Join This 12 Day Safari Exploring the Wonderful Reefs of Palau From a Comfortable Liveaboard
November 21 – December 2, 2028
December 5-16, 2028
On this exciting Palau liveaboard snorkeling trip 2028, you will enjoy exploring waters brimming with sea life. We snorkeled this wonderful and unique country in 2025 and definitely recommend it. It is one of the most remote and diverse marine snorkeling areas in the world, boasting over 1500 species of fish, and nearly 500 corals, and is considered to be one of the “Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.”
After one night in comfortable hotel, you will board the Solitude Gaia for 10 nights and tour the hundreds of islands in Palau. This liveaboard has all the luxuries and amenities of a comfortable resort, and will serve as a functional base for your wonderful snorkeling sessions.
You will snorkel a wide variety of the best snorkeling spots, and see stunning island and seascapes. You will explore vibrant reefs filled with healthy corals, see huge bait balls, turtles, pelagics, mandarinfish, giant clams, mantas, and much more.
You will be part of a small group of only 17 snorkelers, plus your guide. This trip is being run by our partner and friend Ben and his team. Based in the U.K., they are experts in the Coral Triangle, run amazing excursions, and have a great appreciation for the underwater world.
The Palau Liveaboard Snorkeling Trip 2028 Itinerary
Palau is a group of 340 islands in the Pacific Ocean about 500 miles east of the Philippines and north of Indonesia, 745 miles southwest of Guam, which you can just see in the upper right in the map below. Palau is its own republic, in a free association for protection and other services with the USA.
While technically just outside the region described as the Coral Triangle, Palau is being considered for inclusion because of its incredibly high marine biodiversity.
Your trip starts on the island of Koror. A guide will meet you at Palau International Airport, and you will then transfer by ground to a comfortable resort, where you will have dinner with your guide and snorkel group and stay for one night.
After breakfast, a leisurely morning, and lunch you will have a van tour of the nearby islands and museums. After the tour you will board the Solitude Gaia liveaboard yacht, for a 10 night tour of the southern islands, visiting the best snorkel spots.
Once you arrive back in Koror, a day and a night stay at a hotel will be included that you can use depending on the time of your flight home.
What Will You Experience Snorkeling Palau?
You will enjoy exploring the best snorkeling spots in Palau from the Solitude Gaia liveaboard. She is captained and staffed by an experienced crew who knows the area inside out. They know when the water conditions, including currents and tides, are best for snorkeling the various sites.
You will have 3-4 snorkeling sessions every day, except the last day when there will be two. There will be experienced guides in the water with you at all times.
You will have excellent opportunities for encounters with large pelagic marine life like mantas and reef sharks as well as a profusion of schooling fish. Topography ranges from shallow coral reefs to plunging walls and dramatic underwater scenery in superb visibility.
The itinerary will be chosen based on current conditions. There are sites both inside and outside the barrier reefs, with gorgeous drop-off walls, bustling channels, and beautiful shallow coral gardens.
You may snorkel some of the following sites:
German Channel offers good chances to see manta rays and sharks at a cleaning station there. The channel is also an area where schools of many kinds of fish congregate for feeding on the plankton being flushed in from the ocean. These fish attract reef sharks looking for food.
Big Drop-Off is a wall snorkel with an abundance of hard and soft corals, sea fans, schools of pyramid butterflyfish, and many other colorful tropical reef fish. This is also a good spot to see sharks and rays.
Ulong Channel’s entrance is surrounded by walls topped by beautiful coral gardens. Coral covered walls run the length of this half-mile long channel. Sharks are often seen in the incoming current.
If there are jellies present, you will have a chance to snorkel in Palau’s world famous Jellyfish Lake.
All snorkeling excursions will be via a custom-built high-speed boat, with a full canopy, for quick access to even the most remote sites. The boarding ladders were designed for convenience to allow for easy exits. The tenders return to the yacht after each snorkel.
In addition to the snorkeling you will see wonderful views of the iconic Rock Islands as you cruise to different reefs. Palau is known for its gorgeous turquoise waters. You will explore the unique mushroom shaped limestone islands covered in lush greenery, and their hidden coves and beaches.
Palau was pivotal during World War II and there are many interesting historical sites to visit, including a few airplane wrecks which also make for curious snorkel sites. On one of the days, you will enjoy a half-day tour of Peleliu Island where you’ll get a full tour of the island, visiting all the significant sites and relics that were part of one of the most brutal battles in World War II that lasted nearly three months.
