Palau – Scenic Flight over the Rock Islands & Seventy Islands (Palau)

Even before our holiday we had seen the pictures of the Rock Islands in Palau in the diving magazines and on the internet, we knew that we really wanted to make a scenic flight over the Ngerukeuid Islands (better known as The Seventy Islands). We think sightseeing flights are just a great opportunity to marvel at our world from above and get a completely different perspective on our earth. For example, we have already made sightseeing flights over the Blue Hole in Belize, in Kauai in Hawaii, Rio de Janeiro, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, over the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or also the Iguafalls in Brazil.

Prices for a Scenic Flight over Palau

We had previously done a lot of research on the Internet, who is the best provider for this. Actually, there are two ways to see the islands from above. As part of a helicopter tour or a Cessna round trip. The decision was relatively easy for us because of the price structure…

Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA)

Ultimately, we chose the Cessna flight with Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA). PMA is a Christian (flying) aid organization in the South Seas whose support for the island population includes free medical care, rescue flights, disaster relief, salvage, food and medicine transport as well as logistical support for the small islands. This ensures that the inhabitants of remote islands are also supplied. The organisation also operates an orphanage, a youth hostel and an educational centre.

In addition, PMA offers charter flights to the islands of Palaus (e.g. Peleliu) and also sightseeing flights over the Rock Islands. And that is also the way the organization is financed: through tourism. Normally PMA also offers a free hotel pickup, but since we had a rental car that day anyway, we simply went there ourselves. We simply booked the seats for the sightseeing flight through our hotel reception, which was easy and hassle-free.

Start of our scenic flight at the airport in Koror

PMA’s sightseeing flights depart from the International Airport. When we arrived, a member of staff waited for us and took us directly to the airfield. There we paid for the sightseeing flights in cash and received tickets in return. Our flight with the number 1929 was supposed to go into the air at 8.30 a.m. After the bureaucratic work was done, the employee introduced us to our pilot: Markus from Germany. Of course. No matter which remote corner of the world you are in, Germans are really everywhere. Markus works for the organization as a pilot, flies relief supplies to the islets and in between also tourists over the Rock Islands. After a short briefing on the plane, it was already possible to start. We rolled onto the runway, looked out of the doorless (!) Plane, accelerated and took off.

In the seat pocket in front of us there was a small map on which you could see very nicely, over which points we will fly over: Milky Way ° Jellyfish Lake ° Long Beach ° German Channel ° Big Drop Off ° Blue Corner ° Seventy Islands ° Natural Arch ° Japanese Friends Bridge

Rock Islands, Milky Way, Jellyfish Lake & Long Beach

Right after the start you have a beautiful view of the green Rock Islands and the many canals and bays that are available on Palau. Our flight went south over the so-called Milky Way. This is a small bay with turquoise blue water where you can take a natural mud bath. From the bottom of the water you can draw mud here, which makes the skin feel very soft after the treatment. Next we passed the island of Eil Malk, where the famous Jellyfish Lake of Palau is located. Here you can snorkel with up to 30 million safe jellyfish of the species Mastigias papua (shield jellyfish). Unfortunately there are currently no jellyfish in the lake (see our article). Next we were over Long Beach, one of the few sandy beaches on Palau, which can only be seen at low tide.

German Channel, Big Drop Off and Blue Corner

On our sightseeing flight we flew next via the German Channel. The German Channel is a 1 km long route in the coral reef, which the Germans created in 1909 to shorten the transport route from the island of Angaur (which is outside the reef and was mined on the phosphate) to the port in Koror. Immediately afterwards you reach the Big Drop Off, where the reef and the deep blue of the Pacific form an insanely beautiful contrast. From here we headed north again past the Blue Corner, which is considered one of the best dive sites in the world! We were here a total of 4 dives and you can watch our video in this post 🙂

The beautiful Seventy Islands

The Seventy Islands are THE postcard motif of Palaus. If you enter Palau on Google, dozens of pictures of the Seventy Islands will appear. We were particularly pleased with this sight. And we weren’t disappointed. How dreamlike can nature be, please? Madness! We were really blown away by the sight.

Natural Arch, Japanese Friends Bridge, Koror

The last stops of our sightseeing flight were the Natural Arch, a natural stone bridge in the middle of the lagoon, the Japanese Friends Bridge and the city of Koror.

Normally the flight should be 40 minutes away. But since we flew around the Seventy Islands 3 x,it was 45 minutes in the end until we had ground under our feet again. The round trip with PMA was suuuuuper. Definitely THE highlight of our Palau stay!

All travelogues from Palau

The islands of Palau, together with Blue Corner and the German Channel, are among the most beautiful and interesting dive sites in the world. And the fantastic pictures of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Rock Islands have certainly been seen by many on the Internet or in reports on TV. We spent a total of 12 days on Palau and got to know the island paradise both above and under water. » Palau – Travel Guide, Diving & Things to Do
» Palau – Entry & Exit (Visa) at Koror Airport
» Koror – The Palau Royal Resort on Malakal Island
» Diving with the diving school Fish ‘n Fins
» The Rock Islands in Palau & Infos about Jellyfish Lake
» The Blue Corner – Diving with Sharks & Napoleon Lip Fish
» The German Channel – Diving at the Manta Hotspot
» Jake Seaplane – Diving at the Plane Wreck
» Palau – Diving in the island paradise of Micronesia
» Peleliu – Diving on Palau Island
» Peleliu – Historical tour of the old battlefields in World War II
» Palau – Our Self-Guided Day Tour of Babeldaob Island
» Palau – Scenic Flight over the Rock Islands & Seventy Islands