We enjoyed a pleasant return to Palau, my (Wayne) 20th, 13th for Stephanie. This is the trip review that I submitted to the diving monthly Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org). Photos are in the Travel Photos section of this website:
This was our first trip back to Palau since February 2020, just before the COVID lockdown. We were again quite pleased with the professionalism and care provided by Fish ‘n Fins. They set up accommodations and very pleasant kayak and land tours, as well as diving. Dives were two per day, with lunch provided (usually on a Rock Islands beach) with option of a third dive. Dive boats are very comfortable with plenty of room for both wet and dry gear, and good locations for backroll entry. The ladders are substantial and crew quickly takes cameras and other gear handed up, and will take BC’s if desired. The guides are very conscientious about the environment and clearly enjoy showing off the wonderful underwater life of Palau. The boat drivers are also happy to show off the Rock Islands, including reminders of WWII (bunkers, guns, cave storage areas). The weather was quite windy and often rainy, limiting options for dive sites but the boat drivers and guides were good at picking best options (including those with fewer dive boats). There are almost always interesting wrecks such as the Iro when conditions outside the reef are not good. Palau has clearly benefitted from limitations on fishing, with sea life and coral improved significantly since my first visit in 2001. Accommodations at the Palasia were clean with excellent housekeeping. The hotel could use of bit of updating and the breakfast buffet was not as good as it was pre-COVID. There are excellent restaurants in Koror and we especially love the Taj. The Etpison Museum is worth a visit and also has a nice, large gift shop.
