations Listing:
https://www.micronesiatour.com/sites/default/files/Palau%2520-%2520Accommodations%2520Listing%2520.pdf

All nationalities must have a valid passport up to 6 months prior to expiration date to enter Palau. A 30-day tourist visa may be obtained upon entry. All visitors must have a return or onward air-tickets. Mandatory Departure Tax is currently $20.00 per person and Green Fee is currently $30.00 per person; these taxes are payable directly on departure.

Getting around Palau at your leisure either by land or air. With Koror’s roads all paved and completion of the 50 some miles paved the road in Babeldaob (northern island of Palau), sightseeing and visiting cultural and historical attractions and sites are conveniently accessible rental cars. An aerial view of Palau, Palau Helicopters offers various scenic flights to Palau, including the rock islands.  

View Transportation Listing:
https://www.micronesiatour.com/sites/default/files/Palau%2520-%2520Transportation%2520Listing_0.pdf

Experience the Adventures of Palau

Famous as it is credited to its diving, and as diverse as the colors of its rich marine environment, the list of action-packed activities in Palau reveals a rainbow of color choices as well. Palau is not limited to just its glorious blue waters.  The destination also offers a myriad of activities. While snorkeling is also one of Palau’s main water activities, other marine amusements include kayaking, fishing, jet-ski, sports fishing, dolphin encounters and snorkeling with millions of jellyfish at Jellyfish Lake. Recent additions to the list of activities include ZIP Lines, ATV tours, and Jungle River Boat Cruise.

There are numerous activities on land as well, such as tours to museums for more in-depth culture and historical discovery about Palau, trekking through ancient village grounds and ruins, cruise on a jungle riverboat to see crocodiles and endemic plants along the river or visits to the local wood carving shops for a memorable souvenir. A visit to Palau is not complete without tasting some of the local delicacies such as tapioca, mangrove crab, coconut candy even fruit bat soup.
For more information, please visit: www.visit-palau.com

Culture

Palau is a country rich in tradition and culture. Today, many sites of cultural or historical importance remain intact, reminding modern Palauans of a past long ago, while reinforcing the culture and tradition for future generations.

Despite external influences, no doubt reflect the multifaceted aspects of Palau’s culture, even as many of its innate traits remain.  Strongly representing these inherent cultural inclinations in Palau is the traditional dance. Often accompanied by chants, dances are performed mainly at ceremonies commemorative or/and special days of events.

Diving

Diving is year-round in Palau. From beginners and intermediate to expert divers, there are over 50 existing dive sites, each possessing distinct characteristics and individual personalities to appeal to everyone’s desires. Palau has been named one of the Underwater Wonders of the World. An archipelago surrounded by a fringe reef, Palau’s waters are packed with a great diversity of marine life. World War II relics randomly dot the underwater seascape with an almost perfect sense of dispersion; displaying haunting wrecks over 40 World War II Japanese seaplanes and shipwrecks that render the islands a dream for wreck diving aficionados.

Snorkeling

Inside the area sheltered by the Rock Islands’ tiny isles are calm seas that afford ideal sites for snorkeling. Year-round warm water temperatures are indescribably soothing and therapeutic, making snorkeling tours compelling. Shallow reefs reveal tropical fish and Technicolor giant clams thriving amongst a prism of corals.

Sportsfishing

With water sports alone, the opportunities are limitless. For instance, Palau has an abundance of the most spectacular sports fishing opportunities. One can troll for game fish such as mammoth 400-pounds blue marlin, sailfish, giant trevally, wahoo, and tuna. As a matter of fact, sport-fishing is so popular in the islands that the Palau Sports Fishing Association holds an annual fishing derby in the month of May that is open to anyone. Generous cash prizes are awarded for the biggest catches in several categories including tuna, barracuda, wahoo, and marlin, to name a few.

Jellyfish Lake

An attraction most can only dream of; this daring and unusual phenomenon, Jellyfish Lake, departs radically from convention; for it is an enclosed body of water wherein - over the course of a millennia - resident jellyfish have completely lost their sting because they have not had to fight off predators.  Instead, they spend their days in privileged leisure, pulsating gently from one side of the lake to the other while catching the sun’s rays and farming their own food supply of algae thus allowing interested adventure seekers a rare opportunity to swim amongst this truly unique water creatures.

Kayaking

Palau was made for kayaking. Paddle your way into any one of hundreds of deserted bays and lagoons. With its perfectly unspoiled scenery, impeccably preserved reefs and coves, the serenity of nature’s pure embrace and the swirling sound of your paddles breaking through the turquoise surface and the flying birds overhead, unimpeded by the whine of a motor. Palau is probably the best place in the world for nature-loving kayakers.

Land Tours

While Koror offers shopping and Museums, Babeldaob is full of cultural/historic treasures, from the famous Badrulchau, or Stone Monoliths, to ancient terraces and Stone Faces. Hear the legends and history of these sites from a local guide and wonder about times past. Babeldaob’s terrain transforms gracefully from steep mountains to freshwater lakes to sand dunes along the longest natural beach in Palau. Blessed with these natural as well as historic wonders, ancient stone paths carved out of the jungle centuries ago lead to fascinating remnants of old villages and ancient hillside terraces.  On the islands of Peleliu and Angaur, rustic remains are found in the scenic forests, intact after 60 years following one of the fiercest Pacific battles of WWII.

Rock Islands of Palau

Just recently inscribed as a World Heritage site for UNESCO. There have been many descriptions of the Rock Islands, including “A labyrinth of emeralds floating on a cobalt sea”. Protected by a fringe reef, the placid waters are a haven for snorkeling, swimming, fishing, kayaking, or just relaxing on the sugary white sand beaches.

Shopping

Discover Palau’s diversity of shopping for local handicrafts and other souvenirs.

Palau Aquarium

The Palau Aquarium at the Palau International Coral Reef Center is the best place to experience Palau’s unique marine world without even getting your feet wet. The thematic exhibits showcase outdoor pools and indoor aquarium tanks teeming with Palau’s exotic marine life.

Museums

Learn more about Palauan culture, history, and the arts through impressive exhibits showcased at museums in Palau. Visit the oldest museum in the Micronesian region since 1955, the Belau National Museum featuring exhibits of Palau’s culture and history. Or visit Palau’s only private museum, Etpison Museum featuring private collections of Palauan and Micronesian artifact exhibits, history and nature, gift shop, Wyland mural, and storyboards. In Peleliu, visit the Peleliu WWII Memorial Museum showcasing artifacts of one of the fiercest battle in the Pacific.

Dining

What are you craving? Search for your favorite flavor. Palau has many different kinds of restaurants, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Italian, Palauan, Mediterranean, and much more to choose from.