Trip Report Palau trip-Dec 3 to 14

[peeweediver]

Our group of 21 just returned from Palau, staying at the Palau Pacific Resort and diving with Fish n' Fins. My wife and I have traveled with this group from our local dive shop many times. I'll start at the beginning and give as much detail as may prove helpful to those considering going. We left Chicago, nonstop to Honolulu and stayed overnight. Visited Pearl Harbor and that was very moving and worthwhile. Next to Guam and stayed overnight again. Nice beach and nice hotel, Guam Plaza Resort. United flight times are so bizarre that overnight was necessary in Guam. It's worse coming home, but I'll discuss what United to doing to Palau later.
Checked into Palau Pacific Resort and was very happy with our room. Resort is well maintained but almost empty. The resort has over 150 rooms, but besides our group of 21, there were maybe 10-20 additional guests per night staying during our 11 night stay. Very sad for the staff. The menu has been trimmed and the dining locations around the resort have been trimmed to 2 from 5 or so. You could say it's overpriced, but we were happy with the resort. We went out to eat 6 of the nights we were there. Drop Off Bar and Grill, Elilia's Seaside Dining and Barracuda were all very good and we went twice to each.
Fish N'Fins: From initial check in to check out, very efficient, pleasant and competent staff. On the first dive day, they picked us all up by van, one for equipment and one for us, registered all of us and handed out weights. After you book with them, they send you a very long check in form that you complete on-line and submit which makes the in-person check-in process very quick. We were assigned two boats, bigger one for 14 and smaller for 7. Two guides for the 14, one for the 7 person boat. For the rest of the trip, they picked us up each morning on the jetty of the resort at 8 or 8:30 depending on the dive site and dropped us off after the two dives, or three if you pre-arrange, which we did for two days. We took our computers and cameras off the boat and they took everything else, rinsed and had it ready on the boat when they picked you up the next morning. You can take as much or as little of your gear off the boat but they recommend taking at least your computers and cameras.
The boat rides: Much has already been discussed about the 50 minute to 75 minute boat rides depending on where you go: Peleliu costs more to go: permit and extra gas. $30 for gas and permit was $30 or $50...forgot. Also, you have to pay a one time $50 Palau permit fee. The rides are beautiful going through the rock islands. HOWEVER, they are not fun in a driving rain. 5 of our first 6 days were rain for the ride back to the resort. Fast boats with open sides makes for being pelted with sideways rain that felt like hail sometimes. My wife and I brought our 4th Element ponchos and were so glad we did. Many in our group left their wet suits and masks on to brave the rain but it was very miserable for them and even us in our ponchos. My two cents, please bring a water-proof, warm cover-up or consider a live-a-board which would eliminate that nuisance.
Diving: Best description of diving in Palau I read on this Board was, "Palau does not have world class anything, but does have very good lots of things". I might argue that the variety and abundance of the hard corral was world class. Sad to see bleaching and some of the huge table corral was dead from bleaching, but for the most part, the hard coral is a beautiful sight. Patches of beautiful, colorful soft corral and lots on anemones with lots of different anemone fish. Some huge sea fans. Sharks on almost every dive though usually 20 to 30 feet away, except one amazing dive where 6-7 reef sharks just swam around us for 15 minutes within 15 feet. The hook-in dives, Blue Corner and Peleliu Express were ok, but I much prefer just moving along and seeing sharks as they appear. German Channel where the mantas get cleaning was murky and we only saw a few near the surface while we were kneeling in the sand. No Raja type multiple huge schools of fish at one time, but small schools and lots of interesting fish. Turtles on almost every dive and very close, a small wreck had the best nudibranchs, but otherwise, not much macro. Current can be brisk and fun to fly through places like the Ulong Channel.
The last four dive days were sunny and the dives were mostly all ending on top of the reef for gentle exploring and your safety stop. We did 75-80 minute dives on those days, maybe because there were only 5 of us left (the rest either went to Truk or went home), or because the dive guide was very comfortable with us and liked staying down as long as our air and nitrogen loading allowed. One dive we went to 100 feet through a tunnel but mostly never went below 60 feet and I stayed mostly in the 40-50 foot range. We absolutely loved these last 4 days with what we all described as "luxurious" dives. We did see a Sea Cow from the boat, octopus and eagle rays, dolphins from the boat and were happy with all our fish interactions.
Usually, after the second dive, they took us to a beach (once to the beach where the show Survivor was filmed) and served us a bento box lunch. 8 choices that you ordered the day before. Fantastic flavors and quite a selection for our vegetarian folks.
OK, I'm starting to bore myself, so I conclude with this. United Airlines charges $1200 for a 2 hour roundtrip flight from Guam to Palau. According to the folks we talked to who live and work in Palau, the Covid shutdown hurt very badly but the flight costs and times (Departure from Palau at either 2:00 or 3:25 am) make things worse now. Nobody from Guam or other island can just pop over the Palau for 5-7 days because it costs too much. United is the only option now and they have made the situation worse.
Among our group, we described Palau diving as joyous. Not action packed like Cocos, nor mind blowing like Raja, but beautiful coral, plenty of interesting fish, long leisurely dives and wonderful people.
Here are just a few picks of big and small.

