Located between Guam, The Philippines and Papua New Guinea, Palau is a 640km- (400-mile) long archipelago that harbours one of the world’s greatest concentrations of corals, fish and other marine life. As such, Palau has some of the world’s most spectacular snorkelling and diving locations and a well-developed diving infrastructure, with numerous operators offering a wide choice of facilities, including live-aboard dive tours to more remote sites.

Palau’s coral reefs are home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral and sea anemones. Plunging walls, coral gardens and WWII wrecks are all part of the range of diving available. The local marine life is abundant and varies from schools of triggerfish, snappers, butterflyfish, spadefish and barracudas to grouper, Napoleon wrasse and a variety of reef sharks. Manta and eagle rays, cuttlefish, hawksbill and green turtles are also frequently sighted.

Note: Palau was formerly part of the Caroline Islands.