Flying Over the Rock Islands of Palau: An Unbeatable Aerial Adventure

Flying over the Rock Islands of Palau to take in the breathtaking coastal scenery has become one of the most popular tourist attractions in this tiny nation. The reason is simple: it offers one of the most stunning vistas in the Pacific Ocean!

While taking a boat tour of the Rock Islands is a great idea, an aerial sightseeing flight can provide you with an incredible and unique perspective that is hard to beat.

I recently participated in a small propeller plane flight with Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA), and the entire experience was truly fantastic.

They removed the door for photography, allowing you to overlook Koror Town from above and then admire the magnificent scenery of hundreds of the most beautiful islands, lakes, and lagoons in Palau. It's simply paradise!

In this travel blog, I will explain everything you need to know about sightseeing flights in Palau, including the booking process, pricing, safety, and precautions during the flight. I will also share some photos I took during my flight!

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Where Are the Rock Islands Located?
The Rock Islands are located approximately 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of Koror Island, the main island of Palau, and are easily accessible by plane.

In a propeller plane, you can reach the best islands in about 10 minutes, although the scenery begins as soon as you take off from Koror Island!

Company: Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA)
Sightseeing flights in Palau were first introduced by a company called Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA). They were the first to offer such flights in Palau.

Another company called Fish 'n Fins now also offers sightseeing flights, but my experience is limited to PMA, so I will share those here.

PMA is primarily a Christian missionary organization. By taking a sightseeing flight with them, you can help subsidize their humanitarian and medical work on the islands, while also helping them offset the costs of operating inter-island flights for local Palauans.

They are doing great work in Palau, and being able to contribute to it is a small benefit of taking their sightseeing flights!

What to Expect on a Sightseeing Flight in Palau
My sightseeing flight in Palau began at 10:20 AM, picking up from my hotel in Koror Town.

I was traveling alone, but I contacted PMA beforehand, and they arranged for me to join three other passengers on a flight to the Rock Islands that day.

Together with the other passengers (all international tourists), I hopped onto a PMA van and arrived at the PMA hangar at Palau International Airport in 20 minutes.

During check-in, we spent a few minutes filling out a liability waiver, and then they charged our credit cards, and we headed to the hangar to prepare for our small Cessna 206 flight.

All sightseeing flights with PMA remove the door, allowing you to enjoy an unobstructed view and take photos. For safety reasons, you will be buckled up, and there is a safety bar covering part of the open door.

Be careful not to stick your phone or camera outside. The wind can be strong, so you must hold it tightly with both hands or you might lose it.

If this is your first time in such a small propeller plane, you might feel a bit nervous at first takeoff, but once you're in the air, you'll quickly forget about it.

Passengers inside the windows of the PMA Cessna 206 plane
It's easy to take photos during the flight, but keep your phone or camera secure!

Even as you leave Koror Island, the scenery is breathtaking. When you're on the ground, the town may not look like much, but from above, you'll see that it's actually surrounded by various lagoons and limestone formations.

PMA provided each of us with a headset to block out some of the plane's noise, and as we flew over Palau, they provided commentary on all the attractions. The Rock Islands look perfect from above. It's one of my favorite views!

We saw tropical islands of various shapes and sizes, with emerald lagoons, white sandy beaches, barren sandbars, and rocky arches. It would be difficult to capture such a scene even with a drone.

Some famous landmarks we spotted along the way included the Milky Way, Jellyfish Lake, German Channel, and the iconic "70 Islands" formation often seen on postcards and other souvenirs of Palau.

The entire experience lasted about 2 hours, including hotel pickup and drop-off, with a flight time of about 40 minutes, but we saw and photographed a lot during that time!

Back at the hangar, we also saw an Australian Air Force C130 plane landing on the same runway we took off from, which was a cool added bonus.

When Is the Best Time to Fly?
Sightseeing flights in Palau are usually conducted in the morning, when there is the greatest likelihood of clear weather. When we started our tour, the sky was cloudless, and clouds hadn't started to gather when we returned to the hangar.

The season to fly to Palau doesn't matter much because it rains plenty throughout the year. The driest months on Koror Island and the Rock Islands are from January to April, but even during these months, there is still plenty of rain.

I wouldn't worry too much about it either way, as the rain tends to come in the late afternoon or overnight. Whenever you go, there's no guarantee of perfect weather.

I visited Palau in September, which should be one of the rainier months of the year, but the weather was actually fantastic, with no rain for several days, so it didn't affect my trip at all.

How Much Do the Flights Cost?
As a solo traveler for this trip, I paid $180 plus a 3.5% credit card processing fee. They accept American credit cards but not American Express.

Their flights have a minimum passenger capacity of three, so this also affects the cost. If your flight is not fully booked with three passengers, you may need to pay an additional fee or reschedule to another date or time.

You can check current prices and other terms on their website. They offer free hotel pickup and drop-off within Palau and remove the plane door for free for photography.

Is It Safe?
Pacific Mission Aviation has been flying in Palau since 2012. Besides sightseeing flights, they also fly between islands in Palau, such as to Angaur and Peleliu, so they have considerable experience.

The safety of the plane depends on who is flying it, and the Cessna 206 is recognized as a safe and reliable aircraft. For professional reasons, I wouldn't want to fly it every day, but I consider such short sightseeing flights to be very safe.

Is It Worth It?
Yes, I think a sightseeing flight in Palau is absolutely worth it! It offers one of the most beautiful views in the world, and there's no better way to appreciate it than from above.

It's a fantastic experience and very reasonably priced. In comparison, I took a flight over the Great Blue Hole in Belize and a helicopter tour of Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand with my wife, and those costs were almost double.

I took many fantastic photos of the Rock Islands on my flight to Palau, and overall, this trip was much better and cheaper than similar trips I've taken around the world.

Interesting Facts About the Rock Islands of Palau
Why Are They Called the Rock Islands?
The Rock Islands may not look like rocks, but they are actually limestone formations covered with tropical vegetation.

How Many Islands Are There?
According to UNESCO, there are about 445 uninhabited islands in the southern lagoon of the Rock Islands, totaling 100,200 hectares (about 250,000 acres).

UNESCO Status: The southern lagoon of the Rock Islands has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 for its exceptional beauty, natural biodiversity, and cultural value.

What Animals Live There?
The Rock Islands are home to birds, fruit bats, dugongs, sea turtles, saltwater crocodiles, and a variety of corals, fish, and giant clams.