Hello, we hope the following Q & A will answer most of your questions concerning the MDA family travel packages. Please read throught them carefully.
Q; Where is the information on the packages and what they contain? Right here.
Q: Is this a limited enrollment trip? Yes. Because of the activities that we have planned that are not normally done there are both minimums and maximums that can participate. It is extremely important to get your deposit ($200 per person) to us as soon as possible. Please choose which group you want to be in, the dive or snorkelers group.
Q: Is this trip limited to families? No. Anyone can sign up and go on the activities. If you don't have kids you can schedule any activity you want and not be included in the kids programs. Just;let us know what you want to do.
Q: How do we pay for this? Call Matt at 472-6325, give him your credit card number, and he'll do the rest.
Q: Can you hold spots for us on the trip? The only way we can do this and be fair to all is that your deposit will hold the spot for you.
Q: What are the flights and times for these trips?
Here is the posted schedule but you can add additional days. We have blocked a number of seats for these dates:
March 18 trip: You'll depart Guam at 6:50pm and arrive Palau at 7:50pm. There is a one hour time zone change. You'll return from Guam on the 23rd at 2:35am, arriving on Guam at 5:30am.
April 8th trip: You'll depart Guam at 7:00pm and arriv e at 8:10pm. There is a one hour time zone change. and return from Guam on the 13th at 2:10am, arriving on Guam at 5:10am.
Q: How do I to book the flights? We can do this for you or you can do it yourtself. Our price for the ticket is $550 per adult, and $413 for children. The most important thing is to get your flight reservations as soon as possible.
Q: What's not included in the trips? Palau Environmental Fee and departure tax: $35, the Koror State Permit with Jellyfish Lake is $35 per person, which is good for 10 days. These fees must be paid in cash while you are there. All dinner meals and lunch on day 5. Transportation to any event, restaurant, or activity not included in the schedule.
Optional only: if you want to go to Pelelu for the land tour of the battlefieldi and Bloody Nose ridge. The Peleliu Permit fee is $10 and is valid for oneday. The cost of the trip is is $175 and requires 6 to participate.
Q: Is there a lower price for the kids? Yes. Kids ages 3-9 are at a very reduced price for all kayaking and snorkelig tours with the exception of the combined boat trp on Day 4. This is a special charter. Once you tell us exactly what you want to do we'll give you a quote.
Q: We dive and our kids snorkel. Will we be doing any activities together? Yes. We have designed the schedule to include activities together on all days except day 2.
Q: Can I change the activities on the days we are there? Yes and no. Here's the "no". Day 2 activities are set for separate snorkelers and divers activities. Day 4 is for everyone and cannot be changed.
Here's the "yes". Day 3 and Day 5 can be interchanged. You are free on the optional day to participate in a number of activities, and you can also extend you trip to include additional days and customize those days to do whatever you want.
Q: What optional tours are available on the optional or on additional day? We can provide you quotes for this before you pay for your entire package. Links are provided. Dolphin Encounter / Dolphin Symphony, Palau Jungle River Cruise, Palau International Coral Reef Center tour, Cultural tour. By adding more days to your trip you could get in more kayaking, rock island tours, and diving.
Please let us know what you'd like to do for additional days or tours.
Q: What are the divers age, depth, and buddy requirements? All divers must be certified and have a minimum of 5 dives after certification. Divers 10-11 must dive with their parents or legal guardian who are traveling with them and on the same boat. Divers 12-14 are required to dive with an adult. Strict adherence to the buddy system will be required for all divers.
While the international training agencies establish maximum certification depths for specific ages, it is the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian diving with the junior diver to insure that these limitations are met.
Q; Are dive guides provided as buddies? No. Dive guides will be provided by the dive operator. These guides are there to provide for the enjoyment and overall safety of the group. Dive Guides will not be considered or assigned as a buddy for any divers, regardless of age.
Q: What are the snorkelers age, experience, and gear requirements? While we are not having an exact age requirement for snorkelers, the minimum criteria is that they have to be very comfortable snorkeling over deep water and be good swimmers without relying upon any life jacket or buoyancy device. All kids must have their own snorkeling equipment.
Q: Can snorkelers go on the dive boats with their parents? Because most of the dives are drift dives which require the boat to be constantly moving to watch and assist divers, no snorkelers are allowed on the same boat as the divers. The only exception to this will is that 2 experienced snorkelers over 15 years old will be allowed on the boats with their parents or legal guardians.
Q: Is there kids/adults rental gear available? MDA has a special rental gear package available for these trips for only $20 a day including a regulator, octopus, gauges, bc, and dive computer. You only pay for your actual diving days. This is a very special offer as you'll pay much more than that anywhere you visit. You select the gear the day of you travel and return it on the day after you return from the trip.
Q; Is there an age limit on the ATV/Waterfall trip? There is no age limit for these tours but all children must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardian.
There are 6 vehicles that can take 6 families at one time (parents + kids). Each vehicle has 6 seat belts so it can accommodate the drive/tour guide plus 5 riders,
Q: Are there BABYSITTING services available: These services can be provided while you are diving or snorkeling at the following rates. We will be happy to arrange these but payment will be paid directly to the providers while you are there. The services will be provided at the hotel or on the snorkeling or kayaking boats.
0-2 year old, one babysitter per child. Over 2 years old, one babysitter for 2 children.
Q: Can my child go on the trip alone? This is a family trip designed for the enjoyment of both parents, guardians, and kids. Unless you are part of a school program (ex: Kids for Coral at St. Johns) that have a guardian going on the trip, we cannot accept individuals kids.
Q: I have many more travel questions about Palau. Where do I find the answers? We have an entire travel info page on each area on their specific pages. For Palau it's here.
If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to call us and we hope you have a great trip.
Matt, 472-6325 Pete, 565-2411