Palau & Yap - do they live up to the hype?

[H2Obaby]

Does anyone have first hand experience - is the diving in Palau & Yap all its cracked up to be?

I'm planning a world trip and want to include the best places to dive, Palau (& Yap) have always on my to do list as they receive so much positive press coverage in the dive magazines...but are they really so special?

Any comments & recommendations appreciated.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Yes. I was there last November and December and they are amazing. Palau was the best in my opinion, which is why I'm spending 10 days there and only 5 in Yap this November.

Chuuk is excellent as well.

 

[silent running]

Does anyone have first hand experience - is the diving in Palau & Yap all its cracked up to be?

I'm planning a world trip and want to include the best places to dive, Palau (& Yap) have always on my to do list as they receive so much positive press coverage in the dive magazines...but are they really so special?

Any comments & recommendations appreciated.

Hello H2Obaby, I have not been to Palau or Yap. In the Pacific, I've been to PNG 4 times, Komodo 2 and Philippines 1. I chose PNG over Palau for my first Pacific trip as the costs were similar, but PNG has more species diversity and big stuff and WW2 wrecks. So it has everything that Palau has + more diversity. There's only 1 or 2 critters I haven't seen yet in PNG-Mimic Octopus, Hairy Ghost Pipefish-but they have been seen there, so it's just a mater of time.

As for Yap and the Manta attraction, I have seen more than a dozen in Komodo on 1 dive at Manta Alley, South Komodo and all around the South end of the park. But the only place I've seen one of really big Oceanic kind-15+ft-was on seamount in Milne Bay PNG. On that same dive I saw Hammerheads, Silvertips, a 12ft Sandtiger, lots of Grey Reefs and a Lacy Scorpionfish...

If you do end up going to PNG, I recomend the Golden Dawn. She's the only boat that goes to every part of PNG. It's very hard for me to pick a next itinerary as it's all that good. It's a very handsome boat with good food and an owner/operator Capt. who has 20 yrs experience in PNG.

I'm sure Palau is excellent diving, but I'm not sure it's worth the money. I think you could get a very similar experience underwater-prolific fish life, shark activity, Mantas, stiff currents-in Komodo+more crittters and the Dragons for a lot less money. But if you can afford the plane ticket, PNG can't be beat. Happy trails-Andy

 

[Diver Dennis]

If you want to see lots of big Mantas, I mean over 20', try Puerto Vallarta. I live there part time and I have seen more there than anywhere else.

 

[swisstrav]

h2obaby we are doing the same. im just in process of planning my winter time. thinking about going around the world.

yes, i have been to both. it's nice, it's great but i would say it depends on your itinary.

looks like i will do all the spots in micronesia and on to bikini ;-) tell me about your itinary and i will gladly comment on red sea, middle east and asia.

planning the trip is half the fun

swisstrav

 

[Code Monkey]

I don't think so (at least for Palau). My family and I were in Palau for a couple of weeks last Christmas and we were disappointed with the diversity. We saw lots of reef sharks (which I really enjoyed), red toothed trigger fish, and pyramid butterfly fish but, excepting a few isolated fish of other species, that was about it. I was hoping for more different kinds of fish.

That said, I wonder if I should have been more vocal about what I was expecting. At the time, my wife and daughter were both having some health issues and my attention was focussed there. And, on the plus side, the topside beauty is unparallelled (sp?) and the people were really sweet.

It's so expensive for us to get there, though, I think I'll try a few different destinations before I go back.

 

[boydski]

Does anyone have first hand experience - is the diving in Palau & Yap all its cracked up to be?

Hi H2Obaby,

We recently returned from a trip to Palau, and while the diving is very nice, I would say it does not quite live up to the hype. We did not dive in Yap, but did stop in Truk Lagoon for a week, and the wrecks are fascinating if you're into history.

If you're planning a World Trip and want to hit the Best Places to dive in the World, I would suggest the Galapagos. Darwin's Arch is near the top of my list of the World's best dive sites.

For more information, please see my Palau Trip Report or better yet, my Galapagos Trip Report.

Have a great trip!

 

[H2Obaby]

Andy,
Thanks for the info. PNG is top on the list, I'm hoping to go in August or Sept. to catch one of the highland shows too. Have you done any travel on land?

 

[divebuddy68]

I've been to Palau twice. Palau is nice, but there are much better places. Plus, Palau has too many divers now. For the money and time, I say Indonesia (including PNG) is way better than Palau. Palau is still suffering the affects of coral bleaching. Blue Hole, while fun, is just plain worn out. Imagine what a 100+ divers a day in a strong current do to the reef.

All that being said, it is a beautiful place and I just love Jellyfish Lake.

 

[H2Obaby]

If you want to see lots of big Mantas, I mean over 20', try Puerto Vallarta. I live there part time and I have seen more there than anywhere else.

Diver Dennis - what time of year do you get these monster mantas? Any recommendations for dive operators/places to stay in the area?