Palau is the Ultimate diver's paradise
Palau is one of my favourite dive sites in the world. I dived Palau some 15 years ago and the dives were so spectacular that they are permanently etched into my memory. When the opportunity arose to visit Palau again, I jumped at it. "Blue Corner", "German Tunnel", "Peeliliu", "Blue Holes" etc.. the dive sites flashed past my head in a whirl. Can't wait !
The best part of being based in Manila is the proximity, about 2.55 hours by flight, to Korror. United Airlines is the only airline serving these routes and is referred to as the "island hopper", a term I quickly understood after glancing at the flight path page on the inflight magazine.
We were billeted at the expansive and luxurious Palau Pacific Resort (PPR), probably the nicest on Korror and highly popular with Japanese tourists. In fact, the whole island is. Japanese divers almost always know the best dive destinations plus the white sands, tropical blue waters, swaying coconut trees work like magic on Japanese honeymooners.
I dived with Fish and Fins, a dive operator recommended to me by my friends who were there a few months ago. Suitably impressed by the high powered dive boats which are so important to get to dive sites in good speed. We were organised into dive groups and paired up in buddies.
I had some 9 dives in total which were some of the best dives ever. Swam through the Blue Holes with the amazing caverns, drifted with the currents at German Tunnel catching sight of sharks, turtles and an eagle ray. Blue Corner's famous resident sharks didn't fail to pump up the adrenalin as divers anchored themselves with massive reef hooks on the lip of the overhang. Strong currents equals big fishes and the only way to enjoy the sight is to hook oneself on the rocky outcrop.
I had some 9 dives in total which were some of the best dives ever. Swam through the Blue Holes with the amazing caverns, drifted with the currents at German Tunnel catching sight of sharks, turtles and an eagle ray. Blue Corner's famous resident sharks didn't fail to pump up the adrenalin as divers anchored themselves with massive reef hooks on the lip of the overhang. Strong currents equals big fishes and the only way to enjoy the sight is to hook oneself on the rocky outcrop.
I will be the first to admit that with all the dive sites beckoning, I wasn't interested to see any land based attractions. Visiting the Etpison Museum was an exception, to get an idea of island life, culture and arts. This is a worthy visit to do when you need the compulsory 18 hours no-flying rule.
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| Hidden coves |
The best part of being based in Manila is the proximity, about 2.55 hours by flight, to Korror. United Airlines is the only airline serving these routes and is referred to as the "island hopper", a term I quickly understood after glancing at the flight path page on the inflight magazine.
We were billeted at the expansive and luxurious Palau Pacific Resort (PPR), probably the nicest on Korror and highly popular with Japanese tourists. In fact, the whole island is. Japanese divers almost always know the best dive destinations plus the white sands, tropical blue waters, swaying coconut trees work like magic on Japanese honeymooners.
I dived with Fish and Fins, a dive operator recommended to me by my friends who were there a few months ago. Suitably impressed by the high powered dive boats which are so important to get to dive sites in good speed. We were organised into dive groups and paired up in buddies.
I had some 9 dives in total which were some of the best dives ever. Swam through the Blue Holes with the amazing caverns, drifted with the currents at German Tunnel catching sight of sharks, turtles and an eagle ray. Blue Corner's famous resident sharks didn't fail to pump up the adrenalin as divers anchored themselves with massive reef hooks on the lip of the overhang. Strong currents equals big fishes and the only way to enjoy the sight is to hook oneself on the rocky outcrop.
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| Under Belly of Gray Reef Shark |
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| Grey Reef Shark |
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| Diver descending into Blue Hole |
I had some 9 dives in total which were some of the best dives ever. Swam through the Blue Holes with the amazing caverns, drifted with the currents at German Tunnel catching sight of sharks, turtles and an eagle ray. Blue Corner's famous resident sharks didn't fail to pump up the adrenalin as divers anchored themselves with massive reef hooks on the lip of the overhang. Strong currents equals big fishes and the only way to enjoy the sight is to hook oneself on the rocky outcrop.
I will be the first to admit that with all the dive sites beckoning, I wasn't interested to see any land based attractions. Visiting the Etpison Museum was an exception, to get an idea of island life, culture and arts. This is a worthy visit to do when you need the compulsory 18 hours no-flying rule.
Palau is really recommended
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