Palau Trip Report

[diverchuck]

I just got back from Palau and I would definitely recommend land based diving through NECO Marine. The boats have 2 - 200hp Yamaha's so the boat rides aren't that long. The longest was Peleliu and that only took us one hour. We also would have the most amazing and scenic rides through the islands on the way back at no extra charge (I heard some places charge extra for the island route). When ever we would see dolphins on our way to or from a the dive sight the boat captain would take us to them and let us watch them and take pictures for a while if we wanted. They supplied us with food, beverages, rinsed our gear and set it up for us in the morning etc....the service was extraordinary and I will go back to them again. There were 2 people in our group who have used them 3 times in the past and will not use anyone else again because of the exceptional service.

 

[cxstraub]

I just got back from Palau and I would definitely recommend land based diving through NECO Marine. The boats have 2 - 200hp Yamaha's so the boat rides aren't that long. The longest was Peleliu and that only took us one hour. We also would have the most amazing and scenic rides through the islands on the way back at no extra charge (I heard some places charge extra for the island route). When ever we would see dolphins on our way to or from a the dive sight the boat captain would take us to them and let us watch them and take pictures for a while if we wanted. They supplied us with food, beverages, rinsed our gear and set it up for us in the morning etc....the service was extraordinary and I will go back to them again. There were 2 people in our group who have used them 3 times in the past and will not use anyone else again because of the exceptional service.

I have done both land base and Aggessor. I got more diving in on the Aggressor but you do not get to see as much of the island as you should. Diving with Neco Marine is truly a great experience the boats are good for diving and are not crowded which lets you dive your own plan (deep or shallow). The trips each day through the islands are well worth it. They are spectacular. I highly recommend setting up at least 3 dives per day so you get plently of diving in as well. Neco's side trips make the experience more enjoyable. I have dove most of the Micronesian islands and always come back to Palau they seem to have it all.

 

[weedycdragon]

I just got back from Palau and I would definitely recommend land based diving through NECO Marine. The boats have 2 - 200hp Yamaha's so the boat rides aren't that long. The longest was Peleliu and that only took us one hour. We also would have the most amazing and scenic rides through the islands on the way back at no extra charge (I heard some places charge extra for the island route). When ever we would see dolphins on our way to or from a the dive sight the boat captain would take us to them and let us watch them and take pictures for a while if we wanted. They supplied us with food, beverages, rinsed our gear and set it up for us in the morning etc....the service was extraordinary and I will go back to them again. There were 2 people in our group who have used them 3 times in the past and will not use anyone else again because of the exceptional service.

Hi
my husband and i are thinking of going in september, just started looking for information so dont know whether we would go land based diving or live aboard.
Do you still get to do all the great dives and is september a good time to go weather wise. What kind of prices are you talking about at NECO Marine and for accomodation.
Also what are the dives like..really hard, we have no experience of reef hooking is this a problem

THanks in advance
susan

 

[amadeus00]

Hi
my husband and i are thinking of going in september, just started looking for information so dont know whether we would go land based diving or live aboard.
Do you still get to do all the great dives and is september a good time to go weather wise. What kind of prices are you talking about at NECO Marine and for accomodation.
Also what are the dives like..really hard, we have no experience of reef hooking is this a problem

THanks in advance
susan

The dives are not exactly easy and it's not exactly hard. The currents are tricky and strong at times. The reef hook diving is about as lazy as you can get. Even more lazy than drift diving. Just find you a piece of rock, hook on and enjoy the view.

 

[pilot fish]

I just got back from Palau and I would definitely recommend land based diving through NECO Marine. The boats have 2 - 200hp Yamaha's so the boat rides aren't that long. The longest was Peleliu and that only took us one hour. We also would have the most amazing and scenic rides through the islands on the way back at no extra charge (I heard some places charge extra for the island route). When ever we would see dolphins on our way to or from a the dive sight the boat captain would take us to them and let us watch them and take pictures for a while if we wanted. They supplied us with food, beverages, rinsed our gear and set it up for us in the morning etc....the service was extraordinary and I will go back to them again. There were 2 people in our group who have used them 3 times in the past and will not use anyone else again because of the exceptional service.

Neco Marine I take it is the Dive op? Whre did you stay? This interests because I would like to dive Palau but cannot use a live-aboard since my wife does not dive. I think that it would be unfair to expect her to endure that just for my diving pleasure. Would a land based resort prevent me from good diving entirely? Are the land based resorts nice enough that a non diver would like it?

 

[melyssaandscott]

Palau Pacific is a particularly nice land-based resort but pricey. It has all the amenities that a non-diving spouse would want, including a private beach and messages, etc... They have an on-site dive-shop, but I think that for a serious diver either NECO marine, or Sam's would be the way to go. They will usually pick you up at the hotel. You can still dive the good dive sites on Palau land based, but as others have posted you are looking at a minimum of 45-1 hour boat ride each way and probably 2 tanks a day at most.

 

[cjames]

My wife and I were in Palau about a year and a half ago. We stayed at PPR and dove with Neco and would highly recommend both. The Haj is awsome also for a restraunt, try the spicy lobster curry, it rocks. Don't leave the island without trying the mangrove crabs. My trip report is on my web site.

 

[ken chung ar]

My wife and I were in Palau about a year and a half ago. We stayed at PPR and dove with Neco and would highly recommend both. The Haj is awsome also for a restraunt, try the spicy lobster curry, it rocks. Don't leave the island without trying the mangrove crabs. My trip report is on my web site.

I signed up for BBE in September and am planning to dive Dolphin there.

I read your self-introduction and came to realize that you were also a Dolphin diver. Did you use Dolphin in Palau, too? If you did, did you bring your scrubber with you all the way from home? If you bought it there, could you let me know where you purchased it?

ken chung ar
PADI 808721-DM
Nitrox and Dolphin diver

 

[cjames]

Ken,
We didn't take the SCRs to Palau for the reason you mentioned: I couldn't find a place to get scrubber material or fills. In addition, I travel with a video rig and now a still rig as well so 2 more big pieces of luggage is getting to be tough to deal with. I think for our Indonesian trip, I going to ship it all to Lembeh Resort.