Wilderness Travel 2017 Catalog of Adventures

FRITS MEYST RON LEIDICH

GEORGETTE APOL SHAWN ODA

Amazing snorkeling, kayaking in turquoise seas, fascinating Palauan culture, great scenery, delightful camps—we’ve got it all! RON LEIDICH

Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL HISTORY PARADISE OF THE ROCK ISLANDS

Palau’s phenomenally scenic Rock Islands rise out of a vast serene lagoon like huge emeralds floating on a cerulean sea. Our unique snorkeling and kayaking expedition, a journey we pioneered—and still unmatched in the region—brings you to dramatic outer reef walls teeming with massive schools of fish (it’s been called an “underwater Serengeti”), to rare old-growth coral gardens and salt-water waterfalls, and to hidden marine lakes surrounded by high limestone walls, which were first discovered by our expert Trip Leaders. Our private camps, tucked away on isolated beaches (we have exclusive permission to camp here), offer special access to this captivating paradise, along with delightful barbecues, sunrises and sunsets beyond the imagination, and wonderful stargazing. Days 1-4 Koror / Nikko Bay / Risong Bay In the Rock Islands, kayak and snorkel amid a glorious world of jewel-colored parrotfish and old-growth corals, including Blue Devil Gardens, where blue damselfish dart between the corals.

Days 5-6 Milky Way / Long Lake Snorkeling above the wreck of a Zero airplane from World War II, we look for colorful angelfish and butterflyfish, and paddle across a cove known as the Milky Way. A rushing current carries our kayaks through a mangrove forest alive with birdsong to a mile-long lake, a hidden oasis for nesting birds and baby fish. Days 7-10 Jellyfish Lake / Big Drop-Off / Peleliu Jellyfish Lake is home to millions of non-stinging jellyfish, and you’ll snorkel amid them—a surreal experience! At the Big Drop-Off (Palau’s legendary Ngemelis Wall), a sheer rock face plunging nearly a thousand feet deep, we discover a vibrant world of tube sponges, sea fans, Moorish idols, pyramid butterflyfish, square anthias, sergeant majors, and yellowtail fusiliers. After visiting battle sites on Peleliu, the scene of fierce fighting during World War II, fly to Koror and depart on Day 10. EXTEND YOUR ADVENTURE Enjoy rare encounters with Palau’s “Big Five” marine species—pilot whales, spinner dolphins, dugongs, sharks, mantas—on kayaking, boating, and snorkeling excursions.

HIGHLIGHTS • Snorkel and kayak the Rock Islands, a dream realm of hidden lakes, coral gardens, marine tunnels, and thousand- foot-deep walls teeming with sea life • Experience Palau’s kaleidoscopic marine life, with 700 coral species and 1,500 species of reef fish • Visit a Palauan “men’s house,” snorkel in magical Jellyfish Lake, explore Peleliu Island with its World War II relics DETAILS • 10-day trip begins and ends in Koror • 3 nights beach resorts, 6 nights full-service camping • All meals included except Day 1

DATES Nov 1-10, 2016 Jan 13-22, 2017 Jan 29-Feb 7 Feb 26-Mar 7

Oct 5-14 Nov 5-14

Jan 17-26, 2018

Feb 17-26 Mar 18-27

Sep 6-15

TRIP COST $5995 (4-9 members) Single supplement: $620

Internal airfare: $175 (subject to change) Palau’s Big Five extension: from $1795

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Snorkeling, easy to moderate sea kayaking on sit-on-top kayaks, 3-5 hours a day

QUESTIONS? 1.800.368.2794 OR EMAIL PACIFIC@WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM 105