A greenhorn travelling to Palau

Hey,

So now if anyone has in depth knowledge on Palau it'd be a big help. I'm a 22 year old Australian Male planning on a 1-2 week long solo trip to Palau for my birthday February 2012. Whilst I've had a look at a lot of information about the place itself, and seeing there's a lot of snorkelling, diving etc. I'm wondering what else there is to do? It looks like a really beautiful place and I'd certainly like to get all I can out of going there.

This would also be my first time travelling out of Australia alone, so any tips or advice someone could give would be fantastic.

Cheers,

Sam

Kayaking and camping in the Rock Islands was a fanatasic experience. (See the link in my signature.) Visiting Kayangel atoll was really nice (see other link in my signature.)

The main town/area of Koror is deadly dull and without charm so get out and get on the water.

Cheers for the reply, do you recommend any places to stay in particular?

Those links to the words R.ock I.slands and K.oror are not mine but Lonely Planet spam.

I did recommend places to stay in my blog posts linked on my signature line.

It is beautiful but other than water sports such as diving, snorkelling, kayaking and fishing, there is really not much else to do. A trip to Pelelieu island for World War 2 history is an option - accommodation is cheaper over there too. You could stay there for a couple of days and use the public ferry to get there and back. One week should be enough to tick everything off.

In Koror, I've previously stayed at Lehns Motel and Guest Lodge, the cost is around US$50 per night. I couldn't find anything cheaper, but you might be able to.

Generally speaking it is not a cheap place - getting there is expensive and most people are there for the diving which is around US$140 a day. But the diving is the best I have ever done and I've dived in a lot of places!

My advice to the OP, consider the nearby Philippines if you are on a budget. Much cheaper and some excellent sealife.
Or Sipadan in Sabah; Derawan in Kalmantan.

A fraction of the cost.

But the PI is not Palau.

There is a very nice museum on the main street- small but nice. You can take an excursion out to the quarries where they got the Yapese stone money. You can go up to see the beautiful men's house in Balbedaob- in Mellekeok I believe. Jelly fish lake- more water but a must do. We lived in Palau for 3 years and never were bored. Go and have some taro leaf soup and an evening drink at the Palau Pacific Resort on a Thursday night and see the dancers (although you need to see when and if they still do it) and watch the sun set. Go up to the old museum and watch the traditional dance classes. Go out to ice box point to see the clam farm and on the way stop at the aquarium. Go and hang out with the expats at -----used to be the Pirate's Cove but don't remember what it is called anymore. Hitch a ride somehow out to Kayangle for a real get away. Drive around Balbedaob and find the statues up at the end of the island.

And stop in Yap (if you are coming through Guam) for a couple of days and tour around- still the most traditional of the Micronesian Islands. Their villages are beautiful and you can see the stone money.

I think all the suggestions other people gave are great but if I were you, I would stick to diving. The diving in Palau is so much better than other places. Why do anything else? Maybe the day before you leave when you are not allowed to dive, you can take a kayak or helicopter tour.

Helicopter tours? Are there helicopter tours in Palau now? Will wonders never cease.

I rather agree but there are other things to do if one wants to get out of the water for a while. Not everyone want to dive every day.