Angaur

ANYTHING about Angaur (Palau) will be much appreciated. Lodging, food, snorkeling...

We will be there for several days in June with our two kids.

Angaur is the world top paradise for scuba diving, and it's divers' dream world. Boat riding from Peleliu is 15 minutes and from Koror is at least one hour each way by expressing boat, from Carp Island is about 15 or so.

I heard from a taxi driver in Koror that there is a small motel on the Island of Angaur, and then I checked the information on the internet, which confirmed the taxi driver's information. The internet says that the motel does not have TV and AC but it only charges $25.00 a day. I only dove twice by that Island, and they were the best dives I had ever been. When I was on a boat observing the Island, I saw someone jumping into water from stairways on the Island and snorkling. There is huge and absolutely beautiful shollow water area surrounding the Island, which is the best for snorkling or even just sitting in the water. Fish are so beautiful!!!

In addition, I would try to find the information about the red painted wooden cottages on Carp Island, which is nearby. When I was passing by Carp Island, it looked nice to me. I also heard those who had stayed in Carp Island saying that it provides a lot of food. I have never stayed in Carp Island but my finding is that their charge is way higher than $25.00. However, as long as it's clean, provides good services and enough food, and pays respect to customers, you would have nothing to worry.

The other choice is to take a diving boat from Koror. Sam's Tour provides the program for additional $20.00 to take you to diving around Peleliu then return to Koror on the same day.

After your trip, would you please make a report to let us share the experience. I am strongly intersted in Angaur.

Jennefer, are you sure you were diving off of Anguar? The only site I can recall anyone diving with any regularlity was the recently discovered Mine Sweeper to the south of Anguar. You can snorkel, fish, and do some min-cliff dives, but scuba would be a little risky. You can fish for Wahoo and Trevally right from the beach if you want.

Both Anguar and Kayangel sit outside Palau's barrier reef. The 5 miles between Anguar and Peleliu is a mini-trench and the currents and waves can be quite interesting. The fast skiffs so common to Palau are not meant to be in these waters. The heavier boats and sea-cats can handle it ok.

I had a story relayed from another ex-pat that was in Palau. The only time he feared for his life on the water was when he saw his Palauan boat driver put on a life jacket (this was while crossing from Peleliu to Anguar).

Anguar is definately laid back. You can bicycle or walk the entire island in a day. They have been trying to get rid of the monkeys that were introduced to the island, but you may still find some there.

If you can, and the plane is still running, try to fly to Anguar. The second option would be to catch the State Boat which departs a couple of times a week from Koror. Only take a speedboat there if you have a good stomach, and a waterproof passport.

You can write to Russelle at Sam's to see what the chance of doing some diving off the island is. Your best bet would be from one of their Sea-Cats.

I dived Angaur in 1999. It was n ot worth the bother of travelling from the main Palau islands (we had choppy seas and all the plates on the Sun Dancer went for a burton!). North side of the island has a deep wall but sureprisingly little fish life o it. South side is gently sloping reef and not of the same quality as the other islands. Nice to say I have dived there but would I go back? No.

Having said that, I am sure that a few days there with kids would be fun...

Answer to KevinK:

Good question.

No, I am not sure that I was diving around Angaur, but the dives around there were absolutely nice, they have been the best in my life even though I have dove many places.

However, I believe my recall about Carp Island is accurate.

Tomorrow morning, I will go into my garage to get my log book to check the dive site where I had the best diving, around Angaur or Carp Island. It's just about 15-minute riding from Peleliu. Godwin was the guide.

Taking the public boat from Peleliu to Koror, even though it takes 2 hours, is a very nice and really enjoyable journey. The boat is slower than an express boat, (the boat I took was 70 minutes longer than express one), but I had a nice time to enjoy the beautiful view of Palau along the ride.

I checked my log book and found that my first two dives, which have been the best dives in my life, were in Turtle Cove and Ngedebus Coral Garden, which were just outside of Carp Island, Palau. The boat riding from Peleliu Storyboard Resort where I was staying was about 15 minutes and just like riding in a lake. The water was light blue and crystal transparency. At one time, when the express boat speeding by, the captain saw a very large mammal ray staying at the bottom of water. He stopped the riding, backed up the boat, and we clearly observed the ray from the boat. That event perfectly explained how clear the water was in that “lake”. Carp Island could be a good place for divers with kids in that corner of the world.

I stayed in Peleliu Storyboard Resort (SBR) for a few days in late January. I don’t think there was anything that kids can burn time for. There was a big open beach where I did not see transparency water, did not see coral under water, but only saw grass or plants sticking out the water in the wide open area in front of the cottage I stayed. SBR has bikes for rental, but biking in the island could be somewhat risky, according to my observation. The road in the island was clean and well maintained. It’s fenced by tall trees or jungles, but there was no sidewalk between the fence and the road. There is no traffic signals, except one stop sign in front of SBR, in the entire island. Drivers in the island speeding faster than Californians, because there are only 700 residents in the island, no pedestrians walking in the road, and houses mostly are behind trees. There is no TV and no A/C, except history books and old dive magazines, which is not even close to the exiting attractions that kids can burn time with. Snorkeling appeared to be not an option, at least I did not come up a desire to snorkel. An old lady who was a non-diver stepped and sat in the water got many soybean size blisters around her waist, stomach, and legs. It’s believed that the cause was fire coral, but not confirmed; it could be other reasons, such as the grass or plants under water. I did not ask her from which direction or spot she stepped in water, because she was in a tremendous suffering.

According to my recent stay, besides diving and three hours to visit historical sites in the Island, there was nothing else to burn time; especially, when I had only three light meals distributed among 10 ½ hours on a heavy diving day, it’s not easy.

Again, dives around Peleliu are awesome, the best that I have ever had so far. I will for sure to return, regardless the planet is running or stop, and hopefully my future dive trip report would be very delightful, no matter if I stay in SBR or any other places in that part of the world.

In short, trying Carp Island might be an option for now, because it appeared to have good place to snorkel, its cottages looked nice, and I heard it provides plenty of food. It’s e-mail address is carpcorp@palaunet.com, phone number 680-488-2978, and fax 680-488-3155. But again, I have never stayed or landed on Carp, what I provided is just from what I saw while passing by, heard from those who stayed there, and read from the flyer that I picked up in Carp Island Resort’s office in Koror. From June to November is their regular season, and its room rates is $85.00 for a family in a regular room and $130.00 for a family in a duplex suite room, according to the flyer I have still kept.

There are a few places you can rent on the east end of the island for about $25 a day plus a few more for meals. The place I rented for a week, you get your own rocky beach and the tidepools are very nice for interesting life. The snorkelling is ok but to get to thru the rocky tide pools can be a pain and not for kids. Carp Island is probably a bit better suited for your purposes. If you do want to go to Angaur, I arranged my accomodations thru Navot at Fish N Fins. Flying to Angaur is the best option and bring supplies for food if you don't think you can handle variations of spam meals.