How to Spend One Perfect Week in Palau
An archipelago of limestone islands suspended in turquoise lagoons, Palau is a paradise of world-class dive sites, thriving reefs and historic battlegrounds that’s just a six-hour flight from Brisbane. A seven-day journey in this island nation allows you to discover its wild beauty and rich culture, from learning the art of traditional sailing to unwinding in a natural mud bath and camping under the stars. (Permits are required to visit many areas and attractions in Palau, so be sure to check with tour operators or local authorities before embarking on your adventures.) Here’s how to spend a perfect week in one of the Pacific’s most idyllic havens.
Arrive in Palau
All Palau adventures begin by signing the Palau Pledge, a promise to tread lightly on the land for the sake of future generations during your visit. The oath, stamped carefully onto a blank passport page, sets the tone for the journey ahead. It concludes: “The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.”
Base yourself in Koror, a 20- to 30-minute drive from Palau International Airport, where stays such as the eight-bungalow Palau Carolines Resort and the serene Palau Royal Resort offer relaxed luxury.
Or for an immersive retreat within Palau’s 500,000-plus square kilometres of protected marine territory, step onboard the Four Seasons Explorer, a 39-metre luxury catamaran with 10 well-appointed staterooms, where you’ll awaken to new wrecks, reefs and secret beaches each day.
Day one: Koror, centre of culture and calm
Palau’s largest city feels more like a friendly coastal town than the country’s former capital – which is part of its charm. With just 11,000 residents, Koror is compact but culturally rich. Wander between low-key restaurants plating up ultra-fresh seafood, enlightening museums and gift shops offering shell jewellery and coconut-oil soaps. Start at the Etpison Museum for a glimpse into Palau’s traditions and history via displays of canoes, fish traps, traditional clothing and hand-carved storyboards. About a 20-minute walk or short taxi ride away is Micronesia’s oldest museum, Belau National Museum – home to a traditional bai (carved meeting house) – that traces the archipelago’s complex past through artworks and artefacts. On the waterfront, the Palau Aquarium (open Monday to Friday) distills the surrounding ocean’s magic, from coral to marine life, into 16 detailed exhibits.
If you’re in town on a Saturday, follow the scent of barbecued fish and the sound of island rhythms to the biweekly 680 Night Market under the soaring Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge. Alternatively, lace up your walking shoes and head south of the city to Long Beach National Park, where jungle trails spill onto white sands. For an authentic on-water experience, ask Paddling Palau about the Traditional Sailing Tour – onboard a hand-carved canoe guided by a master navigator, you’ll feel Micronesian history in the wind and waves.
Qantas now flies direct to Palau, which means you can arrive at your tropical holiday even sooner. Book flights now at qantas.com.
Day two: Babeldaob Island – Palau’s heart
Babeldaob is Palau’s largest island and connected to Koror by the 413-metre-long Japan-Palau Friendship Bridge. Chapters from the country’s storied past are reflected in the mysterious Badrulchau Stone Monoliths in the wild, less-travelled north of the island – basalt pillars thought to date back as far as 161 AD – and the scarred WWII Japanese communications centre Kaigun Sho. Nearby, Ngaraard is a place of folklore, where thick jungle obscures the remnants of ancient villages. It’s home to Palau’s only known petroglyph (rock etchings), which were thought to have been created during the Earthwork Era (450 BC to 850 CE) and said to relate to the story of star-crossed lovers Surech and Tulei. You’ll learn about the legend on a full-day Discover Ngaraard, Tales of Legend & Lore tour, which takes visitors deep into the island’s living history, from jungle trails to long-abandoned stone structures. Along the way, you’ll swim in a fabled “fountain of youth”; stand on an ancient stone platform, the meeting place of ancestral chiefs; and pause for a beachside lunch of local flavours served with sweeping ocean views.
For a deep-dive into Palau’s living culture, join the Experience Airai, Sense the Culture tour. Sit beneath the decorated beams of Airai Bai, the country’s oldest men’s meeting house, and walk the quiet village pathways. Then sit down to a banquet of fresh crab or lobster and traditional dishes made from the taro plant (for an additional fee).
When it’s time to explore the great outdoors, take the 45-minute drive north from Koror to Ngardmau Waterfall, where the torrent tumbles down Mount Ngerchelchuus – the country’s tallest peak – and collects in a cool, clear pool where swimming proves irresistible. Meanwhile, Mesekelat Waterfalls, a shorter 25-minute drive from Koror in Ngchesar, is no less thrilling – it’s a visual feast of tropical birdlife and countless shades of green.
