What are the things to do in Palau?
Situated in the western Pacific Ocean, Palau is renown for its unique islands, jellyfish lake, and superb scuba diving (especially wreck diving), and is starting to become a tourist hot spot over the past few years. Though the island nation is relatively small, there is plenty to do. Get in before things really start heating up.
Read on for incredible things to do in Palau!
Swim with non-stinging jellyfish
Palau’s most famous attraction, the Jellyfish Lake is seriously like no other place on earth. Over the course of millennia, the jellyfish in the saltwater lake were cut off from the ocean. With no predators around, they evolved to lose their stings and are completely safe to swim with!
Visitors can snorkel in the lake, though scuba diving is not permitted. This is truly one of the most fascinating experiences, and completely reminded me of the scene with the jellies (albeit non-stinging) in Finding Nemo!
(I’ve been getting questions regarding these fins — they’re from Mares, and a staple favorite of mine!)
Scuba diving (wreck diving, drift diving, caves, etc.)
Palau has some fantastic scuba diving, with numerous wrecks left over from WWII and gorgeous caves/swim throughs. There’s also the chance to spot manta rays (the German Channel is one of the best sites), turtles, and extremely friendly wrasse. A super curious Napoleon even started following me around for at least half an hour, coming up and studying me with its big, curious eyes. This is a scuba aficionado’s paradise!
Go island hopping
It is extremely easy to charter your own boat and visit the number of uninhabited islands in Palau, with stretches of beautiful sand banks to see. You can drop by uninhabited beaches and visit “Milky Way,” a shallow area near islands that contain mud supposedly good for your skin. The possibilities are endless!
Kayaking
Another option is to explore the islands on your own. Rent a kayak and paddle around, exploring little nooks and crannies with no one else in sight.
Picnic on a private island
No matter if you’re island hopping via boat or kayak, I cannot stress enough the wonders of picnicking on an island you have all to yourself! Many tour operators will pack a bento box or set lunch for you, or you can ask your hotel to do so as well.
Discover remnants of World War II
If you’re not a scuba diver but still want to see relics of WWII, Palau is the place to go. Spot leftover cannons poking out from caves as you cruise past islands and discarded remnants of the past. So. Cool.
For history buffs who have the time, a short trip over to Guam or Yap is a wonderful way to visit battle sites with tanks, artillery and ammunition left over from the war.
Try to spot wild dugongs
Though you can’t get too close as they are incredibly shy, Palau does have a population of dugongs that feed on seagrass in the area, and if you’re lucky, you can even see them in the wild.
With the water incredibly calm and reflecting the setting sun, we turned off the engine to our boat and just drifted, listening and searching. Soon enough, we saw a nostril pop up here, a tail flip there. We were even fortunate enough to witness a baby calf swimming with its mother. Recommended for a serene finish to a busy day.
On another note…if you’re a fan of dugongs, and curious about manatees, read my guide on how to swim with wild manatees in Crystal River, Florida!
Swim with dolphins
There’s a dolphin sanctuary off of Koror. This is a large educational and research facility with the great chance to swim with dolphins.
Try some local cuisine
Palau is known for its seafood, but also some unique local delicacies…aka fruit bat! These fruit bats are plentiful in Palau, and became a traditional dish. I’m experimental in what I eat, so I stomached down a small bite – it was gamey, strangely fragrant, and not something I’d eat again, but hey, you traveled all the way to a remote island in the Pacific, right? Why not?
Packing List:
*my favorites are linked below!
- Snorkel set
- Fins
- Bikini
- Swim protection
- Hat — I love this foldable sun hat by Wallaroo!
- Cover up
- Sunscreen
- Aftersun
- Flip flops
- Sunglasses
- Diving gear + dive computer (I use Suunto and have never looked back)
- Binoculars
Camera List:
Camera — I recommend:
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Nauticam housing
- Sony A7R II and housing
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and housing
- GoPro
Lenses:
- Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM – my go to walkaround lens
- Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM – wonderful landscape lens that gives a little more flexibility in framing, while still having great aperture capability
- Sony 24-70mm f/4 – an extremely versatile, wonderful walkaround lens
- Sony 35mm f/2.8 – a SUPER compact, almost pancake-style lens that produces beautiful images
- Moment Lenses – terrific for iPhone photographers
Underwater
Tripod
- A light carbon fiber tripod like the Gitzo GT1542T for mobility
- A light JOBY GorillaPod for versatility on where to attach your camera
Filters
Drones
Sam’s Tour
For those who inquiring, I used Sam’s Tour to help plan the activities. They are absolutely wonderful to work with, and incredibly accommodating with a great staff!
Ever been to this small island nation? Let me know what else you enjoyed, and some other things to do in Palau!
Sounds like a amazing place to visit. Love the ocean.
Oh my goodness – all I could look at were the jellyfish! How amazing to have evolved like that. My boys keep asking to look again!
