Unlocking Palau: Finding the Best Time to Travel to This Pacific Paradise
A string of 340 coral and volcanic islands spread against the deep blue waters of the western Pacific, Palau is a picture postcard of paradise. Given that only 90,000 tourists visited the country in 2019 – and in the years since considerably less – this is the kind of country to live out your scuba diving dreams or Robinson Crusoe fantasies on uninhabited tropical beaches. If you’re planning a trip to this stunning destination, a key question arises: what is the Best Time To Travel To Palau? Understanding the seasonal variations, visitor numbers, and costs is crucial for planning your ideal Palauan escape. Beyond the allure of unique marine life encounters, towering waterfalls, and WWII ruins, knowing when to visit helps maximize your experience. While a handful of beach resorts attract larger numbers of visitors during specific holidays, much of the country remains open for exploration, offering solitude and unparalleled natural beauty.
Choosing Your Season: When is the Best Time to Travel to Palau?
Determining the Best Time To Travel To Palau largely depends on balancing ideal weather conditions with potential crowds and prices.
Palau’s most favorable season for visitors aligns with its dry period, which runs from December to April. During these months, the weather is typically sunny and calm, creating perfect conditions for water sports such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking, as well as exploring the country’s numerous islands. This period offers the clearest waters for marine life viewing and the most reliable access to various attractions. Naturally, with the most ideal weather, this also marks the peak tourism season. Consequently, prices for flights, accommodation, and tours tend to be higher, particularly around the New Year holidays (both Western and Chinese New Year). If avoiding crowds and saving money are priorities, this peak dry season might not be the absolute best time for you, despite the excellent weather.
While the dry season is often cited as the best time to travel to Palau for perfect weather, visiting is still very much possible during the wet season, which extends from May to November. This period sees more rainfall, but the country does not experience typhoons, meaning severe weather disruptions are rare. Rain showers are often brief, and sunshine is still abundant. Traveling during the wet season typically means fewer tourists and potentially lower prices, offering a more tranquil and budget-friendly experience. However, water visibility might be slightly reduced in certain areas due to runoff, and some boat trips could be occasionally affected by choppier seas. For many, the trade-offs of fewer people and better value make the wet season a viable, or even preferable, time to visit.
Planning Your Palau Stay: Recommended Trip Duration
The ideal length of a trip to Palau depends on your interests and how much you want to see and do.
If you’re incorporating Palau into a longer island-hopping adventure or have limited time, two to three days can be sufficient to hit the key highlights. Upon arrival, spend half a day exploring Koror’s handful of museums to gain insight into Palau’s rich culture and history. Dedicate the next full day to a boat trip exploring the famous Rock Islands, focusing on snorkeling or scenic views. Finish your trip with a day hike to the 217m-high Ngardmau Waterfall on Babeldaob, the tallest waterfall in Micronesia, offering a glimpse of the islands’ lush interior landscape.
With more time available, you can delve deeper into Palau’s offerings. Opt for several days dedicated to scuba diving, allowing for the required one-day surface interval before flying. Alternatively, take the state-run ferry down to Peleliu to explore the island’s poignant WWII sites, where jungle growth slowly reclaims abandoned command posts and tanks, contrasted with handfuls of idyllic, empty beaches. For those with ample time and a flexible budget, hiring a private boat charter allows access to more remote destinations like Kayangel Atoll or the Southwest Islands, promising truly off-the-grid experiences.
Hikers explore the lush tropical rainforest landscape in Palau, Micronesia
Navigating Palau: Getting In and Around
Unless you arrive by private yacht, your journey to Palau will likely involve an airplane. Koror’s Palau International Airport (ROR) is the main entry point and offers direct flight connections from several key cities in the region. These include routes from Seoul, Brisbane, Taipei, and other nearby Pacific island nations. Notably, the airport is a stop on the famous United Island Hopper flight that travels from Honolulu to Guam, making stops in the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia along the way. This flight route offers a unique way to see several island nations if time permits.
Getting around Palau itself is relatively straightforward but limited compared to more developed destinations. Koror, being the largest city with over half of the country’s population of just over 21,000 residents, is the only place with limited public road transportation in the form of a few bus routes. For inter-island travel, state-run ferries connect Koror with the southern islands of Peleliu and Angaur on a regular schedule. However, accessing most of Palau’s popular attractions, particularly the Rock Islands and remote dive sites, requires organized group tours or private charters. Fortunately, many popular destinations, especially the Rock Islands, see daily group departures operated by various local companies, making it easy to join an excursion.
Essential Palau Experiences: What to See and Do
Regardless of the best time to travel to Palau for you, the country offers a wealth of unique experiences rooted in its stunning natural environment and rich history.
A key highlight for any visitor is Palau’s unwavering commitment to conservation. In 2009, Palau declared its waters the world’s first shark sanctuary, showcasing a pioneering effort in marine protection. This commitment was further solidified in 2017 with the implementation of the Palau Pledge, a unique immigration requirement where arriving visitors sign a pledge promising to protect the country’s environment for its children.
