Solitude Gaia

Liveaboard Services/Facilities: Nine spacious en-suite guest cabins on the lower, main and upper decks. The main deck is home to a cosy lounge / digital area and a large dive platform with camera setup bench, editing and charging stations. On the upper deck you will find a bright and airy covered dining room with a bar that morphs into a second lounge. The spa and the sundeck are also on the upper deck. There is another sundeck on the very top deck.

Food, Beverage & Entertainment Facilities: Meals are served in the spacious, covered dining room on the upper deck. The food is varied, delicious and freshly prepared everyday with locally sourced ingredients. All diets can be catered for as long as the chef knows in advance. There are two lounges, both spacious and with comfortable seating, and onboard entertainment includes smart TVs installed in every cabin, lounge and the dining area. The lounge features a Bose audio system designed to elevate your viewing experience, complementing the 65-inch smart TV. Additionally, guests have access to cards and board games for their leisure and enjoyment.

Both the upper and top deck boast sundecks where guest can lay back and relax on the comfortable loungers, and there is a spa with massage tables to iron away any stresses.

There is a small guest shop, satellite internet and a laundry service is also available (extra charge).

Included: Boat prices are per person sharing a twin/double cabin for 7 nights with up to 22 dives, or 10 nights with up to 34 dives (including night dives) with dive guide, 12 litre tanks & weights; 3 meals a day; snacks; unlimited drinking water, tea, coffee & soft drinks; beach BBQ; kayaks; cabin towels;, deck towels; complimentary toiletries. Village visits are arranged during each trip. Return airport transfers and local taxes are also included.

Not included: International / domestic flights; dive equipment & other tank rental; alcohol; Nitrox (USD$8 per dive, USD$140 for a 7-night trip, or USD$200 for a 10-night trip); Private Dive Guide (USD$150 per day); land excursions; snorkel gear; laundry services; massage / spa.

Payable on board: National Park Fees (35-250 USD); Peleliu Diving permit: USD 60 (per trip); Koror Diving permit: 100up to 10 days (per trip); Jelly Fish Lake and Rock Island Permit: 100 USD (only if you want to go on this tour); Angaur Island Diving permit: USD 35 (per day/person); State Cabin/Room Tax: 10 USD (per day/person); Crew tips; massage; laundry; internet data packages.

Getting there: Trips begin and end in Palau (Malkal). The closest airport is Babelthuap Airport (ROR). Boat check in is from 17.00 and the boat departs the next morning. At the end of your trip, your last dives will be on penultimate day in the morning and you must respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive. The boat docks back in Palau (Malkal) early in the afternoon on the last day. Check out and disembarkation is around 17:00 on the last day.

Lower deck: 2 interior cabins (twin or double bed), both air-conditioned and with private en-suite bathrooms.

Main deck: 4 ocean view cabins (twin or double bed), all air-conditioned and with private en-suite bathrooms. Lounge / digital area and large dive platform with camera setup bench, editing and charging stations.

Upper deck: 3 ocean view staterooms (2 larger twin / double, 1 smaller with a king-size bed), all air-conditioned and with private en-suite bathrooms. Covered dining room with a bar / second lounge, spa / massage, and a sundeck with loungers.

Top deck: Ship’s bridge and a second deck with loungers.

Specification: Steel Monohull with aluminium superstructure, launched in 2023. Port of Registry/Flagged: Indonesia. Cruising Itinerary Routes: Palau. Gross Registered Tonnage: 471t. Length: 40m (meters). Cruising Speed: 10 Knots with top speed 14 Knots. Diesel Capacity: 62,256L (16,459.25 US Gal.). Cruising Range: approximately 4150 nautical miles (7,685km). Engine & Propulsion: twin Yanmar engines 829 HP @ 1900 RPM. Electricity (2 x BAUDOIN 6W105S RATED 107KW- 1500RPM) and (1 x WEICHAI WP4CD66E200 50KW/62.5KVA 3PH 50Hz) generators providing 24 hours of 200V to 240V – 50Hz power. Fresh Water Capacity: 63,086L (storage) with 3 onboard water-makers each capable of producing 280L of fresh water per hour.

For Divers: Dive Skiffs: two purpose-built aluminium boats measuring 6m each, equipped with single 100HP outboard engines. Support Skiff: purpose-built fibreglass boats measuring 6m, equipped with single 100HP outboard engines. Air Compressors: 3 x Bauer Poseidon compressors. Nitrox Membrane System: Aaragon. Dive Guides: 1 to 6 divers. Private guide service available (extra charge). Dive Equipment Rental available – includes dive computers, but not underwater cameras. SMB, lead weights & belt are complimentary but will be chargeable if lost or damaged. Enriched Air Nitrox Diving EANx 28-32% (extra charge) and scuba cylinders of various DIN sizes (York Adaptors available) also available. Twin tanks are not available, but boat is side-mount friendly.

Rebreather support is only available on full charters with rebreather divers. Organising scrubbers requires advanced notice of 60+ days, although there is no guarantee. Alternatively, you have the option to order and send them to the boat. Note that oxygen supply in Palau is both limited and costly. Medical Oxygen and Comprehensive First Aid Kits are available. Solo diving is not permitted.

Navigation / Safety: Guests are provided with a complimentary Nautilus Marine Rescue GPS. The boat is equipped with local navigation maps, GPS chart plotter, radar (long/short range), weather plotter, and depth sounder. Communication System: VHF/SB radios, VSAT satellite phone & internet, Garmin inReach mini II with 2-way satellite text messaging and SOS distress, Inmarsat-C. Ship Safety System: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) with EPIRB, Depth sounder, AIS, First Aid kit, Oxygen kit, Life rafts & life jackets, emergency survival packs, and a semiautomated fire suppression sprinkler system.

Itineraries: Palau has many stunning reefs, prolific congregations of fish, and endless walls.

Solitude Gaia offers 7 or 10 night trips:

• Solitude Gaia New Full Moon Spawning Palau (8 Days 7 Nights)
• Solitude Gaia New Classic Palau (8 Days 7 Nights)
• Solitude Gaia 11 Days & 10 Nights In Palau

When to dive in Palau: Palau can be dived year-round, but the best time is during the dry season from October- May. Water temperature is usually warm at a range of 27-30°C.

The visibility is amazing all year round. Unusually for a destination with nutrient-rich water and current, the visibility often seems endless and can reach 50m. That said, during July to September it can drop to around 15-20m due to heavier rains and stronger winds.

There are exciting marine events throughout the year that happen in the lead up to full moon and new moon weeks, including mass snapper spawnings, bumphead parrot fish spawning, and even Moorish idol spawning aggregations – we can help you time your trip to witness these unique events.

What you can expect to see: If you like ‘Big Stuff’, Palau is the place! These fiercely-protected waters are home to sharks, mantas and big schools of pelagic fish including jacks, barracuda, snapper and bumphead parrot fish.

For lovers of rust, Palau’s lagoons (and jungles) are littered with WWII wreckage, including a few, largely intact planes.

If you are a lover of sharks you won’t be disappointed, and then there’s natural wonders like Jellyfish Lake and the magnificent Chandelier Cave.

Other Palau Liveaboards:

MV Ocean Hunter III

MV Ocean Hunter I

Rock Islands Aggressor

Palau Aggressor II

MV Solitude One