Join This 12 Day Palau Adventure Combining a Resort Stay With a Liveaboard Boat Tour
March 5-16, 2025
We are delighted to announce this amazing Palau resort and liveaboard snorkeling trip. Palau has been on the top of our list of snorkeling spots to visit for a long time! So many people we trust, who have been everywhere in the world, have said Palau is very special and not to be missed. 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.”
This trip starts with a four night stay at a beautiful waterfront resort, with two full days of snorkeling by boat, some lazing around on beaches, and a cultural land tour exploring some of the ancient archaeology and natural beauty of Palau.
Next, you will board a wonderful yacht for a seven day tour of the hundreds of islands in Palau. You will snorkel a wide variety of the best snorkeling spots, and see stunning island and seascapes.
This will be a lucky small group of only 17 snorkelers, plus your guide. You will have 12 days in Palau exploring vibrant reefs filled with healthy corals, see huge bait balls, turtles, pelagics, mandarinfish, giant clams, mantas, and much more.
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.
Watch This Video to See What You Can Expect
Where Is Palau and What Is the 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. Your guide will meet you at Palau International Airport, and you will then transfer by ground to Cove Resort, where you will stay for four nights, and enjoy two days of boat snorkeling to local reefs, plus a full day land tour.
Next you will have seven nights aboard the Palau Aggressor II liveaboard yacht, for a stunning tour of the southern islands, visiting the best snorkel spots.
You will conclude your journey back in Koror, and off you go back home.
What Will Cove Resort and Snorkeling From There Be Like?
Cove Resort is very conveniently located, right on the water, with views of the Rock Islands and the marina. It is a wonderful place to recuperate a little from your travel days, and ease into some snorkeling of local reefs and exploration of the bigger island and some of its history and culture.
There will be two days of snorkeling trips by boat that leave directly from Cove Resort’s dock. They are all within a 35 minute boat ride, and offer stunning island views there and back.
You will likely visit sites around Ulong Island, the Ulong Channel, and Sias Corner. The sites are full of amazing hard corals, ample fish life, and sharks and rays who cruise the sandy bottoms. Napolean Wrasse and turtles are also commonly seen.
Between your snorkeling days you will take a full day land tour to explore the stunning landscape and archeology of Babeldaob Island, with lunch included. Despite its large size, it is one of the most undeveloped islands in the Pacific, with a population of only 500 people. Enjoy stunning views of nearby islands, waterfalls, and wilderness. One of the archeological highlights you will visit are the Stone Faces of Ngarchelong, an ancient site of stone monoliths of unknown origin. You will also see the Airai Bai, or Men’s Meeting House, pictured below.
Buffet breakfast is included, and lunches will be provided on the two boat snorkeling days and the land tour day. Some lunches and dinners are not included in this first portion of the trip (see inclusions/exclusions below), to give everyone the freedom of trying some of the many excellent restaurants in Koror town that are close-by. Cove Resort itself has an excellent restaurant, The Hungry Marlin.
What Will This Trip Aboard the Aggressor Liveaboard Be Like?
The liveaboard portion of this trip is exclusively for snorkelers and offers seven nights of adventure by liveaboard where each day will offer something different below the surface.
The aim is to slowly circumnavigate Palau’s archipelago, but as the itinerary remains completely flexible you will be stopping to snorkel the very best sites that the country boasts, as well as ensuring there is enough time topside to relax and enjoy the comfortable liveaboard yacht.
From your Palau snorkeling liveaboard you will have excellent opportunities for encounters with large pelagic marine life like mantas and reef sharks as well as masses of schooling fish. Topography ranges from shallow coral reefs to plunging walls and dramatic underwater scenery in superb visibility.
The liveaboard portion of this Palau trip will have sessions split between barrier reef and lagoon-based underwater environments. Sites such as German Channel offer good chances to see manta rays, Big Drop-Off for sharks and rays and Blue Holes and Blue Corner for beautiful underwater topography. At the lagoon-based sites you’ll explore tranquil areas with beautiful coral reefs and abundant marine life such as Ulong Channel and Ngemelis Coral Garden. If there are jellies present, you will have a chance to snorkel in Palau’s world famous Jellyfish Lake.
All the snorkel excursions are made from the skiff which is lowered into the water by a hydraulic cradle. There is a non-slip metal ladder with a platform that is used to get back in the skiff after snorkeling.
About the Palau Aggressor II Liveaboard
The Palau Aggressor II is a 106 foot world class liveaboard yacht complete with nine cabins equipped with a picture window, private bathroom, shower, and air-conditioning. They have a lower queen or double bed with a single upper bunk bed. They are all located on the main deck.
In addition to a spacious lounge with dining area, and an open air bar and grill on the upper deck, the ship has a large shaded upper deck with hammocks. At night presentations will be hosted in the lounge.
The ship comes complete with a crew of six on hand to ensure comfort and satisfaction for all guests.
The onboard menu features chef prepared international cuisine catering for all dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.), as well as offering complimentary soft drinks, beer and wine.
Mastercard and Visa are both accepted onboard.
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 Date:
March 5-16, 2025 – One female share space available.
Trip Price:
$7985 US per person (based on a twin/double share)
The initial deposit for this trip is $400 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $600 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:
- 4 nights accommodation at Cove Resort (Marina Rock View Room) with breakfast
- 2 full day snorkeling boat trips from the dock at Cove Resort with lunch
- 1 full day tour (approximately six hours) of Babeldaob Island with lunch
- 7 nights accommodation on the Palau Aggressor II and full board (all meals)
- Services of snorkel guide and boat skiff for snorkeling excursions from the Aggressor each day
- Complimentary soft drinks, juice, local wine and beer onboard the Aggressor
- All transfers and connections from/to Koror International Airport
Exclusions:
- International flights and visas
- Lunch and evening meals during stay at Cove Resort (lunch is provided on snorkeling days and on the full day tour)
- $250 Port Fee per person (paid onboard the Aggressor II)
- Palau Green & Airport Departure Tax $50 US per person (compulsory to be paid at the airport)
- Snorkel equipment rental
- Travel insurance
- 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.
Learn More About the Liveaboard and Resort
Completed Trip Dates
2022
March 16-27
March 30 – April 10
March 8-19, 2023
April 3-14, 2024