Palau Highlights: Rock Islands, Jellyfish Lake & Reefs

Today you experience two of Palau's signature wonders. A boat carries you out into the UNESCO-listed Rock Islands Southern Lagoon, a surreal labyrinth of jungle-clad, mushroom-shaped limestone islands scattered across dazzling turquoise water. You cruise among the emerald islets, snorkel over vibrant coral gardens teeming with fish, and land on a deserted white-sand beach. The highlight is Jellyfish Lake, a marine lake hidden in the heart of a Rock Island, where you snorkel among millions of harmless golden jellyfish pulsing through sunlit water, an utterly surreal, dreamlike and unforgettable experience found in only a handful of places on earth, as thousands of jellyfish drift all around you, brushing softly and harmlessly against your skin. The beauty of the Rock Islands and the magic of the jellyfish make this a truly extraordinary day. As the boat returns across the turquoise lagoon, you take in the beauty one last time, and a relaxed dinner rounds off an unforgettable day.

Another day exploring the wonders of the Rock Islands lagoon. You visit the famous Milky Way, a hidden lagoon where a layer of silky white limestone mud on the seabed turns the water a milky, luminous turquoise; you can dive down for the mud, said to be wonderful for the skin, and float in the dreamlike water, a fun and relaxing Palau tradition. You snorkel more of the lagoon's superb reefs and coral gardens, perhaps the giant clams of Clam City, where huge, iridescent clams nestle in the shallows, and the fish-filled reefs near German Channel, famous among divers for its manta rays. Between snorkelling, you relax on deserted white-sand beaches and cruise the labyrinth of emerald islands. The abundance and beauty of the marine life, and the surreal beauty of the lagoon, are breathtaking. As the boat returns across the turquoise water, you take in the endless maze of green islands and blue water, and a relaxed dinner in Koror rounds off another wonderful day.

A day exploring Babeldaob, Palau's large, lush and little-visited main island, a world away from the lagoon, cloaked in dense rainforest, rivers and ancient sites. You might hike or take a monorail through the jungle to the spectacular Ngardmau waterfall, the largest in Palau, where you can swim in a cool, clear pool beneath the cascade, explore the mysterious ancient stone monoliths of Badrulchau, said to predate written history, visit traditional Palauan villages and bai (meeting houses) with their beautiful storyboard carvings, and take in the island's rivers, mangroves and endemic wildlife. Babeldaob reveals a very different side of Palau, its lush interior, ancient culture and rich nature, complementing the marine wonders of the lagoon. As the sun sets, return to Koror for a relaxed dinner, reflecting on the diversity of Palau, from the turquoise Rock Islands to the green rainforest and ancient stones of the main island, and rest ahead of more lagoon adventures tomorrow.

A day exploring the hidden lagoons, caves and beaches of the Rock Islands by kayak and boat, at the gentlest of paces. Away from the main sites, you paddle silently into the Rock Islands' hidden channels, secret marine lakes and mangrove-fringed lagoons, where the water is mirror-calm and the only sounds are birdsong and the dip of your paddle. You glide into sea caves and hidden coves accessible only by kayak, past ancient rock art, and land on deserted white-sand beaches, such as Long Beach, a stunning sandbar that appears at low tide, for a swim and a picnic. The maze of emerald islands, undercut and seemingly floating on the turquoise water, is even more beautiful and intimate from a kayak, and the sense of peace and discovery is profound. This serene, immersive exploration of the Rock Islands is a magical highlight. As the sun sets over the lagoon, return to Koror for a relaxed dinner.

A day snorkelling some of Palau's most spectacular reefs and channels around Ulong, a beautiful Rock Island with a stunning white-sand beach and rich history (it featured in a famous television series and holds ancient rock art). You snorkel the Ulong Channel, a spectacular drift where the current carries you over vibrant coral gardens teeming with fish, and other superb reefs alive with turtles, reef sharks, giant clams and clouds of tropical fish, in warm, crystal-clear water. Palau's reefs, among the healthiest and most biodiverse on earth, offer breathtaking snorkelling, and encounters with marine life are frequent and thrilling. Between snorkelling, you relax on Ulong's beautiful beach and explore its rock art. The abundance and health of the marine life, protected by Palau's world-leading conservation, are profound. As the boat returns across the turquoise lagoon, you take in the beauty of the Rock Islands, and a relaxed dinner in Koror rounds off another wonderful day in this marine paradise.

A final day to enjoy the wonders of Palau. You might snorkel the beautiful Chandelier Cave, a partly submerged sea cave hung with glittering stalactites, where you can surface in hidden air chambers, explore more of the Rock Islands and their reefs, take a last kayak among the hidden lagoons, or relax on a deserted beach. In Koror, you can visit the excellent Belau National Museum and the Etpison Museum to learn about Palauan history, culture and legends, browse for local crafts, or simply relax. Palau's blend of extraordinary marine wonders, pristine nature and rich culture makes even a final day full of discovery. As your journey draws to a close, a farewell dinner celebrates the wonders you have experienced, from the labyrinthine Rock Islands and the surreal Jellyfish Lake to the world-class reefs and the ancient culture, and you reflect on the profound beauty and pristine health of one of the last great marine paradises on earth.

After a final morning in Koror, perhaps a last look at the turquoise lagoon or a visit to the museum, you are transferred to the airport for your onward international departure. You leave having experienced the extraordinary natural wonders of Palau, the labyrinthine UNESCO Rock Islands, the surreal magic of Jellyfish Lake, the world-class reefs teeming with sharks, turtles and coral, and the hidden lagoons, caves and beaches of this pristine marine paradise. The images stay vivid long after you land, the emerald maze of islands on the turquoise lagoon, the millions of golden jellyfish pulsing in the sunlight, the abundant, thriving reefs. Palau, a world leader in protecting its precious environment, offers a rare and inspiring glimpse of the ocean as it should be, and you depart having signed the Palau Pledge and helped, in a small way, to protect it, already dreaming of a return to one of the last great marine wildernesses on earth.