Below is information on some group trips headed to Palau in 2008:

SMITH DIVING in Fridley, Minnesota is offering a once in a lifetime dive odyssey with three amazing trips to Micronesia. You can choose from the following options:

Truk Lagoon (Chuuk) and Yap - January 5 to 25, 2008
Yap and Palau – January 14 to February 1, 2008
Truk Lagoon (Chuuk), Yap and Palau - January 5 to February 1, 2008

For complete information visit: http://www.smithdiving.com/travel/godive_yap.html

If you’ve been dreaming about diving in Micronesia (Truk, Yap or Palau), I highly recommend you check in with Smith Diving about this exciting combination of trips.

SANCTUARY CHARTERS in conjunction with GILROY SCUBA are taking bookings for a trip to Palau from March 6 - 16, 2008. They’ll stay at Palau Pacific Resort and dive with Sam’s Tours. The trip is guided by Mike and Sondra Jones who had this to say:

We visited Palau for the first time November, 2006 and it was everything we've always heard it was. So we can't wait to go back! Palau is one of the great dive destinations-incredibly healthy reefs full of corals and strange creatures, plus lots of big stuff like mantas, huge wrasse, sharks, etc. It's also a wonderful non-diving destination as well with incredible kayaking, snorkeling, isolated islands and beaches to explore, and wonderful people. We will be staying again at the Palau Pacific Resort, an absolutely beautiful beach front resort and diving again with top-rated dive operator Sam's Tours.

Join Mike and Sondra for some great relaxing at Palau Pacific Resort and fantastic diving with Sam's Tours. For more information call 1-888-372-DIVE (3483) or visit:

http://www.sanctuarycharters.com/palau.htm

http://www.gilroyscuba.com/palau.htm

Dermot

Great Aerial Shots of Palau
If you're looking for great Aerial Images of Palau, check out the following two links to images by Gunther Deichmann taken during his recent visit to launch our new website.

General Selection of Aerials:

Palau Aerials - PhotoShelter
http://www.photoshelter.com/gallery-show/G0000r7ApSpmqt_U/

For those of you who have not seen Palau's new capitol building, take a peek at:

AERIALS PALAU, CAPITOL
http://www.photoshelter.com/img-show/I0000mOtlk74NiH4

Cheers!
Dermot

Asian Spirit, a Philippines based carrier serving Palau from Manila via Davao, has just announced a new direct service from Cebu to Koror, three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flights depart Cebu at 3:45pm and arrive Koror at 6:45pm. Asian Spirit flies daily to Cebu from Manila and their 1:15pm departure from Manila domestic terminal connects through Cebu and then on to Koror. The Davao to Koror schedule is now changed to once a week from Davao, departing at 11:30am, arriving Palau at 2:00pm.

Baggage allowance is a generous 45 kilos or 100 lbs. which is perfect for scuba divers packing their dive gear around. Asian Spirit Palau service is provided onboard British Aerospace 146 four-engine jet. For more information visit: www.asianspirit.com or www.samstours.com
Dermot

Royal Belau Yacht Club (RBYC) recently held their annual Cinco de Mayo party. The evening started out with a competition for the best “Mexican Dish” from all the wonderful food provided by the members for a potluck dinner.

Bottom Time Bar and Grill at Sam’s Tours, official home of the RBYC, provided Special Margarita’s for the evening based on John Mc Cready’s crowd pleasing recipe!

The partiers started to get nervous when the three food judges just kept munching and munching and munching! It looked to me like there was more chowing down going on than “tasting”. Hmmmm... Luckily, despite the judges hearty appetites, there was still plenty of delicious food to go around.

RBYC organizes social functions and community events throughout the year for both members and non-members and warmly welcomes all visiting yachts to Palau. For more information e-mail: rbyc@samstours.com or visit http://www.samstours.com/services-yachtclub.html

Commodore Sam with Laura from Soularity

REPUBLIC OF PALAU – Senate President Surangel S. Whipps and Senator Caleb T. Otto were among the group of Palau’s civic and traditional leaders who toured the newly constructed Compact Road on Thursday, May 3, 2007.

The leadership was informed by Alex Morrison, Contracting Officer for the Compact Road Project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, that the largest development project in Micronesia’s history is slated for completion in late June.

President Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. led the group of leaders along with Ibedul Yutaka M. Gibbons and House of Delegates Speaker Antonio Bells.

Morrison told Senate President Whipps that the majority of the work on the road is now completed and that 98% of the end product is “very good”.

“We are very fortunate to have this road,” stated Senate President Surangel S. Whipps. “We most definitely want to thank the United States for their support.” Reminiscing on the leaders of Palau who had envisioned the Compact Road, the Senate President said, “if they were alive today, they would be very proud of this accomplishment.”

Babeladaob Island where the road was constructed is the second largest island in Micronesia after Guam.

Based on excerpts from Senate Press Release: SPR No. 07-05-03