Max group size: 16

Itinerary

DAY 1 
Arrive in Koror

Upon arrival of your flight to Koror, you will be met by a Palau Pacific Resort representative and transferred to your hotel. As most flights from the U.S. arrive late in the evening, we will meet as a group on the morning of Day 2.
Palau Pacific Resort, Koror

DAY 2 
Welcome orientation; Babeldoab tour

Walking – easy to moderate.

This morning after breakfast our guide meets us in the lobby of the hotel for an orientation to the week’s activities. We begin with a gentle day of cultural touring on the volcanic island of Babeldoab, with its jungle-draped hills and evocative WWII archeology. We drive to a number of wonderful sites, walk to a spectacular waterfall, and stop in an ancient village to see a traditional bai, or men’s meeting house.

Each village traditionally had a men's meeting house, built on top of a raised stone platform.  Each house is constructed from giant timbers, reinforced with coconut fiber ropes, and assembled without nails in a timber frame design. The roofs are made by weaving mangrove palm fronds together. The bais are elaborately painted and decorated with carvings of traditional legends. There are two types of bais.  The first is the Bai ra Rubak (or old men's bai) where traditionally no women were allowed.  These were used exclusively for the meetings and customs of the older men of the village.  The Bai ra Cheldebechel (or clubhouse bai) was used for younger men and was the place where the older men would teach the younger generation the legends of the village and fishing lore.  Women were allowed to visit the Bai ra Cheldebechel. Only four traditional men’s houses remain in Palau and they offer us a unique look at traditional Palauan culture.

After enjoying a traditional lunch of local foods served in hand woven baskets, we visit the Ngardmau Waterfalls. This hike takes us across open savannahs, canopy covered jungle, clear water rock pools, and a gorgeous tropical river culminating in a 70 ft. vertical drop at the falls. 

When we return to our hotel, we choose to relax by the pool or explore the white sand beach at our doorstep.  Dinner tonight will be at the hotel, as we get ready for our island paddling and snorkeling adventures.
Palau Pacific Resort, Koror

DAY 3 
Ngeruktabel: Lost Lake, Tarzan Lake, Blue Room Cave

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

With immense biodiversity and beauty, Palau provides unrivalled snorkeling opportunities. From the surface, creatures such as turtles, barracudas, and multitudes of colorful reef fish can be observed gliding among dense coral formations sprinkled with giant clams, sea squirts, and varieties of anemone. The sea around the famed Rock Islands, our destination for our first four days of kayaking and snorkeling, is dotted with the sunken remains of more than 75 World War II military ships and Japanese seaplanes. Located primarily in the lagoons around the Rock Islands, these relics have developed their own thriving ecosystems, teeming with fish, corals, and other invertebrates not commonly seen along the outer reef system. All of the marvels of Palau await our exploration in the coming days. 

After breakfast we meet for departure by motorized boat to the Rock Islands. Our first stop is at Lost Lake, which we enter by paddling our kayaks through a small marine tunnel, exposed at low tide.  In this hidden lake we discover colorful soft coral fans along the lake’s entrance. With our snorkeling gear, we are able to get closer to the blue-lipped clams and feathery lionfish. 

Next we make our way to Tarzan Lake.  Here, depending on the tides, we may leave our kayaks tied up at the shoreline of the rock island and snorkel in.  Those of us inspired by this primitive natural beauty may enjoy swinging from a long overhanging vine or rope swing and dropping into the crystal water of the lake.
For an additional thrill today, we enter into the Blue Room Cave.  A short swim takes us into the stalactite-filled cavern with beautiful blue light streaking in. Throughout our adventures today, we learn about the unique geology of the Rock Islands from our knowledgeable guide.

In the afternoon, we make our way to our first island camp to find our tents and the dining area already set up by our Palauan camp staff.  Tonight’s dinner will be prepared by our camp chef with the best local ingredients.
Island Camp, Ulong Island

DAY 4 
Ulong Island: Jurassic Lake, Wilson’s Channel, Ulong Channel

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

Today we set out to explore the secret charms of Ulong Island, home to some of the most pristine tropical beaches and stunningly clear waters in the world. Hundreds of years ago the island was home to the Rock Island Palauans. Today, we have the privilege of discovering ancient pictographs, old stone walls, and forgotten Yapese stone money. For more sea kayaking and snorkeling adventures, we follow a secluded tunnel entrance leading into Jurassic Lake where we encounter all kinds of creatures seemingly forgotten by time.