That’s amazing, thank you for sharing them with your boys! 🙂
I can not get over how beautiful the beaches and water are there. It looks like a dream. I bet it is even more beautiful in person. I sure would love to see it for myself one day.
It truly is a dream! Let me know when you visit one day – would love to hear your experience! x
Palau looks like a great adventure from picnic on the lake to dolphins. I don’t even know how you did all that and Love your photos
Thank you so much! <3
Incredible! Swimming with jelly fish? How amazing must that be. My husband loves kayak fishing so he would love, love this little exploration. He’s working on getting SCUBA certified so he can do all these different dives. Definitely a place to visit!
That’s so exciting! Would love to hear his scuba experiences 🙂
Your pictures just jump right out at your reader. Palau seems like such an amazing place!
Thank you for your kind words, Jacqui! <3
That is a amazing trip, and looks like you had so much fun. My dream is to swim with the dolphins they are so beautiful
Let me know if you get to do so! Would love to hear the experience 🙂
Thank you for not including a photo of the fruit bat 🙂
I live in Europe, but a trip (or several) to the islands of the Pacific is on my wishlist. When I lived in the States, I used to go to the Caribbean, but something tells me that just doesn’t compare to the Pacific islands.
And I MUST go to that jellyfish lake. This is the first time I’ve heard of it and I think jellyfish are beautiful, so I’d love to swim with them, especially if they can’t sting me!
Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it – I’ve never actually been to the Caribbean, but it’s definitely on my bucket list! 🙂
Oh my goodness! These are all wonderful tips, but even just lounging on the beach would be incredible in Palau. <3
Thank you so much for reading! <3
I have seen pictures of jelly lake before and it sounds so cool. I would love to snorkel there some day.
I have never heard of Palau, but OMG it is such a beautiful place. I am in love with your pictures, they have a very peacefulness to them. The Jellyfish lake is really cool, I would love to see it myself and take my own pictures.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Dee! I’m really glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
This looks absolutely amazing. I would love to visit Palau for vacation some day. What a beautiful place!
Thank you, Lisa! Let me know if you do – would love to hear your experience there!
Wow! Look at that water! I’m just amazed at how breathtakingly beautiful it is! Jellyfish Lake looks like such a fun place to explore. Jellyfish have always captivated me, but I’ve stayed away from them for obvious reasons. 🙂
Thank you so much, Kristy! Hope you get to visit the lake one day – it’s truly an incredible place!
That water is crystal clear and oh so beautiful! I would love to take a trip to Palau what a gorgeous place to visit!
Wow, what a beautiful place this is! I’d love to take the family on a vacation here. The views of the underwater sea life are beautiful!
What a great list of incredible things to do in Peru, I would love to visit there someday! Looks super beautiful!
Thanks so much for reading and for the lovely comments, Brandy! 🙂
All of these pictures make me want to call in sick tomorrow and find a flight! ha! The bright colors and beautiful scenery is simply amazing. I would love to experience Palau. The views of the sea life are so cool too!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Thank you for reading <3
STUNNING — STUNNING — STUNNING!!! I have wanted to travel tot he south pacific in like forever! It is so far from the midwest and I have so many places to see I need an entire summer there!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
wow this looks like such a beautiful place. I love all of your photos of the water, I wish I could see it in person. This is gorgeous!
what gorgeous pics! and i can’t believe you were able to swim with jellyfish and that they do not sting. thanks for the intro to palau. let’s add this location to my bucket list!
Thank you, and it was my pleasure to do so! Let me know if you make it there 🙂
What an incredibly beautiful place!! And jellyfish lake just went on my bucket list…how amazing is that? I’ve always thought jellyfish were beautiful, but it would be great to swim with them in this capacity where they aren’t stinging. Thank you for sharing all of the beauty.
Thank you so much for your kind words :’) It’s honestly such an incredible place!
What a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing awesome pictures! Can’t wait to visit!
Wow! I want to go there. What a wonderful place, I will put this on my travel list!
The ocean water is so clear and beautiful. I never went in the ocean underwater. This is a great experience. I need to go on vacation and have an experience like yours. It looks so relaxing. Thanks for sharing.
GORGEOUS photos!! I love it! This looks so beautiful and I never would have thought to go swimming with jellyfish of all things!
Wow Pier! Your photos look so surreal — and I wish I can swim as good as you… haha! Anyhow, Palau seems like an absolutely amazing destination, that somehow reminds me of the Philippines 😛 Thanks for sharing your adventure with us!
It’s truly amazing! I only did a brief stop at the Philippines, but would LOVE to go to Boracay, and go island hopping in other parts – it looks absolutely gorgeous! 🙂
Sounds like a fun place to visit!! On my list now.
How wonderful it would be to go scuba diving in Palau! The water is so beautiful!
What an incredible experience! I would love to experience something like this at least once in my life. It looks so beautiful. Your photos are amazing.