About the Solitude Gaia Liveaboard
The Solitude Gaia was originally launched in 2023 and is a modern and well-appointed yacht. At 131 feet (40 meters) long and 29.5 feet (9 meters) wide, she is diesel powered and provides a comfortable home base for this exploration of the beautiful islands of Palau.
She offers nine guest cabins on three different decks. All cabins offer en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, a safe, television, and more.
There are two Ocean View Staterooms on the Upper Deck. They can be made up with a king bed or two twin beds. They have windows on two sides and a window in the bathroom. These two rooms share a private sundeck on the front of the boat.
There is one Ocean View Room also on the Upper Deck. It has one king size bed only. It has windows as part of the sliding glass doors into the room and a window in the bathroom.
There are four Ocean View cabins on the Main Deck. Two of them have one king bed only and two of them can be either one king or two twin beds. They have two windows in the bedroom and a window in the bathroom.
There are two Interior Cabins on the Lower Deck. They can be made up with one king bed or two twin beds. They have two portholes in the rooms and two in the bathroom.
Your meals will be carefully curated cuisine crafted with locally sourced ingredients. They are served in the Dining Lounge on the Upper Deck. Beer and wine are included and served with the evening meal. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated with advance notice.
For those not booked in the Upper Deck Staterooms, there is a community Sundeck up on the Navigation Deck for relaxing between snorkels or looking at the stars after dinner.
There is also an air-conditioned indoor lounge on the Main Deck with different seating options.
The dive deck is at the back of the Main Deck and offers ample personal space to gear up for your snorkels.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
This is a small group trip and we expect it to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Dates:
November 21 – December 2, 2028 – Available.
December 5-16, 2028 – Available.
Trip Prices:
Ocean View Stateroom (Upper Deck) $10250 US per person (twin/double share)
Ocean View Cabin (Upper Deck) $9550 US per person (twin/double share)
Ocean View Cabin (Main Deck) $9050 US per person (twin/double share)
Interior Cabin (Lower Deck) $8550 US per person (twin/double share)
The initial deposit for this trip is $800 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $1000 US per person interim deposit, and at six months there is another $1000 US per person interim deposit. The final balance will be due three months before departure. A few payment options are available including debit and credit cards.
Individual travelers – Ben will happily find someone of the same sex for you to share a room with.
Inclusions:
- All transfers and connections from/to Koror International Airport
- 1 night at a comfortable resort with welcome dinner and breakfast
- 1 Koror museum tour
- 10 nights accommodation on the Solitude Gaia
- Full board (all meals) and complimentary soft drinks, juice, local wine and beer on board the Solitude Gaia
- 3-4 snorkel boat sessions per day for 9 days and 2 sessions on the last day
- Services of snorkel guides and boat for snorkeling excursions each day
- 1 day and 1 night stay at a hotel included if needed, depending on the time of your flight home
- Port, fuel, and any applicable Marine Park fees
- Guide from Ben’s team
Exclusions:
- International flights and visas
- Meals not mentioned above
- Snorkel equipment rental
- Travel insurance – highly recommended
- Health insurance – compulsory
- Gratuities and sundries
Trip Organizers
Ben and his U.K. based team are the organizers and leaders of this trip (more about them below). Galen & Nicole from TropicalSnorkeling.com are promoting this trip, but all sign ups, trip organization and payments are made to and managed by Ben’s team. TropicalSnorkeling.com does receive a referral fee in exchange for promoting the trip, at no extra cost to attendees.
How to Sign Up or Learn More?
Use the contact form below to contact Ben and his team to request more information about them and express your interest in signing up. They will get back to you shortly with full details.
More About Ben and Our Partnership
Ben (pictured with Nicole) is our friend and snorkeling trips partner. He and his team are based in the U.K. and have over 20 years of experience guiding in Asia and beyond. He has been running his own business since 2010 and is primarily offering guided snorkeling trips, but he started with diving. He began offering snorkeling specific trips because he was aware that snorkelers often get the short end of the stick when thrown in with divers. He and his team love the freedom and low stress of snorkeling, and are very aware of the different needs of snorkelers versus divers, in terms of the reef depth, and calm surface conditions needed.
From our experience going on some of his snorkeling trips we found them very well organized, the guides were fantastic and very helpful, and the underwater experiences were exceptional. Snorkeling groups really get the benefit of all of Ben and his guides’ years of experience in the water, and with different resorts and liveaboards.
All of his trips are small groups of 12-18 guests, or with a similar ratio of snorkelers to guides. These are premium trips including nearly everything you will need, accommodation, meals, transportation, and more.
His company is licensed and insured. Barring extreme circumstances they do not cancel trips.