What to do AFTER Palau???

[DiverAlex]

Hi all!

I'm looking at a little R&R time (about two and a half weeks) in early April, and plan on spending a week aboard the Palau Aggressor II for my first week. The big question will be...what to do for the next 11 days??? I think I could probably do some of the day trips in Palau for a couple days (to include kayaking, hiking, etc.), but I imagine I may get bored after that. Since I will have all my scuba gear with me, I was thinking about a trip to another South Pacific destination...flying to Tahiti or Cook Islands is a little out of my price range, but a trip to Saipan, Guam, Manila, or other islands in Micronesia (Pohnpei/ Kosrae/ etc.) is feasible. Any suggestions or recommendations? I would think that diving ANYWHERE after Palau would be anti-climactic...but I'm very open to activities other than diving. Above all, finding a place that looks like Tahiti or the Cook Islands (but doesn't cost as much) to just veg out would be top on my list!

Thanks for the advice!

DiverAlex

 

[Mike Veitch]

You can fly to Cebu with Asian Spirit and then relax or dive in that area, is very affordable and plenty to do, good diving as well as other stuff

 

[robint]

Hi all!

I'm looking at a little R&R time (about two and a half weeks) in early April, and plan on spending a week aboard the Palau Aggressor II for my first week. The big question will be...what to do for the next 11 days??? I think I could probably do some of the day trips in Palau for a couple days (to include kayaking, hiking, etc.), but I imagine I may get bored after that. Since I will have all my scuba gear with me, I was thinking about a trip to another South Pacific destination...flying to Tahiti or Cook Islands is a little out of my price range, but a trip to Saipan, Guam, Manila, or other islands in Micronesia (Pohnpei/ Kosrae/ etc.) is feasible. Any suggestions or recommendations? I would think that diving ANYWHERE after Palau would be anti-climactic...but I'm very open to activities other than diving. Above all, finding a place that looks like Tahiti or the Cook Islands (but doesn't cost as much) to just veg out would be top on my list!

Thanks for the advice!

DiverAlex

Have you booked the Palau Aggressor yet? It didn't sound like it from your post.
To get to Palau you have to fly into/out from Guam so I would try to book something to follow on with that perspective. Yap, Truk, Hawaii, Australia? As far as topside stuff to do on Palau - you are right about not being enough to do for more than a few days. It is very Americanized, too. If you want something more exotic, go to Yap for a few days then to Truk and dive some WWII wrecks for a few days. Or go to Hawaii, Kona in particular has great hiking at the Volcano Nat'l Park - we spent only a day there but could have done 2-3 easy. We love hiking.

 

[Jim Kerr]

Hi all!

I'm looking at a little R&R time (about two and a half weeks) in early April, and plan on spending a week aboard the Palau Aggressor II for my first week. The big question will be...what to do for the next 11 days???

IMHO, I think the perfect compliment to a week in Palau aboard the Palau Aggressor would be a week in Truk on the Truk Odyssey.
Welcome Aboard the Truk Odyssey - Wreck diving in Truk Lagoon Micronesia

 

[bvmjethead]

IMHO, I think the perfect compliment to a week in Palau aboard the Palau Aggressor would be a week in Truk on the Truk Odyssey.
Welcome Aboard the Truk Odyssey - Wreck diving in Truk Lagoon Micronesia

Thinking about doing this trip in 09'

 

[DiverAlex]

Thanks for the advice so far...I have a slot reserved for the PA2 in April (though this could change due to unforeseen circumstances, so I'm not "locked in" quite yet, and may be going late March instead).

Wasn't thinking Truuk just because I'm not the biggest wreck fan in the world; I'd almost rather do another week of diving in Palau! That's why I was thinking of trying some of the other nearby islands...something with beautiful scenery and activities Other Than Diving (OTD, as I call it!).

Hawaii kind of seemed a little expensive to get to and even more expensive to stay; I could probably get a free flight there later on in the year anyway. How is diving the Big Island (Kona) in April?

As far as the Philippines, I've been there before and done some volcano hiking and diving in Moal Boal and Coron, but I hear Asian Spirit doesn't do the cheap flights to/ from Palau anymore...otherwise chilling out in Palawan may have been a pretty good option (kind of expensive now for the airfare).

Saipan seemed like an interesting option, but would it be inundated with tourists at that time? Did my research on this forum on Saipan diving (mainly shore diving and a handful of cool boat dives), but didn't find out much about "OTD" activities...sounds like golf and watersports?

Hmm...I guess anything where you combine "adventure", "excitement", "beautiful scenery" and "South Pacific" will be nice and expensive!

 

[Travelnsj]

I would keep diving in Palau...use land based like Palaudive.com...Keith is one of the best Dive Guides I have used....If you are into WWII history go down and spend a couple of days in Peleliu one of the Major battles in WWII....I have no idea the expense to get there but if you could get to Lembeh Straits or Papua in Indonesia....I have found nothing to compares to that diving.

Kona has one of the best dives being the Manta dive but the rest of the diving is just OK.....regarding Tahiti, Fakarava or Rangiora are better than Palau for Pelagic action...but not much in the way of corals or small to medium stuff....I'd keep diving in Palau...one of the best spots on earth.

 

[Jim Kerr]

Thinking about doing this trip in 09'

You won't be disappointed. It's the best of both worlds. I did them both but on seperate trips. Went to Yap for the second week on both trips. Yap is ok for a few days but gets a little boring doing a whole week. If I ever go to Micronesia again for 2 weeks I would go to Palau and Truk.

Palau was absolutely awesome. Truk was great too. I'm not a hard core wreck diver, and didn't think I would enjoy doing a full week of nothing but wreck diving but got a chance to go there on a deal that was too good to pass up, and I'm really glad I went. There's a lot of history, artifacts and beautiful coral encrusted wrecks with lots of marine life. They also do a shark dive that's pretty good too.

 

[Jim Kerr]

I would keep diving in Palau...use land based like Palaudive.com...Keith is one of the best Dive Guides I have used....If you are into WWII history go down and spend a couple of days in Peleliu one of the Major battles in WWII....

The Aggressor makes regular visits there and offers divers the option to dive or do the guilded tour of Orange Beach, where many U.S. Marines lost their lives.

 

[drewdude]

When I got certified in Palau, I met a lot of folks who were either coming from or going to Yap for the mantas. I think that was because of Cont. airlines route.