Fees in Palau
Mar 9, 2019, 1:44 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 563
Fees in Palau
Just realizing the numerous fees which are levied on guests who arrive in, and enjoy Palau.
1) I noticed that there is a $100 per person "Palau Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (PPEF)" which I paid when I booked my air ticket.
2) Now I am being told that to visit Jellyfish Lake I need to buy an extra $100 per person "Permit" which is in addition to the cost of the actual tour?
And the two $100 fees noted above are separate and additive?
Wow!
1) I noticed that there is a $100 per person "Palau Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (PPEF)" which I paid when I booked my air ticket.
2) Now I am being told that to visit Jellyfish Lake I need to buy an extra $100 per person "Permit" which is in addition to the cost of the actual tour?
And the two $100 fees noted above are separate and additive?
Wow!
Mar 9, 2019, 2:37 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
The fees are separate as one is by the Palau government (federal) and the other is by the Koror state government (local). The federal govt actually sued Koror state to prevent the fee but lost in the Palau supreme court. Personally I think the fee is justified and reasonable. It isn't much of a money maker (there are less than 100,000 visitors a year to Koror state so max $10m if each one pays the fee) Better go quick, the Koror legislature is voting to raise it to USD 150 this year. Also the jellyfish are temperature sensitive -- they almost died out in the last El Nino -- so won't be around for much longer. At least here the fees are for a good cause (environmental mitigation) while other countries charge huge USD 100+ fees for using their airports, immigration, customs and security check services.