Snorkel the Rock Islands of Palau
Seven days of warm, clear water in the Rock Islands of Palau: reefs, turtles and Palau’s own story, in a small group of six.
Your booking in 10 seconds
From USD 5,620 per person, shared room · private room USD 6,760 · 30% deposit to book
- 14–20 Mar 2027
- 7 days, 6 nights
- Six guests at most
- Three snorkel days by boat
- What you do: three snorkel days by boat with a licensed local tour operator: the lagoon reefs, the Rock Islands (with Jellyfish Lake, snorkel only, if it is open and permitted), and Long Beach and the Milky Way. Plus a culture day at the Belau National Museum, the Etpison Museum and a traditional bai.
- Where: Koror and the Rock Islands, Palau, in the western Pacific. Fly to Palau (ROR); airport transfers are included.
- Dates: Sunday 14 – Saturday 20 March 2027, 7 days and 6 nights.
- Room: a twin room shared with one other guest, in our beachfront hotel. A private room costs more: see the price.
- Included: 6 nights, breakfast every day, lunch on the three boat days, the three snorkel days with mask and fins, the culture day, airport transfers, Rocío as your host.
- Not included: flights, travel insurance, dinners and the other lunches (your own choice, so you can manage allergies and diets), drinks, the Koror State permits for the Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake (paid by you).
- Price: USD 5,620 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,690), or USD 6,760 in a private room (deposit USD 2,030).
Photo gallery
The places, the stay and the animals you may meet. Animal photos show the species, not always this exact place.
Like what you see? Only six places on this trip.
USD 5,620 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,690), or USD 6,760 in a private room (deposit USD 2,030). 14–20 March 2027, 7 days and 6 nights, six guests at most. Breakfast every day, lunch on the three boat days. International flights are not included.
Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters
Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats
Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.
- 5.00 from 33 public reviews on BookRetreats · Read guest stories
- Small group, six guests at most
- Licensed local boat operators and guides
- Travel insurance required (water-activity cover from your own policy or the dive centre’s insurance)
- Pause or skip any activity, any time
Real guests on past trips“Amazing girl and super organised. Would book trips with her over and over if I could. 100% recommend!”
“Rocío is amazing at organizing trips and ocean experiences. Everything was very well planned, and she helped find great diving spots. I highly recommend Ocean Calling Retreats.”
Quotes are copied as written from public reviews on BookRetreats. See all guest photos · Read all reviews
Choose your dates
- Sunday 14 – Saturday 20 March 2027Lagoon reefs, Rock Islands, Milky Way · 7 days, 6 nightsUSD 5,620per person, shared room · deposit USD 1,690 · private room USD 6,760 (deposit USD 2,030)Book
Book opens the secure WeTravel checkout, where you choose your room and pay the deposit. Payment plan: a 30% deposit, then monthly payments, balance 60 days before the trip. Cancellation policy.
At a glance
USD 5,620 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,690), or USD 6,760 in a private room (deposit USD 2,030). 14–20 March 2027, 7 days and 6 nights, six guests at most. Breakfast every day, lunch on the three boat days. International flights are not included.
Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters
Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats
Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.
Why Easy? Snorkelling from a boat around the lagoon and the Rock Islands. You should feel comfortable in the water with a mask, snorkel and fins.
Who it is for. Ocean lovers, solo travellers, couples and friends who are happy snorkelling from a boat and happy to wait for wild animals. No diving needed. You don’t need to arrive fearless, only open. Every activity is optional, and rest is always allowed.
What you do
Snorkelling in the lagoon and among the Rock Islands, and the golden jellyfish of Palau. Sightings are never promised. Each caption says where the photo was taken.
Your first day, step by step
- Day 1 · Welcome to Palau: you land at Palau airport (ROR) and transfer to our beachfront hotel. You settle in, then we meet for a short talk about the week, the reef and Palau’s rules.
- Your guide explains the plan and the signals before anything starts in the water.
- You choose your pace. You can pause, rest or skip any activity, at any moment, with no pressure to continue.
- Nobody chases, touches or baits an animal. The animals decide whether they come close.
Questions beginners ask
What if I feel nervous in the water?
What if I cannot clear my ears?
Will I hold the group back?
Do I need to be fit or experienced?
Highlights
- Snorkel the reefs of the Rock Islands, home to sea turtles, in warm water of about 28 to 30 °C.
- Jellyfish Lake and its golden jellies, snorkel only, if the lake is open and permitted when we are there.
- A day at Long Beach and the Milky Way, and a half day on the lagoon reefs, with a licensed local tour operator.
- A culture day: the Belau National Museum, the Etpison Museum and a traditional bai.
- March is in Palau’s drier season (about November to April), with calmer crossings to the Rock Islands.
- One beachfront hotel for the whole week, so you unpack once. Breakfast every day, lunch on the boat days.
- A small group of six at most, hosted by Rocío from your first question to the last day.
- Wildlife first: no chasing, no touching, no feeding, and the ocean decides what happens.
The rhythm of your days
- Day 1 · Welcome to Palau: you land at Palau airport (ROR) and transfer to our beachfront hotel. You settle in, then we meet for a short talk about the week, the reef and Palau’s rules.
- Day 2 · The Lagoon Reefs: a half day by boat on the lagoon reefs with a licensed local tour operator, lunch included. The afternoon is yours.
- Day 3 · The Rock Islands: a full day by boat among the Rock Islands, snorkelling their reefs, and Jellyfish Lake (snorkel only) if it is open and permitted. Lunch included.
- Day 4 · Palau’s Story: a culture day at the Belau National Museum, the Etpison Museum and a traditional bai.
- Day 5 · Long Beach and the Milky Way: a full day by boat with snorkel stops, lunch included.
