Palau

Ask your hotel or tour operator if a service charge is already included in the price.

Palauan and English are the main official languages. In two southern island states, Sonsorolese and Tobian are also official. English is widely used in Koror and in tourism. In small villages you will hear more Palauan.

• Tap water: ask your hotel if the water is safe to drink. Many visitors use bottled or filtered water.
• Insects: dengue occurs in Palau. Use insect repellent and cover up at dawn and dusk.
• Vaccines: check current advice with your doctor or travel clinic at least 8 weeks before you go.
• Hospital: the only national hospital is Belau National Hospital in Koror. Facilities are limited, and serious cases may need to be flown to another country. Buy travel insurance with medical evacuation.
• Diving: the hospital in Koror has a hyperbaric chamber for diving accidents. Divers should have insurance that covers dive injuries.

Palau is an independent country. It has a special agreement with the United States, but US entry rules do not apply. Follow Palau's own rules.

• Most visitors get a tourist visa on arrival. Government travel advice says it is valid for up to 30 days. One Palau tourism source says stays can be extended to 90 days in total, with fees.
• Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive. Some advice says you also need 2 blank pages.
• Keep an onward or return ticket. Border officers may ask for it.
• Complete the online Palau entry form within 72 hours before you arrive.
• Everyone must sign the Palau Pledge, an environmental promise that is stamped in your passport.
• A Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee of 100 US dollars is included in the price of international airline tickets to Palau. Check with your airline.
• Most tours in the Rock Islands need a Rock Islands permit. Jellyfish Lake needs a separate permit. Permits are required and cost extra. Prices and validity change, so check current prices with your operator.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

• By car: taxis and rental cars are available around Koror. Both left-hand and right-hand drive cars are on the road.
• By boat: the Rock Islands, Jellyfish Lake and the dive sites are reached by boat. Most people join a tour from Koror.
• To Peleliu: it is about an hour or more by boat from Koror. Many visitors go on a day tour. Ask an operator or your hotel for the current boat options.
• Between Koror and Babeldaob: a road bridge connects the two islands, so you can drive to the north.

• Licence: US government advice says a US state licence can be used for up to 30 days. Australian government advice says to carry an International Driving Permit as well. Bring both and confirm with your rental company.
• Road conditions: many roads on the other islands are not paved. After rain, some can be reached only with a 4WD vehicle.

Local food uses taro, cassava, yam, fish and pork. Fruit bat soup is a local delicacy. The food also shows Japanese, American and Filipino influence. Tama is a dessert developed in Palau.

Most trips centre on these places:

• Koror is the main town. It has most hotels, restaurants and dive shops, and boats leave from here.
• Rock Islands is the group of small green islands south of Koror. It has Jellyfish Lake (Jellyfish Lake), the Milky Way lagoon and the well-known dive sites.
• Babeldaob is the largest island. It has the capital, Ngerulmud, and Ngardmau Waterfall (Ngardmau Waterfall), reached by a forest hike.
• Peleliu is a small island in the south with WWII ruins from the 1944 battle.
• Angaur is a small southern island. Kayangel is a small atoll in the far north.