The nowadays peaceful ambiance in Palau was not always as such. Since WWI, Palau was under Japanese occupation, serving as a territory for mining, agriculture and more, as well as one of the biggest Japanese Marine Bases in the Pacific.
During WWII, Palau was a fierce battlefield between the US and Japan, with the longest battle conducted in Peleliu, where the Japanese built a small yet effective landing strip.
Peleliu Island was the scene of one of the Pacific's bloodiest battles when U.S. Marines made an amphibious assault on the beaches in 1944 to liberate the island from Japanese forces. Peleliu was heavily fortified with massive concrete bunkers and over 300 man-made and reinforced natural caves used to shelter the Japanese forces during massive naval bombardments prior to the assault. The battle lasted several months, resulting in victory for the US, ending the Japanese occupation of Palau and beginning the US involvement in the archipelago.
In 1985 the U.S. Department of Interior designated Peleliu as a National Historic Landmark.
Join our guided WWII History Tour in Peleliu island, where all vegetation is fully restored, creating a peaceful, nearly surreal, scene around the remnants of Japanese headquarter buildings, gun emplacements, tanks, planes and weapons scattered around the island. Visit the 1000 man cave and incredible cave system used by the Japanese for hiding. The tour includes a visit to the Museum, presenting many personal items of Japanese and American soldiers.
The tour is conducted using a local van/ bus (depending on the group’s size) for easy mobility around the island. We offer two options for the Peleliu Land Tour:
The Peleliu land tour includes professional guide, water, lunch and refreshments, a necessary Peleliu land permit, free hotel transfers in Koror, boat transfer to/ from Peleliu and ground transportation in Peleliu.
What to Bring:
Sam's Tours Dive Center, Palau © 2014 Design: mskv.co