Nearly every major point of interest that draws visitors to Palau is built upon the nation’s incredible biodiversity, particularly beneath the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Palau’s reefs are home to over 500 coral species, 17 thriving species of shark, and at least 1300 species of reef fish, representing 95% of all Micronesian fish species.
Most travelers explore these underwater wonders through snorkeling and scuba diving day trips, often based out of Koror. While popular sites include the Rock Islands and various outer reefs, excellent snorkeling and diving can sometimes be found just off the shores of Koror itself. One of Palau’s most iconic and unique visitor experiences is a swim in Jellyfish Lake. This marine lake, one of several across the Rock Islands, is home to millions of Golden Jellyfish that have lost their sting due to the lack of natural predators and limited oceanic inflow, allowing for a completely safe and surreal swimming encounter.
While pristine beaches and healthy coral reefs perfect for swimming are found on nearly all of Palau’s 340 islands, a few also hold significant historical sites, particularly from the Japanese occupation during WWII. For history enthusiasts, Peleliu island is a must-visit. Just a few hours by ferry from Koror, Peleliu allows exploration of abandoned Japanese command outposts, defensive structures, and the shells of American and Japanese tanks from the fierce battles fought here. Much of this historical wreckage is now being slowly enveloped by the encroaching jungle, a poignant reminder of nature’s power and the passage of time.
Scuba diver examines a sunken Japanese airplane wreck from WWII in Palau's waters
Beyond the Day Trip: Immersive Rock Island Adventures
For most visitors, the Rock Islands are the absolute highlight of a Palau trip. The opportunity to snorkel and scuba dive among the several hundred mushroom-shaped limestone islands is unparalleled, showcasing vibrant marine life and the unique formations. While day trips from Koror are popular, aiming to spend a few nights among the islands offers a more immersive experience. With dive centers running daily boats from Koror to the Rock Islands, it’s often possible to arrange drop-off and pick-up services to facilitate overnight stays or multi-day explorations.
For the adventurous, exploring the Rock Islands with a kayak and self-sufficient supplies of food and fresh water is an unforgettable experience. Paddling between uninhabited islands and through hidden coves by day, and camping beneath the palm trees and starry skies by night provides a level of solitude and connection with nature that day trips can’t offer. While tourism means you won’t be completely alone – encountering a snorkeling tour group or an anchored yacht is common – much of the time, your only companions will be the sound of crashing waves and the gentle cut of your paddle through the water.
Couple snorkeling among stingless Golden Jellyfish in Palau's unique Jellyfish Lake
Budgeting for Palau: Understanding the Costs
As is often the case with remote island nations, the cost of visiting Palau can be higher compared to more readily accessible regions like Southeast or East Asia. While the cost of flights to Palau from places like the Philippines, Taiwan, or nearby countries might be reasonable, expect to pay considerably more for basic tourist necessities upon arrival.
Accommodation options in Palau are more limited than in major tourist hubs. Hostels are virtually non-existent. For simple guesthouses or standard hotel rooms, anticipate paying between $60–100 per night. Midrange accommodations typically range from $100–200 per night, while top-end hotels and beach resorts command significantly higher prices. Food, surprisingly, offers relatively good value given the country’s remote location. Self-catering grocery costs are comparable to destinations like the USA. Restaurants are also priced similarly or, particularly for fresh seafood, can even be cheaper than in the USA or Western European countries.
Diving, a major draw for Palau, is also not inexpensive. Expect to pay at least $200 for a two-dive trip through tour operators. However, significant package discounts are often available for travelers who plan to stay longer or book accommodation directly through dive operators, making multi-day diving trips more cost-effective.
Key Practicalities for Your Palau Visit
Before you go, here are a few final practical notes to consider.
Palau uses the US Dollar as its official currency, simplifying transactions for many international visitors.
A unique aspect of visiting Palau is the Palau Pledge. This conservation pledge is integrated into the country’s immigration laws. Arriving visitors are required to sign a pledge stating their intention to protect Palau’s natural environment. The pledge reads: “Children of Palau, I take this pledge, as your guest, to preserve and protect your beautiful and unique island home. I vow to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully. I shall not take what is not given. I shall not harm what does not harm me. The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.” This pledge underscores Palau’s strong commitment to sustainability and asks visitors to share that responsibility.
Finally, concerning sunscreen, while a total ban on all sunscreen is a common misconception, Palau has banned ten specific chemicals found in some sunscreens that are known to be toxic to coral reefs. This ban came into effect in 2020. Therefore, sunscreens containing these particular chemicals are prohibited from being purchased or imported into Palau. To comply, look for products that explicitly advertise themselves as “reef bill compliant” on their packaging. This regulation is part of Palau’s broader efforts to protect its invaluable marine ecosystem.
Ultimately, the best time to travel to Palau depends on your priorities, whether that’s perfect weather, fewer crowds, or better value. Regardless of the season, Palau offers an unforgettable experience centered around its breathtaking natural beauty, incredible marine life, and unique conservation culture.