Ulong Channel, a natural cut in Palau's southern barrier reef, is next.  Here we witness the constant flow of marine life through the currents.  Our sea kayaks provide the perfect seat for the show!
Island Camp, Ulong Island

DAY 5 
Mercherchar: Jellyfish Lake, Wonder Channel, Cycad Lake, Giant Clam Beach

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

Our adventure today will no doubt be among the highlights of the trip as we venture into the secret and surreal Jellyfish Lake, where we encounter thousands of non-stinging jellyfish. Their existence in Jellyfish Lake is a fascinating evolutionary story, tracing its origin back 35 million years ago to the time the Rock Islands were first created as a result of colliding tectonic plates. Over time, erosive forces slowly ate away at the exposed sea bed, carving away what are now hundreds of islands, with pockets cutting holes in the limestone.  These pockets continued to carve deeper and deeper into the rock until they reached through to the salt water. Throughout geologic time, the sea water continued to percolate through the porous limestone to create a number of salt water lakes. With that sea water came microscopic organisms, including a particular variety of jellyfish. Trapped inside the lake, with little plankton to prey upon, the jellyfish were forced to evolve away from their predatory ways, to an existence based on photosynthesis. In the end, the stingers became extraneous and were lost. 
As witnesses to this evolutionary phenomenon, we float gently in the water of the lake, equipped with just our masks and snorkels.  It is incredible to feel the delicate bodies of the jellyfish swimming against us — truly a special experience; one you will only find in Palau! Other highlights of the day include snorkeling in Cycad Lake and visiting Giant Clam Beach — a place whose name will be obvious when you see its inhabitants.
Island Camp, Ulong Island

DAY 6
Long Lake and Einstein’s Gardens

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

Long Lake, an environment that hasn't changed for 10,000 years, awaits our discovery today. We gather our kayaks and head in the direction of the lake as our camp staff packs up for tonight’s move to a new island oasis. With eager anticipation, we slip into a small channel opening to a thick mangrove forest.  We are amazed by what we see as the channel widens and we ride the tidal current effortlessly in our boats. The kayaks move under a shaded mangrove canopy draped with hanging orchids and epiphytic ferns. This long saltwater lake is a tranquil habitat for baby eagle rays, turtles, and giant clams. With skies full of tropical birds — white-tailed tropicbirds, white terns, and white-breasted wood swallows among them — there is much to see.

From this secluded saltwater lake, we move on to our next point of exploration: Einstein’s Gardens, so named because of the giant multicolor “brain” corals found here. The serenity of this completely enclosed salt water lake is powerful. Surrounded by high limestone wall, lush tropical vegetation, and the sights and sounds of myriad exotic birds, it is hard to take it all in. We glance over the sides of our kayaks, into the perfectly clear water of the lake and find enormous boulder corals of green, red, blue, and yellow, all packed together along the sloping wall of the reef.  Our guide explains the intricate circumstances that have allowed such a natural wonder to exist: the sheltering protection of the high limestone walls all around us, the overhanging trees that soften the light falling on the corals, and the constant tidal flow of water through surrounding tunnels which deliver a continual flow of nutrients to these living corals.

Satisfied from a full day of marveling at Palau’s natural wonders, we return to a new camp on Fantasy Island for the now familiar comforts of fine food and good company.
Island  Camp, Fantasy Island

DAY 7
Outer Reef: Turtle Cove, Ngedebus Gardens, German Channel

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

Today we transfer to the outer reef, one of the world’s premier destinations for underwater exploration.  With our support boat always at hand for rests, we take to the water with masks, snorkels, and fins for an experience we will no doubt tell stories about for a long time to come.

Our first stop is Turtle Cove, where we glide above a clear blue circular tunnel-hole in the reef, revealing a deep water cavern below that houses beautiful corals and colorful reef fish. Next we are treated to one of the best collections of hard corals in the entire Pacific Ocean. Ngedebus Gardens features reef structure that supports turtles, cuttlefish, anemones, clams, white tip reef sharks, and thousands of small schooling fish.

