Eco Explorer in Palau - Trip Report

[robint]

Here is a link to my website with my Trip Report:
Palau on the Eco Explorer - Dec 2007

all pictures are now up with the exception of Jellyfish Lake and Iro Wreck on the last day. We hope to get those posted in the next few days.

We highly recommend the Eco Explorer for most divers. It is not for those who like wood-grained interiors, fluffy couches with pillows, crew in fancy suits waiting on you hand and foot. Go do the Palau Aggressor if that is what you want. If you do want a boat with a multi-cultural crew who want to please you (most of whom you never see as they are working), fabulous dive guides, fast boats 5-10 minutes away from some of the best diving in the world, then the Eco is for you. Not a fancy boat, just kinda funky with a "70s Show" kind of decor, wood furniture on decks, and non-gourmet food. My kind of boat, loved it, would do it again in a heartbeat.

Also, the group diving with us on the Eco changed a few times during the week as the Eco is doing a "flex schedule". This means that you don't have to do the Saturday-Saturday schedule like we did. Some divers only did 5-days and arrived mid-week, etc. Rumor has it that the Big Blue Explorer will not be returning to Palau. I think the Eco is a great alternative for those who might want to do a few days on a liveaboard or maybe flight schedule works out different for them and need to arrive mid-week.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Byte Me]

What a great review! Awesome pictures. I'm considering doing a live aboard next year and Palau is more of a fantasy right now than anything but boy does that look outstanding!

If you don't mind me asking - where did you fly in to and how much was did the Eco portion cost?

 

[robint]

The flights are a nightmare...
LAX to Honolulu........to Guam........to Yap.....to Palau
You leave LA around 9am and get in around 10-11pm (after crossing the international dateline and losing a day) after 20+ hours of travel and sitting in airports. Same going back.... Yuck.

We booked the trip through: Ultimate Dive Travel
you can get all the prices etc from them. I think the same package can be booked with Caradonna Dive Adventures - Dive Travel and Vacations or Island Dreams Travel scuba diving vacations, cozumel scuba diving, dive travel, dive resorts, diving trips They are all reputable Pacific destination travel agents, all get the same prices on everything, all about the same price as doing it yourself from what we found. Since returning from Palau there is only one plane which leaves at 1am, we got a day-room at a hotel in Koror so we could rest, shower, etc.

 

[Rickg]

robint,

Thanks for the great trip report and marvelous pictures. I'll have to wait until I get home though to see the videos.

Next time we go to Palau will definitely be on a LOB and the Eco Explorer and BBE both sound like good boats. Based on your write-up you would probably enjoy the Celebes Explorer also.

Rickg

 

[robint]

thanks Rick,
It was a marvelous trip! I doubt we will do another "Biggy" like this again for awhile. It was double what a Caribbean liveaboard trip costs overall and the travel was 3x as long. It was worth every penny though. We will do another big Pacific trip again, but not for a couple of years.

 

[Rickg]

robint,

I got to look at some of your videos last night. Fantastic is all I can say. Can't wait to get back to Palau again.

Rickg