Truk or PNG and Palau on same trip

[SandyUT]

I think I have seen groups hit both of these locations on the same two week trip. I am looking for advice from anyone who has done this. Mostly logistics of flying between the two and how that was accomplished.

We are in in the initial stages of planning a sizable trip to Palau and Truk. Or if the travel is easier Palau and PNG.

Thanks for any experiences and advice you can share.

 

[Kevrumbo]

An itinerary to Palau and Truk (Chuuk) from mainland US can be easily put together via Guam with United Airlines exclusively.

To get to PNG from Palau, you could fly into Manila with United, and then take Air Niugini from Manila into Port Moresby (hub for PNG). You may have to overnight in Manila and/or Port Moresby.

Another route suggestion would be Guam to Brisbane -via Korean Air- and then Air Niugini from Brisbane into Port Moresby. Nicer overnight options in Guam, Seoul/Inchon or Brisbane; and a little more flexibility & frequency in connecting flights from Brisbane to Port Moresby. Other Australian gateway hubs with Air Niugini into PNG to consider are Cairns and Sydney.

Try this website to get ideas for an itinerary:
Cheap Tickets: Flights, Hotels & Car Rentals

 

[Colo Hippie]

On our trip last February to Palau then Truk we flew United through HI then Guam to Palau then through Guam again to Truk then back to the US through Guam then HI.

The travel was not fun but worth every second

 

[SandyUT]

I didn't think it would be that easy. I'll get on and try to build a few itineraries. Thanks!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WetPup]

Due to domestic connection times in Port Moresby, you'll either need to fly in to PNG via Brisbane or Cairns - otherwise you'll need to overnight in Port Moresby. I strongly recommend flying via Brisbane or Cairns and avoiding a stay in Port Moresby.

For all practical purposes, you best bet if you want to get to PNG, will be to fly there from Brisbane, as it offers more international connections (Manila, Tokyo, etc.) if you're flying in after going to Palau/Truk.

 

[ev780]

I have done the Chuuk Palau thing a couple times and it can be easy or not so much. I have done the island hopper out of Honolulu (HNL) and a direct to Guam out of HNL. The island hopper is pure torture if you ask me. About 6 hours from Honolulu the fun starts. You start a series of ups and downs of about an hour in the air followed by an hour on the ground. Stop in Majuro, Kwajalein, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and finally Chuuk. I much prefer the direct to Guam and then hit the island hopper as it heads back making Chuuk your first stop. After your time in Chuuk you take a 2am flight back to Guam then a flight to Palau (ROR). Then the return is some version of outbound flights.

If you plan a week in Truk and a week in Palau then another almost week is ate up with logistics of travel. You loose about 2 1/2 days from the mainland depending on how things go in HNL. Direct Houston to Guam is another possibility and will save some time I suspect. Then a couple days desating and moving to Palau. You get a day back coming home but I would still budget almost the full three weeks to make it happen. I am sure you can also hit this by connecting out of Asia but I have no experience there.

It is not easy to get to and exhaustion will reign supreme for a few days on either end but it is well worth the effort. The wrecks in the lagoon are going fast so see them before they rust away. Jellyfish Lake, Ulong Channel, Blue Corner, and the rest are well worth the effort of getting there.

Hope that helps.

 

[Centrals]

Where do you want to dive in PNG? There are many places to choose and all of them will require domestic flight eg. Kavieng, Milne Bay and Rabaul unless you are boarding the liveaboard in Port Moresby or diving its surrounding area.

If my memory is correct, Port Moresby is NOT a place to hang around. But I did enjoy my travelling in the Highland, Madang , Wewak and Sepik River.

 

[blahanson]

I spent a week in Palau, followed by a week in Chuuk in November Had an amazing time. Flew from Guam to Palau and from Palau to Guam, then to Chuuk on United. Each time spending about a day in Guam, got motel room and relaxed. Would do again. I have some video on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXbZ7-t_9LA4DWTYbrWiHmg/videos

 

[Scared Silly]

As folks have said Palau and Chuuk are relatively easy via United Airlines and Guam. However, it is not easily done in two weeks unless you only want 4 perhaps 5 days of diving at each location and nothing else. That will also preclude doing any liveaboards as well. Most of these flights will require an overnight somewhere (HNL, NRT, or GUM) plus there is the date change going over. For instance, you can leave the states on Friday but you will not get to ROR until Sunday night.

My suggestion is to realistically plan for three weeks. It will give you time to recover from the long flights and see a bit more of each location. It is worth doing an afternoon tour of Chuuk as well as some dives that are not wrecks. The same for Koror.