 

[Guitarcrazy]

Thanks for the great write up. We are leaving for Moorea in February, and Palau is a spot we have considered. the flights from Montana mean we have a 16 hour layover in LAX, which is bad enough. I am not sure we would be up for doing that twice on the way to Palau, but hopefully flight options will improve.

 

[drrich2]

That's a really good write-up that hits on a range of topics I think can help people considering the destination, and some merit digging into a bit.

Checked into Palau Pacific Resort and was very happy with our room.

Somehow I've come to associate Palau with liveaboard diving, based on trip reports/discussions. Interesting to see a land-based alternative. People often associate land-based with cheaper and/or entertaining non-diving spouses/kids. Were non-divers involved? Palau sounds like a travel ordeal and rather remote for people who aren't going to dive.

You could say it's overpriced, but we were happy with the resort.

So, while it'd have to be compared to liveaboard options, does that mean 'cheaper' is out? Any thoughts on how your trip price would've compared against a liveaboard? You guys ate out some, and on a liveaboard, that wouldn't have happened.

Important note: you went with your wife. Land-based hotels are often cheaper when more than one person is put in a room; dive resorts (e.g.: Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire) can be - but are often priced assuming 2 people will be in the room. Liveaboards don't get cheaper with 'room packing' - they assume 2 to a room, but you don't have to bring your own 2nd if you accept a same sex roommate. So what's 'cheaper' may vary when traveling alone, with a spouse/buddy, or more people for the room.

The boat rides: Much has already been discussed about the 50 minute to 75 minute boat rides depending on where you go: Peleliu costs more to go: permit and extra gas. $30 for gas and permit was $30 or $50...forgot. Also, you have to pay a one time $50 Palau permit fee. The rides are beautiful going through the rock islands. HOWEVER, they are not fun in a driving rain.

Sounds like a time ordeal coupled with an intermittent rain ordeal. I'd think the 'beautiful' would start to wear thin after 3 days or so?

For the rest of the trip, they picked us up each morning on the jetty of the resort at 8 or 8:30 depending on the dive site and dropped us off after the two dives, or three if you pre-arrange, which we did for two days.

3 Dives is a decent number to do in a day. Considering the round trip travel ordeal and long boat rides, 2/day would be off-putting, especially if this was an expensive trip. Did the resort or area offer compelling topside engagement, or was this a 'beach and hammock' kind of topside?

Sharks on almost every dive though usually 20 to 30 feet away, except one amazing dive where 6-7 reef sharks just swam around us for 15 minutes within 15 feet.

I saw your shark photo, but what was the viz. for most of your shark observation? A shark 20 - 30 feet away in 30 foot viz. is harder to get good photos of than one in 70 foot viz. I recall in the Galapagos I yearned for better viz., given the teeming life around me.

The hook-in dives, Blue Corner and Peleliu Express were ok, but I much prefer just moving along and seeing sharks as they appear.

Yet Palau is strongly associated with reef hook diving. Roughly what % of your dives involved reef hook use?

I don't think I'll ever go to Palau; for those considering it and reading this thread, I imagine they'd want to know what made your land-based option more compelling than a liveaboard? The latter would provide more dives (I would think?), ditch the long boat rides (at times in rain) and offer all-inclusive simplicity. What sort of customer is better served by the land-based option?

 

[peeweediver]

Some answers:

That's a really good write-up that hits on a range of topics I think can help people considering the destination, and some merit digging into a bit.


