Palau Travel Guide | Letsa Travel

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Islands made for divers

Palau is a small Pacific country best known for scuba diving. The Rock Islands are a World Heritage site, and one lake there lets you snorkel among jellyfish that evolved without predators and do not sting.

Guides note that scuba diving in Jellyfish Lake is not permitted. Check whether the lake is open to visitors before you plan around it.

USDthe US dollar is the currency

28 °Cmean temperature year round

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Practical guide

Plan your Palau trip

Check before you go: Palau has an environmental fee and entry form for visitors, and a departure tax is charged at the airport. Rules and amounts change, so confirm them on the official Pristine Paradise Palau site.

Getting there

Airai (ROR) on Babeldaob is the only airport.
Scheduled flights go to Seoul, Taipei, Macau, Manila and Guam, and charters serve Tokyo, Hong Kong and Yap.

Entry and fees

US citizens are listed as visa-free. Other nationalities should check the official entry page for their passport.
Wikivoyage reports a cash-only departure tax at the airport. Confirm the current amount and the environmental fee officially.

Best time

The climate is tropical all year with a mean of 28 °C.
Rain is most frequent from July to October, though sunshine is still common, and typhoons are rare.

Diving and snorkeling

Popular dive sites include Blue Corner, Blue Hole, German Channel and Ulong Channel.
Most dives run from boats, and a two-tank dive is cited at around US$150.
Bull sharks are common in coastal waters and estuaries, so take care.

Where to stay

Koror has most shops, restaurants, hotels and dive operators.
Guest houses start around US$50 a night, and there are resorts such as Palau Pacific Resort about 10 to 15 minutes from Koror.

Safety and costs

Guides describe Palau as quite safe, but sidewalks are limited.
Saltwater crocodiles live in mangroves and the Rock Islands, with no recent tourist attack reported by Wikivoyage.
Tap water is not safe to drink. Prices are high, with a low-end budget of about US$100 a day.

Details come from Wikivoyage, which may lag behind current prices and rules. We checked on November 1, 2026. Entry rules, fees and prices change, so confirm them with official sources before you go.