Palau Island or Koror

Hi, we will be in Palau in July for a week.
Trying to decide between spending the time on one of the smaller islands, like carp island. or to stay in Koror and do trips, My thinking is that, if we stay in Koror -it will be less relaxing-we cant just go for a swim or snorkel and wonder if we will feel separated from the lovely marine environment i have read about-except for taking a boat trip each time we want to go snorkelling etc. A compromise would be 3 days on an island and a few days in Koror.
any thoughts/advice from anyone would be very much appreciated.
thanks in advance.

You might like to have a look at staying on Babeldaob Island as an alternative. You would be close enough to Koror (bridge connection)for your boat trips and also be able to go for a swim/snorkel when the mood strikes you. www.visit-palau.com has a list of bungalows or guesthouses with a brief description of the properties and locations. Palau Beach Bungalows and Reef Side View Lodge might fit your needs. Renting a car(reasonable rates) would be a good choice for transportation but you can arrange transportation with the properties or taxi fares are reasonable.

Koror is charmless. Spend as much time away from there as possible.
Do read the reviews of Carp Island resort on Tripadvisor. I haven't been there but spent 9 nights camping out on other rock islands (including a week long kayaking trip) and it was an incredible experience. (You can read about it by following the link in my signature.)

I was in Palau last month and heard enough bad things about Carp to rule it out. They have hiked up prices and are running out of fresh water on the island. The boat transfer is quite expensive, which is ridiculous given that there is a $5 boat that goes to Peliliu and you can wade to Carp Island at low tide.

If what you are looking for is good swimming and snorkeling, why not take the boat to Kayangel? I posted about it here: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1931212. Kayangel is the real island experience, not something that has been manufactured for tourists. You will get lots of interaction with locals and pristine beaches to yourself. The downside: No high-end accommodation and no restaurants (although meal packages can be arranged with the person you are staying with).

I heard great things about Anguar for snorkeling and swimming, but only made it is far as Peliliu. Again, this would be the real experience and not some company-owned island. Plus the Anguar state boat takes you right through the pretty rock islands.

Regarding Koror, I disagree with #2, I liked it. It made a good base of operation for scuba, snorkeling, jellyfish lake, and the like. But if you are looking for raw beauty, go to Kayangel. Also see my write-up about Peliliu.

Koror is indeed a good base for almost everything you can do in Palau. I lived in Palau for 3 years and never went to Carp Island. No snorkeling and lion fish under the dock. A good escape if you tire of Koror etc, but hard to imagine it in a week. I'd rent a car and drive up and around Balbedaob and maybe spend a night or two at North Beach. but you really want to go out to to the Rock Islands- the trip is beautiful, you can see Jelly Fish Lake and Clam City and usually stop on several of the small islands. As in really small islands. without the planes back and forth you would spend a lot of time getting to Anguar across the open sea- and with a week I don't kown. In Koror there is the new museum which as a lot of wonderful stuff, the old museum often has dance troops practicing, the Old Age center is interesting, the aquarium well put together, the clam farm at the end of Ice Box Point, and a bowl of Taro Leaf Soup and a drink at the Palau Pacific Resort. Most of its employees are Palauan, part of the contract. Sit at the bar and chat with the bar tender and waiters. they are from all over Palau.

There are many groups that do daytrips to the Rock Islands & jellyfish lake. Someone recommended Impac to us--it primarily caters to Japanese, but you will get an English-speaking guide and the prices are reasonable. We didn't end up going, but we were told to get the bento box lunch if we did.

If your flight is mid-week, I still think Kayangel is a possibility (given the boat leaves Fri. and returns Sun.). As long as the speedboat is running, you'll only lose 5 hours total on the boat. If you were staying in N. balbedaob, it's only an hour ride each way from the northern port.

You can try to arrange to have a rock island tour company drop you off at an island and pick you up the following day. Camping out on the rock islands is an incredible experiece, You can rent camping equipment from Sam's Tours or purchase it - the second floor of Surangel has a wide selection. It's incredible to spend the night out there.

thanks for advice, plan at current time is for Carp Island.
#2 you mentioned no snorkelling on Carp Island?
anyone been to Carp Island that can provide some comments on your experience?

I'm # 2 and no, I've never been to Carp Island.

Have you read these Tripadvisor reviews?

I did spend time on Carp Island and enjoyed it. Don't know about new pricing. Lot's of good advise above, so I won't spend a lot of time advising you. I am sure you will enjoy your trip, if you stay in Koror or elsewhere. I enjoyed Peleliu and all of Palau.

Papa Mike