- Day 6 · A Free Day: rest, swim or explore Koror at your own pace. A last evening together.
- Day 7 · Until Next Time: breakfast together and the transfer to Palau airport.
Food: exactly what is included
- Breakfast: every day, included.
- Lunch: included on the three boat days (days 2, 3 and 5). Other lunches are your own choice.
- Dinner: your own choice, so you can eat what suits you and manage allergies and diets.
- Drinks: not included.
Where you stay
Our beachfront hotel in Koror, on a quiet lagoon among green islands. Twin rooms with a sea view, breakfast every day.
Why our retreats cost what they cost
- Six guests at most. One boat and one guide are shared by fewer people, so each guest pays a bigger share and gets real attention.
- Local guides, paid local wages. We book external local guides and never ask them for discounts.
- What your price covers. Your room, breakfast, the activities listed on the trip page and card fees. Other meals only where the trip page says so. Flights are not included.
- Planned by me. I plan every trip myself, and I am with you before, during and after.
Rocío
Trip details
Included
- Six nights in a beachfront hotel (twin room for two guests booking together; private room available)
- Breakfast every day, and lunch on the three boat days
- Palau airport (ROR) pick-up and drop-off
- A half day on the lagoon reefs with a licensed local tour operator
- A full day in the Rock Islands, with Jellyfish Lake (snorkel only) if it is open and permitted
- A full day at Long Beach and the Milky Way
- Mask and fins for the three snorkel days
- A culture day: the Belau National Museum, the Etpison Museum and a traditional bai
- Tips for guides and boat crews
- Rocío, your host, with you all week
- Pre and post-retreat support
Not included
- International flights to and from Palau (ROR)
- Travel insurance with cover for snorkelling and water activities (required)
- Koror State permits for the Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake, paid by you
- Dinners, the other lunches (your own choice) and drinks
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Animals you may meet
Never guaranteed, never chased. Tap an animal to see how it lives, where it travels and a fun fact.
Golden jellyfishMastigias papua etpisoni and other MastigiasSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Reef manta rayMobula alfrediSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Grey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasEndangeredEthics and safety
- Jellyfish Lake is snorkel only, never scuba, and we go only when it is open and permitted. We follow Koror State rules and our guides.
- Every visitor to Palau signs the Palau Pledge on arrival, a promise to protect the islands. We take it seriously.
- Reef-safe sunscreen only. We never stand on or touch the coral, and we never take sand, coral or relics.
- We share the reef with turtles at their distance. No touching, no chasing. Dolphins and dugongs, if we meet them, are for watching only.
- Palau has protected its sharks as a shark sanctuary since 2009.
- Wildlife encounters are unpredictable. Snorkelling with sea turtles and golden jellies should always follow Koror State rules and experienced professional guidance.
Practical details
- Getting there: fly into Palau International Airport (ROR). Airport pick-up and drop-off are included.
- Palau asks every visitor to fill in the online Palau Entry Form within 72 hours before arrival (palautravel.pw). Entry rules depend on your passport: please check yours before you travel.
- The Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (USD 100) is normally included in your air ticket. The Koror State permits for the Rock Islands and Jellyfish Lake are paid by you.
- Travel insurance with cover for snorkelling and water activities is required.
- Payment plan: 30% deposit when you book, then monthly payments charged automatically, balance due 60 days before the trip, on 13 January 2027.
- Every activity is optional. You can rest any day. The order of the days can change with the weather and the sea. Rocío will always tell you why.
Why we choose slower boats
Speed is one of the simplest things a boat captain controls, and it matters a lot to the animals we visit. Research from many oceans shows the same pattern: a slower boat is less likely to hit a whale, turtle or manatee, gives animals time to move away, and makes less noise under the water.
Slower ships kill fewer whales
A study of 47 recorded ship strikes on large whales found the chance of a deadly injury was 21 per cent at 8.6 knots but 79 per cent at 15 knots. Below 11.8 knots, a strike is more likely to be survived than not.
A 10 knot limit works for right whales
Since 2008, the United States has required vessels 65 feet (about 20 metres) or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in set areas and seasons along the East Coast, to protect North Atlantic right whales. A later study estimated these limits cut the risk of deadly ship strikes by 80 to 90 per cent.
Turtles cannot escape fast boats
In Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, researchers watched 1,890 green turtle encounters. 60 per cent of turtles moved away from a boat going 4 km/h, but only 22 per cent at 11 km/h and 4 per cent at 19 km/h.
Slow zones save manatees
In Sykes Creek and the Barge Canal on Merritt Island, Florida, eight manatees were killed by boats in the 42 months before year-round slow speed was enforced. In the 42 months after, only one was killed.
Faster boats are louder
Recordings of 1,582 ships in Haro Strait, between Washington State and British Columbia, showed that most ships get about 1 decibel louder for every extra knot of speed. This noise reaches the high sounds that killer whales use to find food.
Going slow gives whales quiet time to feed
When ships in Haro Strait were asked to slow to 11 knots, underwater noise fell by 2.5 decibels, about 44 per cent less sound energy. Scientists estimated this cut the feeding time killer whales lose to noise by 22 per cent.
Questions
Will we swim in Jellyfish Lake?
Will we see turtles, mantas or sharks?
Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
How much does it cost?
How much is the deposit?
How does the payment plan work?
Can I have a room of my own?
What is included?
Which meals are included?
Can I come alone?
How do I book?
USD 5,620 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,690), or USD 6,760 in a private room (deposit USD 2,030). 14–20 March 2027, 7 days and 6 nights, six guests at most. Breakfast every day, lunch on the three boat days. International flights are not included.
Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters
Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats
Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.
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