How could I explore the Rock Islands of Palau?
I just learned about the Rock Islands of Palau:
The islands, between 250 to 300 in number according to different sources, with an aggregate area of 47 km² and a height up to 207 m, and are for the most part uninhabited, and are famous for their beaches, blue lagoons and the peculiar umbrella-like shapes of many of the islands themselves. The Rock Islands and the surrounding reefs make up Palau's popular tourist sites such as Blue Corner, Blue hole, German Chanel, Ngermeaus Island and the famed Jellyfish Lake
I'm not a scuba diver, but the uninhabited beaches and blue lagoons sound very interesting. The Wikipedia page is short and unreferenced. How could someone explore such a remote location? Helicopter? Boat rental? Local tours?
Note: The bounty will be awarded to the answer that has the most information on exploring the uninhabited islands themselves. I'd be especially interested in info about tours that actually take you on to explore the land of the best islands. Credit to Mark for at least a good start.
Best Answer
Wikipedia may be sparse, but Wikitravel isn't :)
http://wikitravel.org/en/Palau
Looks like you certainly can hire a car (with both left and right drive so won't matter where you're from) or take a taxi - there are loads of local ones, however, to really see the reef, you'll need to Scuba Dive, or snorkel.
There's also a Palau International Coral Reef Center, an educational aquarium in Koror.
If you want to whet your appetite, you could also try watching http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Palau - sure, it's reality TV, but as someone who has seen the series, the cinematography is amazing!
Pictures about "How could I explore the Rock Islands of Palau?"
Quick Answer about "How could I explore the Rock Islands of Palau?"
- Jellyfish Lake, Milky Way, Beach and Rock Island Tour. ...
- Stand Up Paddle Board Tour. ...
- Full Day Scuba Dive Tour at Palau's best Dive sites. ...
- 3 Day Dive Tour with Free Jellyfish Lake Tour. ...
- Off-Road Small-Group Jungle Driving Adventure with Lunch. ...
- Palau Big Island Adventure.
How do I get to Palau from Rock Island?
The only airline doing scheduled inter-island flights in Palau is Pacific Mission Aviation which also does the scenic flight over the Rock Islands (which I highly recommend).What makes the rock islands in Palau so unique?
The Islands are made up of limestone islands of volcanic origin with an average height is 207 meters. Many of them are famous for their incredible mushroom shape. There are 52 marine lakes on these islands, with one of them being the incomparable Jellyfish Lake.Is Palau a nice place to visit?
Though mostly uninhabited, the pristine beaches, sheer cliffs, and brilliant turquoise water filled to the brim with marine life make these islands one of Palau's top attractions. This area is also home to the Jellyfish Lake, the \u201cMilky Way,\u201d as well as some of Palau's best diving.What is Palau famous for?
The Republic of Palau, a tropical archipelago in the western Pacific, is renowned for its matchless island scenery, pristine dive sites, and world-famous natural features, including the forest-tufted Rock Islands and surreal Jellyfish Lake.Palau Rock Islands
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Answer 2
I've just had a tweet from a travel blogger about Palau, which reminded me of this question. He linked to the Palau Visitors Authority website, which has a section solely on the Rock Islands of Palau.
Quite a few interesting links about Vendors, Tours, details about the companies and what they offer in terms of activities around the islands.
You can see the website here: Palau Visitors Authority
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Images: Headshatter, Wendelin Jacober, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Dziana Hasanbekava