Palau & Yap

Day 1 Depart USA

Depart USA on your independent flight to Palau.

Day 2-3 Koror, Palau

Upon your late-night arrival in Koror, we transfer you to the Palau Pacific Resort. After a morning at leisure and lunch, we explore Nikko Bay. This well-sheltered bay holds pristine coral gardens with world-class snorkeling, hidden marine caves full of geologic wonders, and forgotten WWII bunkers and artifacts. In the afternoon the divers in the group head for the WWII Jake seaplane wreck for an easy check-out dive in shallow waters. Return to our hotel for a welcome dinner and overnight.

Day 4 Rock Islands

Today we explore Palau’s geologically fascinating Rock Islands on a full-day guided boat tour with the chance to snorkel and dive among vibrant coral reefs. As you look up from the water, watch for wheeling white-tailed tropicbirds, fast flying sulfur-crested cockatoos, delicate fairy terns, slow-flying Palauan fruit bats, and many mixed flocks of feeding terns. Enjoy lunch on a white sand beach. Return to Koror for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at our hotel.

Day 5 Kayaking / Embark Palau Aggressor II

Palau boasts more than 300 emerald islands surrounded by crystal-clear, turquoise lagoons. During our half-day kayaking tour (no experience necessary) we explore Palau’s hidden network of marine lakes, mangrove channels, and tropical beaches. Birding and snorkeling are highlights. Then return to Koror to embark the Palau Aggressor II, our home for the next seven nights.

Day 6-10 Palau Expedition Stops

Given the expeditionary nature of this voyage, our day-by-day itinerary may vary. This region of the Pacific features some of the highest marine biodiversity in the world and we choose daily dive and snorkel sites based on weather conditions, tidal exchange, and skill levels. Palau is best known for its vertical walls adorned with gorgonians, soft corals, large predatory fish, and an abundance of reef fishes. Along with trips to some of the world’s top dive sites such as Blue Corner, Siaes Corner, Ulong Channel, Turtle Cove, Turtle Wall, Ngemelis Wall, and Big Drop Off, we also explore less frequented sites in the inner lagoons and on the outer islands. Peleliu Island–Conditions permitting we spend a day diving, snorkeling, and exploring its outer reefs. Some of the most exhilarating drift and wall dives can be made from the island’s southernmost tip, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Philippine Sea. Jellyfish Lake–Named one of the Seven Biological Wonders of the World, this unique lake system is a prime example of biological isolation. Our naturalist guides present a detailed interpretation of this phenomenon and we snorkel among the amazing and harmless, resident melon-sized jellyfish. Palau Wreck Diving –Palau is the final resting place for the “Lost Fleet of the Rock Islands,” more than 50 Japanese warships and airplanes sunk by U.S. dive-bombers during WWII, and we dive and snorkel some of these vessels during the week. Covered in soft corals, these wrecks provide a habitat for many species of marine life. Other amazing snorkel sites may include: Giant Clam City, a shallow site covered with enormous, colorful tridacna clams, and Soft Coral Arch, a limestone arch covered with branching, rainbow-hued soft corals.

Day 11 Koror / Disembark Palau Aggressor II

After a final day exploring the islands of Palau we enjoy some free time in Koror before meeting at a local restaurant for dinner. A festive cocktail party celebrates our time onboard the Palau Aggressor II and we disembark in the late evening and transfer to the airport for our early morning flight to Yap.

Day 12 Koror / Yap

Upon our very early arrival in Yap, transfer to the Manta Ray Bay Resort for a morning at leisure. After lunch we depart by power boat for afternoon dive and snorkel excursions. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 13 M’il Channel / Colonia / Ggal Village / Wulu Village

After breakfast depart by power boat forthe M’il Channel where we hope to snorkel and dive at close range with manta rays. Magnificent leviathans with wingspans 7–14 feet across, they arrive here daily to feed and have their gills groomed by cleaner wrasses. After a traditional lunch on a lovely beach at the north end of Yap Island, we visit the small capital city of Colonia. Tour the Yap High School and witness the remains of the first German cable station that connected the Philippines, Guam, and Shanghai with Europe. One hundred years ago it was possible to call from this very point in Yap to Berlin, Germany. Afterwards, at the Yap Institute for Natural Science, the director enlightens us on Yap’s culture and the connections to Palau and its environment. A short bus ride from Colonia brings us to the village of Ggal and to one of the largest stone money banks in Yap where we have a chance to photograph the biggest and heaviest money in the world. We continue to a lookout point to view the Pacific Ocean on one side of the island and the Philippine Sea on the other side. At nearby Wulu Village, we see one of the best preserved men’s houses in Yap. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 14 Maa Village / Kaday Village

This morning we visit Maa Village where we embark on a mangrove tour by kayak. Local guides lead the way, helping to identify the different types of mangroves and plants that are used locally as herbal medicine. After lunch at the hotel we drive to Kaday Village and walk along ancient stone pathways, past fields of taro, and through dense foreststo observe stone foundations from previous cultures. Visit the pebai, community house, and view wunbey, the flat stone platforms where the elder men of the village hold meetings. We are greeted with a cultural performance and have a chance to meet the local people and participate in some of their daily traditions. Farewell dinner and overnight at our hotel.

Day 15 Yap / USA

Depart on your independent early morning flight to the USA.