Things to do in Rock Islands
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Rock Islands
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Drier window: most settled seas, best visibility, most reliable outer reef access, peak prices.
Manta season begins at German Channel but November can still be wet.
Shoulder: diveable and often good between showers, fewer visitors, softer prices.
Wettest: heaviest rain, roughest boat days, lowest prices; build in spare days.
What's on
- Constitution Day 9 July
National holiday centred on Koror and Ngerulmud, not in the lagoon; falls in the wet season.
- Independence Day 1 October
National holiday centred on Koror and Ngerulmud, not in the lagoon; holiday weeks can tighten Koror availability.
Best things to do in Rock Islands
Rock Islands Southern Lagoon
More than 400 limestone islands in a UNESCO lagoon, seen on a Koror boat day of snorkel stops and beach lunches.
Jellyfish Lake
A marine lake on Eil Malk where golden jellyfish follow the sun, snorkel only, with numbers that fluctuate sharply.
Milky Way
A shallow Rock Islands inlet where white limestone mud gives the water its milky colour, a stop on boat days.
Ulong Island
A lagoon island with old village remains, red ochre rock art and one of the best beaches, visited by boat or kayak.
Ngerukewid Islands Wildlife Preserve
The Seventy Islands sanctuary, a strict no landing preserve for seabirds and endemic birds, viewed from the water.
Where to stay in Rock Islands
Koror
day boats, restaurants, first trips, non divers
The default base: boats leave from Malakal and Main Street, permits are sold on day one, and dinner is in town.
Aboard in the lagoon
divers maximising dives and dawn sites
Liveaboards fixture in the lagoon, cut the daily boat commute and put you on the outer reef at dawn.
Carp Island
a short quiet island add on for divers
The one island resort in the southern lagoon, rustic and boat access only, minutes from Blue Corner.
Think twice about
- Ngerukewid Islands Wildlife Preserve landing
A strict wildlife preserve retained in primitive condition. View and birdwatch from the water; do not land, picnic or fly a drone over it.
- Jellyfish Lake below the surface layer
Below about 15 metres the lake holds toxic hydrogen sulfide. Snorkel on the surface only; scuba is prohibited.
- Wreck interiors and wartime ammunition in the lagoon
Untrained penetration, silt outs and unstable ammunition make wreck interiors a guide only, wreck trained activity. Look and photograph, touch nothing.
Best restaurants in Rock Islands
Ngermeaus Island Park
The Rock Islands beach lunch stop, where most day tours serve a bento, packed lunch or beach barbecue.
Drop Off Bar & Grill
The dockside bar and grill at Neco Marine in Koror, the post boat dinner a dive day ends with.
Elilai Seaside Dining
Koror fine dining on the water, the sunset celebration dinner for the last night of a lagoon trip.
Outdoor things to do in Rock Islands
Blue Corner
Palau signature current dive, a plateau where sharks, jacks and barracuda stream past divers held by reef hooks.
German Channel
A German era channel now known as a manta ray cleaning station, with reef sharks and schools of jacks.
Ulong Channel
A tide timed channel drift past soft coral walls and shark aggregations, ending over a bed of lettuce coral.
Ngemelis Island
The island base for Big Drop-Off and Ngemelis Wall diving and outer reef snorkelling in the south west lagoon.
Iro Maru
A large Japanese fleet oiler sunk in 1944, now a coral covered wreck dive and Palau signature wreck.
Jake Seaplane
A largely intact Japanese wartime seaplane in about 14 metres, Palau most photographed aircraft wreck.
Best hotels in Rock Islands
Palau Aggressor II
The mainstream Palau liveaboard, 7 and 10 night Koror itineraries over the outer reef, wrecks and Jellyfish Lake.
Black Pearl Explorer
The luxury dive liveaboard in Palau, with spawning specials and a requirement of Advanced Open Water and 50 dives.
Four Seasons Explorer Palau
A luxury floating resort for about 22 guests, mixing dives and snorkels with culture, spa and beach picnics.
Carp Island Resort
Rustic bungalows on a private southern island near Blue Corner, the one genuine island stay in the lagoon.
Is Rock Islands expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $170 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $320 a person |
| Splurge | $700 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Rock Islands Southern Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Jellyfish Lake: a few days ahead
- Ulong Island: a few days ahead
- Blue Corner: a few days ahead
- German Channel: a few days ahead
- Ulong Channel: a few days ahead
- Ngemelis Island: a few days ahead
- Iro Maru: a few days ahead
- Put Jellyfish Lake and Blue Corner early in the trip so weather or a closure leaves a fallback day.
- Liveaboards and drier season boats sell out months ahead; late 2026 Palau Aggressor II sailings were listed sold out.
Is Rock Islands safe?
- No emergency medical infrastructure in the Rock Islands; help is a boat ride to Koror and Belau National Hospital, which holds the hyperbaric chamber. Emergency number 911.
- Sun, heat and dehydration on all day boats, sharp limestone at landings, strong currents at outer reef sites, and no fresh water or toilets on most islands.
Rock Islands travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A standalone Milky Way tour at full day prices; it is a 30 minute stop inside a Rock Islands day.
- Comparing tour prices without checking which permit is included; the Jellyfish Lake permit is double the standard permit.
- Any listing implying several Rock Islands island resorts; there is one long established island resort, the rest are Koror hotels.
Getting around Rock Islands: public transport and more
- Day boats from Koror run 45 to 60 minutes to the outer sites; there is no public ferry, rental boat or water taxi to plan a lagoon day around.
- Liveaboards board at Malakal harbour in Koror and fixture in the lagoon; kayak expeditions move by paddle with boat support.
Who Rock Islands suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Rock Islands your trip
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