From here we are off to German Channel, a man-made channel through the southwest side of Palau’s barrier reef. We explore Manta Rock, what German Channel is best known for, with its profusion of giant manta rays that come to have their bodies cleaned of parasites and debris by helpful wrasses. Nearby is a coral garden that features crocodile fish, nudibranchs, flatworms, anemones, and clownfish.

Tonight, instead of returning to our tents, we are transported to our base for the next two days, the Carp Island Resort. Here we enjoy an uninterrupted view of the Rock Islands we’ve just thoroughly explored, miles of beach adjacent to the outer reef, and all the comforts of a tropical paradise.
Carp Island Resort, Carp Island

DAY 8
Outer Reef: Big Blue Drop Off, Blue Corner, Blue Holes, New Drop Off

Sea kayaking & snorkeling – easy to moderate.

For another day we have the pleasure of snorkeling along the Outer Reef.  Big Blue Drop Off is a sheer vertical wall that runs along the whole length of Ngemelis Island, providing some of the most impressive snorkeling in the world. Amazingly, the edge of the reef drops down 900 feet. Pyramid butterflyfish, square anthias, Moorish idols, sargent majors, and yellowtail fusiliers are among the plethora of fish found along the top of the reef. Blue face, regal, and emperor angelfish are also easily spotted. Dwarf angelfish, such as coral beauty, keyhole, and Gray's also dart in and around the coral heads at the top of the reef. Clarki and blue striped clownfish, with their host anemones, are also scattered here. Hawksbill turtles even like to feed and rest at the top of the reef. Palau's most popular dive site, Blue Corner, is recognized as one of the best in the world due to its concentration of marine life. It is the most highly rated site in Micronesia, and features a shallow coral shelf that projects out into the ocean with vertical walls on both sides. An upwelling created by the currents attracts schools of fish to the top edges of the walls. Napoleon wrasses, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, manta rays, white tip reef sharks, turtles, schooling barracudas, and groups of other reef fish populate the area.  At least some of these species will make an appearance during our snorkeling adventure — and if not here, then perhaps at New Drop Off, another site we will explore today.

In case we haven’t seen enough in our ocean odyssey today, we make a final stop at the Blue Holes, a series of four large holes in the top of the reef that converge to form a gigantic underwater chamber. The chamber, with its large opening in the wall, is home to soft corals, sea fans, sea whips, and hard corals. Large pelagics often encountered here include tunas, jacks, grey and white tip reef sharks, barracudas, and eagle rays. Groupers, Napoleon wrasses, triggerfish, Moorish idols, butterflyfish, anemones, and turtles are also common at this site.

We return for one more peaceful evening at our seaside resort, and enjoy a well-earned meal before drifting off to sleep in natural synch with the breeze from the ocean.
Carp Island Resort, Carp Island

DAY 9
Peleliu, WWII history tour; return to Koror

Walking –  easy, 2-3 hours.

Our last day in Palau is no less incredible than the previous eight, with a full schedule of important natural and historic sites. First, an exploration of Peleliu Island. Peleliu Island is located where the tide of the Philippine Sea meets the current of the Pacific Ocean, each flowing in the opposite direction. It is a place where the irresistible force of the sea meets the immovable mass of the reef, and the results are spectacular with countless species of fish.

With the Japanese controlling Palau by World War II, Peleliu became an important military target for the United States.  The Japanese had built a series of underground tunnels and fortifications, and they had tens of thousands of men stationed here. By the time the war was over, nearly 11,000 Japanese and 1,000 American soldiers had lost their lives in this area.  Evidence of their battles remains today in the form of sunken ships, secret bunkers, cannons, and other WWII artifacts. Before we leave Palau, a U.S. Trust Territory until only recently, we will visit some of these important archaeological sites.

Our journey through the Rock Islands concludes with a return boat ride to Koror, where we check back into the Palau Pacific Resort. With most departing flights leaving tomorrow morning at around 2:00 a.m., we have time to indulge in some of the luxuries of the resort and share a celebratory meal before our late night transfer to the airport.
Palau Pacific Resort, Koror

DAY 10
Return flights home

You will either be transferred to the airport in time to check in for return flights home, or you may opt to continue traveling independently, or extend your stay on Koror.

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