For an extended Babeldaob stay, book into Palau Sunrise Sea View Landison Retreat on the east coast for breezy mornings, butler-serviced suites and ocean views that stretch into the horizon.
Days three and four: Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
A collection of jungle-cloaked limestone islets in vivid aquamarine water, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rock Islands Southern Lagoon – an hour by boat from Koror – has earned Palau the nickname “the underwater Serengeti”. Glide through neon-blue corals off Fantasy Island; wade from the powdered-sugar sands of Ngermeaus Island into impossibly clear water; and marvel at Natural Arch, a geological wonder sculpted by millennia of wind and water. On Eil Malk Island, you can even bob among golden stingless jellyfish as they migrate across Jellyfish Lake to follow the sun. You’ll need a Rock Island Use permit to visit this pristine landscape, which is available through most tour operators.
Not sure where to start? Neco Marine Tours’ snorkelling and diving adventures weave together WWII wrecks, iconic dive spots and hidden lagoons, with bento-box lunches and hotel pickups included. Sam’s Tours offers a range of scuba, snorkelling and kayaking tours to the archipelago’s colourful reefs and wrecks. The underwater holy grail here is Blue Corner, ranked among the world’s best dive sites for its thriving community of sea turtles, whale sharks, manta rays and kaleidoscopic displays of tropical fish.
Swap fins for paddles with Paddling Palau’s kayak tour around Nikko Bay, where each turn reveals limestone cliffs, marine caves and remnants of Japanese WWII fortifications, which are slowly succumbing to the jungle.
With waterfalls, underwater wonderlands and sunken WWII relics, every day in Palau is an adventure. Book your flights now at qantas.com.
Day five: Ngeremdiu Beach, a desert island dream
Robinson Crusoe fantasies come to life on Ngeruktabel Island, a scenic 80-minute ferry ride from Koror. World-class snorkelling can be found simply by wading into the surrounding turquoise lagoon in any direction. The accommodation on this isle is delightfully rustic – camping beneath the stars is the only option – but falling asleep to the sound of waves gently lapping makes for a restful night. As for indulgence, the island’s Milky Way mud baths are a natural spa experience worthy of a five-star retreat. Paddling Palau offers camping safaris and expeditions with everything included, from top-notch gear and chef-prepared catch-of-the-day dinners to hot showers under the open sky.
Day six: Peleliu Island – echoes of the past
On Peleliu Island, the jungle and reef barely camouflage the remnants from one of the Pacific’s most ferocious WWII battles between Japan and the United States. A haunting legacy of the Battle of Peleliu remains – rusting tanks, crumbling bunkers and a museum that stands as a solemn tribute to the thousands who fought and fell here. Today, it’s considered one of the most intact WWII battlefields in the world. Let Peleliu Adventures be your guide – they’ve been bringing these stories to life for more than two decades.
Just offshore, wrecked planes and ships rest beneath the water’s surface, with the steel slowly being reclaimed by colourful coral. Palau Dive Adventures takes divers on tailored trips to sites such as Peleliu Wall, a vertical wall-dive complete with canyons, crevices and a cast of playful locals that include sharks, turtles, groupers and manta rays.
The journey from Koror to Peleliu Island takes just under three hours by ferry. Spend the night at one of seven ocean-view bungalows at Dolphin Bay Resort – beyond the breakers, you might spot the pod of spinner dolphins that inspired the property’s name. For rustic charm, family-owned Storyboard Beach Resort offers six beach cottages and home-cooked meals.
Day seven – scenic flight and souvenirs
You’ve spent a week snorkelling sapphire lagoons, paddling jungle-fringed bays and scuba-diving reefs but Palau has one more vantage point to offer: above. A scenic flight from Palau International Airport over the archipelago with Smile Air puts Palau’s perfection into perspective. Back on solid ground in Koror, you’ll find Palauan artisans such as master carver Ling Inabo, whose Tebang Woodcarving Shop showcases the art of itabori, a fusion of Japanese carving techniques and Micronesian motifs. Shop for souvenirs or take part in a workshop with the master himself to learn the fundamentals of itabori and create your own piece to take home (contact Pristine Paradise Palau directly to book). At the Belau Eco Glass Center, discarded bottles are reborn as sea-toned glassworks – the ideal keepsake to remember a journey through one of the world’s most magical paradises.
