Hello all, me and my group are planing the 2026 diving trip, and for the moment we are thinking in going to Palau, but we don't want a dive cruise, we prefer from a resort. Can anyone point me in a good resort or diving center with good rates ? Or any tip is more than welcome.

Thank you very much

I worked there a few years back (left in 2023), so this is a little dated, but I can help to some extent.

I would definitely second doing land-based diving there. The liveaboards are not true liveaboards covering a wide area. They usually end up moored near German Channel for most of the trip and dive from there as a fixed platform.

On the plus side, you do get to dive Peleliu on liveaboards, which is less commonly dived from land as it is further away and uses more gas. Land-based operators are also generally less familiar with it for that reason, and it has the most complex currents in the area, which adds to the difficulty.
You also get sunrises and sunsets on liveaboards, but that's pretty much it...

Early diving is not really a thing, as diving in Palau is tide-dependent.
Most sites are best dived on incoming (rising) tide. A liveaboard’s fixed schedule and location can actually be a disadvantage, whereas good land-based operators will plan dive times around the tides, including early departures when it makes sense. Night dives are rather average.

Look into the following operators:

• Sam’s Tours (very experienced in the area)

• Neco Marine (smaller operation, owner is a photographer, staff should be able to customise dives)

• Blue Marlin (Japanese operation, very experienced and pioneers of many spawning dives along with Daydream. Just check if there's English support)

• Fish and Fins is probably still the busiest, so flexibility may be limited
  

Another operator to look into is Palau Dive Adventures.
I am not sure how they are doing currently, but their approach used to focus on smaller groups and more personalised diving.

There is also a small operator based on Peleliu itself, if they are still operating (Peleliu Divers IIRC). The owner and guide was Godwin.
Very remote and isolated, but excellent for diving Peleliu, and you can also access Ngemelis area sites like Blue Corner from there.

Resort-wise, it really depends on your budget. All operators leave from Malakal (small island connected to Koror) in the morning and will pick you up from anywhere.

None of the resorts have a real beach except the most expensive and luxurious one, Palau Pacific Resort. It also has or had a Japanese-run dive centre, but other operators do pick up from their jetty. It also has sunset views, which are rare in the area.
On Malakal itself, Cove Resort is nice and convenient.

For a more budget-friendly option with access to restaurants, definitely look into Palau Central Hotel.
It is in downtown Koror, which is not particularly pretty, but it gives you access to actual restaurants, bars and supermarkets, unlike most resorts which are in more remote locations. If you want something less all-inclusive, this is a good choice. The drive from Koror to Malakal is about 15 minutes, so it makes no difference for dive pickups.

One thing to keep in mind is that all of the scenery and diving are in the Rock Islands national park.
Koror itself is not especially attractive, and aside from a few public parks there is very limited access to the water nearby. You generally need to drive some distance. Nice to do a land tour on Babeldaob for instance or drive around for that, but don't expect many nice spots to relax in the afternoon after diving like you would have in SE Asia for instance.

For planning, for me the most impressive dives were the spawning dives (bumphead parrot fish and snappers) - bumpheads is the easier one as it's a more protected area, whereas the snappers is more exposed (so condition dependent and challenging with a camera rig).
These happen a few days before the new moon or full moon - it's a very early morning dive, and operators will want to have seen you in the water first so don't arrive straight for this, but plan ahead with the operator (and for this land-based operators often have the edge).
It's a dive you will remember.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask here or by PM.

cheers

Downtown Koror:


Malakal from above:

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by bghazzal

Great summary Ben! I was there in September and really enjoyed it.

I’ll add one resort and one operator recommendation. The Palau Royal Resort is very pleasant and decent value. It’s on the water, has a small beach and a good pool, and everything just works.

Fish’n’Fins runs a very good operation. I found their dive masters and boat crews to be as good as anywhere I’ve been and very considerate, and the boats were excellent. On my last day, a group of 4 didn’t show up. After waiting a bit, they said, “well , let’s go” and took me out for a full day of private one on one diving. I think most ops would have cancelled so I really appreciated it.

Wow!!!!, this is exactly the information I was looking for. I'm going to start to send emails and organize the trip if my dive buddies agree to go. Thank you so much. I'm pretty sure i will have to ask you for my doubts.