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Palau is a dream liveaboard destination for even the most experienced scuba divers, with idyllic tropical islands scattered in the western Pacific Ocean. Beautiful topside images of Palau's verdant forested islands and turquoise lagoons paint the picture of a remote yet accessible tropical getaway where the delights of the underwater world await you in abundance.
Below the water's surface there is a riot of activity going on. It's an amazingly diverse region and you can expect lots of sharks, big schools of fish and pristine reefs. There is also the famous Jellyfish Lake in which to snorkel, plus some fascinating wrecks to dive from the World War II era. It's no wonder that Palau liveaboards leave many visitors convinced that this is one of the world's top diving paradises.
Situated around 650 km to the south east of the Philippines, Palau's geographical location is at the meeting point of 3 of the world's major oceanic currents. This means that nutrient-rich water literally flows in from all sides. This fuels an explosion of life exceeding 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of corals and anemones. You can expect to be dropping down sheer walls covered in gorgonian fans and colourful soft corals. There are many sites, like the famous Blue Corner, where you attach yourself with a reef hook and watch the current-fuelled action as the big fish pass by. There are also cleaning stations where you can watch rare manta and shark behaviour. All this plus wrecks and snorkelling with stingless jellyfish! Your memory card and your own memory will be filled with innumerable and unforgettable sights and encounters when your Palau liveaboard safari comes to an end.
One of the main reasons that Palau is consistently rated highly by experienced liveaboard divers is that it has exercised strong and sustainable marine conservation policies. In 2014 its president declared his foresighted intention to ban all commercial fishing activities from its territorial waters, effectively turning Palau's waters into a ~600,000 sq km marine reserve, roughly the size of France. The island nation has already banned shark-hunting since 2003.
It is only possible to visit all the dive sites of the country, including the remotest ones, by Palau liveaboards. While land-based day trip diving is an option in Palau, it involves long and time-consuming daily boat rides to the sites; surely not the way you want to spend your vacation! Review your Palau liveaboard options here:
The tour routes of the liveaboards in Palau cover largely the same area, with all of them taking in the headline dive regions and sites such as Blue Corner, German Channel, Ulong Channel, Peleliu and Jellyfish Lake. Blue Corner is a site with an excellent reputation and one that promises huge schools of fish, and bigger numbers of sharks than many divers will have seen before. As with many of the dive sites in Palau, this is a great opportunity for descending to the edge of a reef channel and securing yourself with a reef hook before letting all the breath-taking underwater action unfold.
German Channel is another site that promises to leave divers wide-eyed in an adrenalin-filled euphoria. This site includes a cleaning station where many manta rays, large and small, will stop by to be pecked clean. Sharks too will hang almost motionless in the water column as the busy cleaners nibble parasites from their skin. Huge schools of jacks, barracuda and eagle rays will join the throng, facing into the nutrient rich current that funnels through the channel. Peleliu is an island in the south with a dramatic and tragic history since it saw such heavy fighting and loss of human life in World War II. Nowadays it promises much more life-affirming and joyous experiences, as exemplified by dive sites such as Peleliu Wall and Peleliu Cut. At these places, you may spot hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, bull sharks, turtles and maybe even marlin.
In addition to fabulous sites, divers that visit Palau will also visit the incredible Jellyfish Lake where you can snorkel among thousands of pulsating jellyfish without being stung. You may also have the opportunity to go ashore for land visits to places of historical significance where you can learn more about Palau's role in World War 2. [More details on these dive sites: Palau].
Most trips are 6 or 7 nights long although there are some 10 night charters available. They are generally considered to be suitable for divers of all levels, although beginners need to be comfortable in conditions with strong currents and to learn how to use a reef hook. The guides are accustomed to showing the less experienced how to dive particular sites, so everyone can enjoy the spectacular marine life which makes Palau special. One positive feature of Palau liveaboard diving is that there is not a huge number of boats, so you will often have the dive sites to yourself and not be sharing them with many other groups.
> [More details: Palau island Trips]For liveaboard divers searching for a new and spectacle dive destination, far off-the-beaten-track, Palau's little known Helen Reef Marine Reserve could be an irresistible attraction. Its remoteness in the deep south of Palauan territorial waters and its protected status have help preserve an area buzzing with life. You will find pelagic fish such as tuna, trevallies and rainbow runners, as well as large oceanic sharks. On the reef there are dense schools of fish, reef sharks and mantas. Helen’s Reef is over a full day’s cruise from Koror so expeditions here tend to be longer (11-14 nights), exploratory in nature, and few in number. Yet they always sell out well in advance! Strong tidal currents make it suitable for advanced divers only.
> [More details: Deep South Trips]
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It's always a good time to dive Palau, and even during the times of year which are less than optimum, dive conditions are still great. Stable air (high 20's°C) and water temperatures (26-30°C) all year round mean that cruises don't tend to get cancelled due to bad weather. Although it is not far from the Philippines, Palau is beyond the main typhoon belt. Fringe effects of typhoons are least likely from February to April.
Peak diving conditions normally exist between November and May, although any given month can and does produce idyllic conditions. July to September is considered the middle of rainy season and during this time winds and river run-off can reduce the normally excellent visibility from 40m to as little as 15m at worst. Find more seasonal information on our Palau diving sites page.
You will fly into the airport in Koror (code: ROR), the main town of Palau (although not the official capital), and it is from its port that all the liveaboards depart.
There are direct flights into Koror from Taiwan with China Airlines (approx. 4 hours), from Manila with United Airlines (3 hours), from Hong Kong and Macau with Hong Kong Airlines (4 hours), and from Brisbane with Quantas (6 hours).
Guam also has direct flights from the USA, Seoul and Tokyo with good connections to Palau with United Airlines. When flying through Guam you will need to satisfy US visa requirements, which could be a huge headache, if not a non-starter, for many travelers.
For a worry-free trip, we strongly recommend securing travel insurance that includes coverage for trip cancellation, scuba diving activities, comprehensive travel protection. Our trusted insurance partners offer competitive rates. Get your instant quote today:
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Get instant answers to all your Palau travel questions in our detailed FAQs section, covering visas, packing tips, and dive requirements.
I have booked several times with Dive The World and have always had prompt responses to my inquiries. When I had trouble making the final payment, they were very prompt at splitting the amount so that it would go through. I like that you can go to one place and inquire about various dive tours. The liveaboards have always been very good, when we spend the money on a trip we want to make sure it's booked through a reputable company. Above all we want to be safe
