Palau's 'Hidden' Gem

This ridge made the island famous 60 years ago as a major battle scene. Today, basking in serenity, it hosts diving tourists who come to see the beautiful corals and sheer walls at the island's southern tip.

Most come to dive by boat from the main town of Koror. It takes a fairly calm day to explore Peleliu underwater. Palau's archipelago is 100 miles long and currents running down the east and west sides meet at Peleliu's southern end. This attracts all kinds of marine life that feeds on the nutrients carried by the currents, and in turn, all members of the sea food chain. Famous sites like Peleliu Wall, Yellow Wall and the high voltage Peleliu Express are sought by divers wanting to see the beauty of soft coral-covered walls combined with, at times, hair-raising currents.

Remnants of Peleliu's famous World War II battle are a major attraction to history buffs as American tanks and Japanese tracked vehicles still remain for visitors to see.

Peleliu also has more sedate dives in coral gardens and along some of the famed invasion beaches. Schools of spinner and spotted dolphins frequently frolic in the expanse of water along Peleliu's western shore south of Ngemelis. Many Koror dive shops will go to Peleliu, usually for an extra $20 a head, if conditions are right. And Peleliu Divers is a locally-based shop that can take divers out right from the island.

This isle also hosts those who want to get away from it all. Peleliu's population is less than a thousand people, so it is laid back, quiet and friendly. The roads are constantly being improved, and it is easy to bike, walk or drive to the popular spots. There are no real restaurants and just a few small hotels and some home stays. They are located in the main village of Klouklubad and along North Beach and you can take land tours or just strike out on foot to see the remains of a World War II battle. This skirmish was supposed to take three days but took three months and claimed thousands of lives.

For the non-history oriented, the invasion beaches are still worth a visit as today they are shaded in giant ironwood trees and feature sandy shores. Tropic birds fly overhead and breezes dance through the jungle. The sites are rarely crowded and often deserted. Camping is popular with outdoorsy types at Orange and Honeymoon beaches.

These are also close to the airport, which is a few miles out of town. At Honeymoon Beach you will find the famous Swimming Hole, a limestone sinkhole with a ladder for climbing out. The ladder is a remnant of the military days after the war when GIs used the spot to cool off.

Bring your own food, water and insect repellent and just hang out here. You can also snorkel along the inner reef, just beware of tidal changes and currents near the reef and don't try it if the surf is high. The old military harbor has been cleaned up recently and boasts the Bkul Omruchel and Ngerewal Picnic areas. There are bathroom facilities and camping can be good here as well. Many scuba boats visit here between dives for lunch breaks. The remnants of one of General MacArthur's ships sit at one end of the harbor.

A Japanese command center has been transformed into a unique museum. A work in progress, the museum holds guns and munitions found in Peleliu's jungles and historic news articles from the period.

War buffs have been flocking to Peleliu all year, as this is the 60th anniversary of one of the bloodiest and most prolonged battles in the Pacific. In September 1944, Americans stormed the beach in what was estimated to be a three-day operation as part of a march to secure Palau and the Philippines. But the battle raged on for three months. Japanese hid in caves and fought to the bitter end. Many of the caves became sealed graves. It took until March of the following year to secure Peleliu and return it to Palauans, who had been evacuated prior to the invasion.

It used to be finding relics and remnants and getting a good tour was hit and miss. But there are now some very good tour services on Peleliu that have knowledge of the battle, have created many points of interest and can do half or full day tours. A museum, rough but a start, has been established near Koska Village in an old Japanese building. Here news clippings, war photos, items donated by surviving veterans, old helmets, guns, grenades and bombs and a plethora of other war memorabilia can be found.

A Japanese memorial is one of many placed on the Bloody Nose Ridge. This Shinto shrine and memorials to U.S. Marines and Army soldiers grace this war site.

There are also caves in the main town near North Beach to be explored. Some house bats and unusual cave spiders and have a few war remnants. There is a $15,000 fine for removing war artifacts from Peleliu, so it's best to look but not touch.

On the island the old airfield, a gun emplacement, American tanks, and beach and hilltop memorials can all be found. The battle raged up into the hills to Bloody Nose Ridge. Here Japanese and U.S. Army memorials also stand.

Known for sheer dropoffs, stunning sea fans and big marine life, the diving off Peleliu's tip is considered world class.

Near Peleliu, the southern island of Angaur is also a small and interesting place to visit. Bikes can be ridden around the island to explore remnants of war. A phosphate mining operation and a troop of monkeys left over from the German occupation are among the attractions. This island also has nice beaches and a couple of good diving spots. In World War II, the USS Perry was sunk in very deep water off of Angaur's coast.

Getting to these islands by air has to be the prettiest commuter flight in the Pacific as you travel over the 700-plus islands that make up Palau's famed Rock Islands. Boats also travel here regularly. Whether by land or sea, Peleliu is bound to be a unique experience for the adventurous traveler.