Somehow I've come to associate Palau with liveaboard diving, based on trip reports/discussions. Interesting to see a land-based alternative. People often associate land-based with cheaper and/or entertaining non-diving spouses/kids. Were non-divers involved? Palau sounds like a travel ordeal and rather remote for people who aren't going to dive.

No non divers. If we go back, we'd do a liveaboard. For this trip, 21 people in the group meant no liveaboard.

So, while it'd have to be compared to liveaboard options, does that mean 'cheaper' is out? Any thoughts on how your trip price would've compared against a liveaboard? You guys ate out some, and on a liveaboard, that wouldn't have happened.

Fish n' Fins offers a hotel and diving package for 7 nights, breakfast and lunch (provided by the dive op on dive days), 5 days of 2 tank per day diving. If you booked directly with Fish n' Fins, staying at the Palau Pacific Resort would be around $2400 while liveaboards run about $3300. Palau Pacific Resort is much more expensive than the other hotel choices from Fish n' Fins....by anywhere from $500 to $800 per person. Food is expensive so dinners out were around $30-$40 per person with a drink. 3rd dive was $65. So, if you added a third dive per day and dinners out, the cost of our land-based package might still be $200-$300 less per person than a liveaboard. Much less expensive if other hotels were chosen.

Important note: you went with your wife. Land-based hotels are often cheaper when more than one person is put in a room; dive resorts (e.g.: Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire) can be - but are often priced assuming 2 people will be in the room. Liveaboards don't get cheaper with 'room packing' - they assume 2 to a room, but you don't have to bring your own 2nd if you accept a same sex roommate. So what's 'cheaper' may vary when traveling alone, with a spouse/buddy, or more people for the room.

No single supplement at the resort, so for a week, a single would pay around $1600 more for the week.

Sounds like a time ordeal coupled with an intermittent rain ordeal. I'd think the 'beautiful' would start to wear thin after 3 days or so?

The last four days were beautiful and every boat dive was enjoyable. The rainy days wore thin after 10 minutes!

3 Dives is a decent number to do in a day. Considering the round trip travel ordeal and long boat rides, 2/day would be off-putting, especially if this was an expensive trip. Did the resort or area offer compelling topside engagement, or was this a 'beach and hammock' kind of topside?

Kayaking, some other beach stuff and then, for a fee, there were off-road tours, and village tours.

I saw your shark photo, but what was the viz. for most of your shark observation? A shark 20 - 30 feet away in 30 foot viz. is harder to get good photos of than one in 70 foot viz. I recall in the Galapagos I yearned for better viz., given the teeming life around me.

A few dives had a bit of a murky quality, 30-40 feet or so, but many were the best viz I've seen...100 ft plus. On those dives, we could clearly and very distinctly see the details of the bottom from the boat which was at least 50-60 feet down. The shark photo was one of those amazing viz dives. We saw the sharks coming from over 100 feet away. Nowhere near as many or as beautiful as the schooling hammerheads in Galapagos, but much, much better viz.

Yet Palau is strongly associated with reef hook diving. Roughly what % of your dives involved reef hook use?

2 of the 12 dives we did. Once the Truk Lagoon people left for Truk after 7 nights, we told our boat driver and guide no more reef hook dives because none of us liked it as much as free swimming with whatever sharks, eagle rays, bump-head parrot fish, etc. showed up. Most dives the sharks were 20 feet below us but on maybe 4 dives, they were at our depth.

I don't think I'll ever go to Palau; for those considering it and reading this thread, I imagine they'd want to know what made your land-based option more compelling than a liveaboard? The latter would provide more dives (I would think?), ditch the long boat rides (at times in rain) and offer all-inclusive simplicity. What sort of customer is better served by the land-based option?

It was a local dive shop trip and it was a group of folks who we've been diving with regularly for over 10 years. Being with the group outweighed the better liveaboard option. If just us or a small group, it'd be a liveaboard. Because of the long boat rides, you return to your hotel between 2 and 3 pm. That gives you a few hours to unwind at the pool or on the beach. Folks who like to spend their afternoons relaxing in that way, would like this type of trip. We are no longer 4-5 dives per day folks. 3 per day ( even a few 2 per days mixed in) works fine for us, though we just did 4 per day on a trip in January and enjoyed that.

We've been fortunate to dive the Maldives, Cocos, Socorro, the Philippines and Indonesia in the past 10 years. Though this trip lacked the WOW factor of those trips, my wife and I both felt that it had a quality that is hard to describe but just felt wonderful.