Where is Palau? Is it part of the Philippines? Is it under the US? There were many eyebrows raised when I told my friends that I am going to Palau.

Palau is a Micronesian country of about 340 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of around 466 square kilometers. Koror is the most populated island in Palau and used to be the old capital until 2006, when it was shifted to Ngerulmud, located on Babeldaob island and now serves as the capital of this island nation. 

Although Palau is a small archipelago, its entire territory is divided into sixteen states with distinct administrative regions. Each municipality of the country also has both an elected legislature and a tribal chiefdom. Thus, this country of only about 20,000 people is regarded as the world’s most over-governed place.

The distance between Singapore and Palau is 3475km. However, since there are no direct flights between the two countries, it takes at least 7 hours by plane to get there, with a stopover in Manila, Seoul or Taipei. There are also 6 flights per week between Guam and Palau, operated by United Airlines.

This time, in order to fully utilise my long weekend, I flew from Singapore to Koror via Manila on United. On the way back, I flew to Taipei and back to Singapore on China Airlines. Due to the low frequency of flights, it is important to plan your flights to Palau way in advance. Some days, there are only two flights landing at Koror airport.

So I flew from Singapore to Manila on Singapore Airlines, then connected to United Airlines from Manila to Koror. It was my first time flying with United and my fears of being kicked off the plane were unfounded. The flight went smoothly. United operates twice weekly flights (Tuesdays and Fridays) to Koror from Manila.

SIN-MNL SQ916 flight time: 3h 40 min

MNL-ROR UA192 flight time: 2h 40min

On the way back, as United did not have flights out of Koror on a Monday, I had to fly with China Airlines, which has 4 times weekly flights between Taipei and Koror, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Getting from Taipei back to Singapore was easy because there are several flights each day between the two cities. I flew with Scoot because the timing for the connecting flight was reasonable.

ROR-TPE CI27 flight time: 3h 40min

TPE-SIN TR875 flight time: 4h 15min

The return flights between Singapore and Palau can range from $600-$1000 due to the low frequency of flights. You can take a budget airline to Taipei or Manila first. When the flights between Taipei and Koror are around $600, it is a good time to book. Flights from Manila to Koror also cost around $500-600 on average.

Why visit Palau?

Palau is a fantastic tourist destination that is not overrun by tourists yet. Tourists who visit this unique and picturesque country always return with fond memories of the place. The country is full of interesting geographical features. One can enjoy an adventure of a lifetime by visiting the country!

Although sharks may instil fear among people, the Palauans exhibited a different attitude towards these marine creatures in 2009. The world’s first sanctuary to protect sharks was set up in Palau in that year. All commercial shark fishing activities were banned in Palau within its waters. Today, the sanctuary protects an area of around 600,000 square km. In 2012, the World Future Council awarded Palau with the Future Policy Award in recognition of the country’s efforts to protect the marine ecosystems.

The most memorable part of visiting the country was the Jellyfish Lake, where we get to swim with non-stinging jellyfish. Another highlight is the aerial flight over the Rock Islands which I will describe in detail in another post. Don’t hesitate, book your next flight to Palau now! It beats the Maldives in terms of variety of marine life, but if you are looking for a luxurious overwater villa and to do nothing, then do not go to Palau.