Palau, Micronesia, SAM'S TOURS.

You have to check this out! Palau Helicopters just recently launched their helicopter tour service in Palau and I guarantee you'll love it! The helicopter is a Hughes 500 a small workhorse helicopter that's just perfect for the job. The chopper seats 3 passengers PLUS the pilot and flights are made without the doors (don't worry, you're well strapped in) so each passenger has an unobstructed view for easy picture taking.

Noel's 1st chopper ride. PALAU HELICOPTERS.Image by Dermot.

Jon Walker, owner of Palau Helicopters, took me for a "test" ride recently and I brought along my 5 year old son Noel for his firt chopper ride. I think my son is still grinning from ear to ear! He just absolutely loved it. Jon did a great job cruising us through the rock islands, hovering over beautiful marine lakes, skimming tree tops and even swooped down low when he spotted some dugongs! According to Jon, he's been seeing dugongs every single time he flies!

Malakal Harbor, Koror, Palau taken from PALAU HELICOPTERS. Image by Dermot.

We only took a 15 minute flight but I shot almost 200 images with my simple Canon point and shoot digital camera. Okay, so I'm no Gunther Deichmann, but I am delighted with all of the aerial shots I took myself. I've been diving in Palau for about 12 years and know the underwater world inside out....but to see Palau close up from the air is just as fascinating and certainly something I highly recommend to every visitor. Stunning! Amazing! Breathtaking! ... I don't really know how else to better describe it.

FYI: Check out the aerial images on Sam's Tours new website...these were all taken by Gunther Deichmann, courtesy of Palau Helicopters. Visit Gunthers PhotoShelter stock image site at: http://www.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann for a look some more of his fabulous Palau aerial images, including the new Palau Capital Complex. You have to this to believe it!

Palau Helicopter trips start around $80 per person for a run that includes Milky Way, Long Lake, German Lighthouse and Malakal Harbor. Longer trips cover Jellyfish Lake and 70 Islands. Flights are available to Peleliu and Angaur also for those who don't want to spend one and half to two hours making the trips by boat.

Recently, our good friend "Matt-the-Pilot" joined Palau Helicopters and is now flying trips for them too. Matt has been a fixture in Palau for quite a number of years and flew inter-island service for Belau Air for most of those years. He knows Palau like the back of his hand and just about everyone on island knows him! But believe or not, after all these years I don't even know Matt's last name! I think everyone here just knows him as Matt-the-Pilot.

Matt-the-Pilot (R) and Jon Waker (L)PALAU HELICOPTERS

You can contact Jon or Matt by e-mail at: mattpilot@hotmail.com or jwalker@guam.net Or just give Sam's Tours a ring at + 680-488-1062 or send an e-mail to info@samstours.com and we'll get your trip all set up for you.
Dermot