PalauTravel Palau's Passport Pledge and Rewards App: What Visitors Should Know
Palau stamps an oath known as the Palau Pledge in visitors' passports and rewards responsible behaviour through the Ol'au Palau app. Trips cost roughly $220-330 a day and are best planned for December to March.
Visitors arriving in Palau are asked to sign the Palau Pledge, an oath that is stamped in their passport, and can earn points through the Ol'au Palau app for behaviour that protects the islands. Trips typically run 7-10 days and cost about $220-330 per day, with the December to March window cited as the best time to go.
Key facts
- The Palau Pledge is an oath stamped in the visitor's passport on arrival
- More than 22,000 visitors have signed it, reaching 1.6 billion people, according to One Young World
- The Ol'au Palau app awards points for responsible behaviour and unlocks exclusive experiences
- Budget: about $220-330 per day; typical stay 7-10 days; best months December to March
- Palau protects 80% of its waters and is described as the world's first shark sanctuary
What is the Palau Pledge?
The Palau Pledge is a commitment from visitors to behave responsibly toward the islands and its people, and it is stamped directly into the traveller's passport. One Young World, cited in the source, reports that more than 22,000 visitors have signed the pledge and that it has reached 1.6 billion people.
The pledge is the centrepiece of a wider approach the source describes as regenerative tourism: leaving a destination in a better state than it was found, rather than simply reducing harm.
How does the Ol'au Palau app work?
The Ol'au Palau app is described as "gamifying" responsible travel. Visitors earn points for actions such as using reef-safe sunscreen, visiting cultural sites and eating locally sourced food. Those points unlock exclusive experiences that are otherwise inaccessible, so the more a visitor contributes to the island, the more the island opens up to them.
The source advises downloading the app before arriving in Palau so it is ready to use from the start of the trip.
How much does a trip cost and when should you go?
The source gives a daily budget of about $220-330 and a suggested trip length of 7-10 days. It names December to March as the recommended travel period. No flight, accommodation or entry-fee details are given.
How can visitors help protect Palau's reefs?
Palau protects 80% of its waters and is described as the world's first shark sanctuary. Dive operators run restorative dives in which visitors plant corals, with a measured regeneration of 30% cited in the source. The source also recommends diving only with operators certified by Green Fins in order to protect sharks.
What this means for travellers
Travellers to Palau should expect to sign the Palau Pledge on arrival and to have it recorded in their passport. Anyone planning to dive can book restorative dives that include coral planting, and downloading the Ol'au Palau app before departure allows points to be collected from the first day of the trip.