Things to Do in Palau in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
May Weather in Palau
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
88°F (31°C)
High Temp
76°F (24°C)
Low Temp
12.0 inches (305 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Heavy rainfall expected, carry rain gear daily
Is May Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + May lands in the shoulder lull. Dive resorts keep full schedules, yet you'll share the Rock Islands with maybe six boats, not thirty. Quieter fins, same reef.
- + Manta rays reliably gather at German Channel. The plankton bloom that lures them peaks before June visibility drops. Arrive now. They wait.
- + Airfares from Manila, Guam, Seoul and Tokyo dip 20-30 % once Japan's Golden Week ends. Route through NRT for hundreds less than July. Book sharp.
- + Jellyfish Lake reopens after its March closure. The water stays cool, so golden medusae hover shoulder-high instead of diving deep to escape midday heat. Float among them.
Considerations
- − Afternoon squalls roll in fast. Expect 30-minute cloudbursts that can scrub boat departures and leave you marooned at the dock until swells settle. Bring patience.
- − Humidity hovers at 70 %. Cameras fog the instant you step outside air-conditioning and deck surfaces stay slick with condensation. Wipe, shoot, repeat.
- − Live-aboards sometimes reposition to Yap or Chuuk mid-month. Trip choices shrink for hard-core divers who want seven-day itineraries. Check schedules twice.
Best Activities in May
Top things to do during your visit
Rock Islands kayak-and-snorkel loops
Paddle 2 km (1.2 miles) through mushroom-shaped islets before wind wakes. Inner lagoons stay mirror-flat until 11 a.m. Coral heads glow neon even under overcast skies. May's lower sun angle means less back-scatter for photographers. Glassy water, sharp shots.
Booking Tip: Book the day you land. Operators bundle kayak rental, lunch and Jellyfish Lake permit. See current options in the booking section below. Lock it early.
German Channel manta drift dives
Incoming tide at 9 a.m sweeps you onto the cleaning station where 3 m (10 ft) wingspans glide overhead. Visibility can drop to 15 m (50 ft) after rain. Yet plankton clouds are what pull the mantas in. May is the sweet spot before June's heavier runoff. Go now.
Booking Tip: Choose outfits that limit groups to eight divers. Ask if they carry reef hooks so you can stabilize without kicking coral. Small groups, big smiles.
Ngardmau Waterfall jungle trek
A 40-minute hike on red clay trail leads to Palau's tallest falls, 30 m (98 ft) high. River volume is still beefy from April showers, creating a natural infinity pool cooled by constant mist. You'll welcome the freshwater rinse after salt-heavy mornings. Jump in.
Booking Tip: Go early. Trails turn slick once daily showers start. Wear reef shoes because stream rocks are algae-slick. Sunrise beats the slide.
Bai-erao cultural food tour in Koror
May is taro-harvest time. Local kitchens pound purple corms into pudding-thick bai flour. Night markets set up along the causeway. Smoke from banana-leaf parcels of tapioca and parrotfish drifts across the car park. Follow your nose.
Booking Tip: Tours run after 5 p.m. when temps drop. Look for guides who include a stop at the ice-keki stand - shaved milk topped with coconut syrup. Cold bliss.
Where to Stay in Palau in May
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for May travellers.
May Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early May
Palau Independence Week festivities
Parades and outrigger canoe races commemorate the May 9, 1994 Compact of Free Association. Expect village dance troupes, spearfishing demos and night fireworks over the harbor. The event is low-key, yet you'll get invited to share betel-nut if you linger. Say yes.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Request a window seat on the left side arriving into Roman Tmetuchl International. Morning flights bank over the Rock Islands first, giving you a free scenic fly-over most tourists pay $150 to see by air. Score it free.
Local phone SIMs are sold in the baggage hall. Skip the booth and look for the unmarked Digicel desk behind the tourist desk - same card, half the queue. Save time.
Many operators drop 'government fees' at the dock. Ask for the printed breakdown. Some quietly bundle a $10 'handling' that isn't official. Question everything.
If dive boats cancel, head to the Etpison Museum café. Air-con, decent espresso, and the owner sometimes screens raw GoPro footage of that day's manta encounters for walk-ins. Watch magic.
Avoid These Mistakes
Avoid booking day-trips back-to-back without rest slots. May humidity makes three straight days on the water exhausting even for fit divers. Schedule breathers.
Never assume dollars everywhere. Smaller kava stalls and betel-nut huts deal only in Palauan dollars or exact change. Carry small bills.
Never ignore swell forecasts. Snorkel sites like Blue Corner can close for safety when trades kick above 15 knots, so have a land backup ready. Plan B matters.
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