Second time staying here and the diving has improved remarkably since they instituted the ban on shark fishing. Peleliu is really the edge of the earth but the resort does a good job of making it comfortable and relaxing. It’s much closer to five from the resort than Koror and typically the boat has less divers than the big operators from Koror. The captain and owner Godwin knows more about the reefs than anyone in Palau and he always seems to know which site is best on any day out. Highly recommend. If you want to chill out looking over the edge of the ocean and hit some of the best dive sites on earth this is the spot.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thought I should get around to writing this as we are preparing for our next dive trip... We spent 5 nights at Dolphin Bay on Peleliu. We dove 5 days (including our transfer day). We then spent another 6 nights and 5 days diving from Koror.
We took a trip to Yap, Truk and Palau (Koror) with our dive club 8 years ago. Palau was our favorite and it took this long for us to come back to the Republic of Palau. I wanted to dive some of the Peleliu sites that are a long day (and fuel surcharge) from Koror so we decided it best to just stay on Peleliu.
I made my arrangements through Caradonna Travel. I usually make 95% of my own travel arrangements but this time because of the logistics (air, boat transfers, etc) I wanted help. I'm glad I got help. It was stressfree and seamless.
After the God awful flight (because of the distance and time involved...no particular problems with the flight) we arrived about 8pm in Koror. Through our bleary eyes we saw a driver holding a sign for the Sea Passion Hotel. Caradonna Travel (Vicki was our agent) put us there for the first night. She recommended we go to Peleliu first and then come back to Koror. She pointed out that we wouldn't want to risk the remote possibility of having bad weather prevent our boat transfer back and causing us to miss our flight. Good planning! The Sea Passion was perfectly adequate. It is within walking distance of a few restaurants and bars and has its own restaurant and bar. It has a pool and is on the water. It is adjacent to a major road. Our room faced away from the road. All this doesn't matter much because we didn't stay to enjoy the facilities. We checked in. Within 30 minutes we got a call from Peleliu divers telling us a driver would pick us up at 8am for our transfer. We got a good nights sleep and had a buffet breakfast (included) at the lovely water side restaurant and caught our ride to the "Maml Diver" dock. We could have walked as it was only 1/2 a mile away but we did have all our dive gear.
Peleliu divers instructed us to buy Koror State dive permits as we would be diving Koror sites from Peleliu. It was $100 each (including the Jellyfish lake permit) for 10 days. Here is the rub...we were'nt going to be diving until the next day but we couldn't buy the Koror permits on Peleliu. They wouldn't/couldn't date it ahead for us. When we came back to Koror for our diving in 5 days we would have to buy another permit for our last day of diving as the 10 days would expire. I think they make the permits good for only 10 days so if you go for 2 weeks you have to buy two permits. When we did buy the second Koror permit later in trip we bought one without the jellyfish lake permit and it was 'only' $50 a person.
'Maml' divers took us, several divers, and another couple over to Peleliu. The boat ride was just over an hour. As always it is a beautiful ride through the islands. At the small Peleliu harbour we were met by our dive guide 'Akee' (sp?) and transfered to Dolphin Bay. The other couple was going to Storyboard Resort. We were checked in by 9:45am. We had arranged a World War II historical tour ahead of time. We set out with our guide Godwin at 10:30am. We returned hot, sweaty, and dirty at about 4:30pm. It was great! Godwin would have kept going but we cried 'uncle'. He was very knowledgeable. We walked the beach invasion site, climbed one of the ridges riddled with limestone caves where the Japanese held out, crossed the airstrip, visited the bombed out command center. Everywhere there are still bits of artillary, gun emplacements, canteens, helmets. There are several landing craft in pretty good shape. It was very sobering.
Two books that I would recommend to appreciate the history of the battle at Peleliu (Operation Stalemate) would be the "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge and "Peleliu 1944 The Forgotten Corner of Hell" by Jim Moran and Gordon L Rottman, Osprey Publishing. I got both on Amazon. Though it equaled Tarawa and Iwo Jima in causalties and ferocity this battle is called the "forgotten battle". Many say it was unneccesary because at this point in the war the Japanese had lost their offensive capacity and that Peleliu was just a garrison. In any event if you visit Peleliu it is worth exploring this bit of history topside. In addition to the fee for the guide there is a $10 per person land tour permit.
Dolphin Bay is lovely! The grounds are impecably landscaped and maintained. I believe there are 9 Cabanas. We were in number 7. They are beautiful stand alone units each facing the water. You enter via the rear/garden side. There is a small porch/deck. A chair or stool would be nice to put on your Tevas or shoes. The room is large. We had a Queen bed. Only one nightside table. There is a large wardrobe for storage. A small mini fridge and a small pot to make coffee/tea. There is a table and two chairs by a lovely bay window that looks out to the side. A large slider to the front/waterside leads to your private deck. There are two chairs and a small table out there. (We brought this table in to use as a second night stand). The front deck has stairs leading down to the grass. I think the resort is only a few years old as everything is in great shape. Not luxurious but not too Spartan. The bathroom is small but adequate. No tub. We never got the hang of the 'on demand' hot water thing...our showers were always too hot or too cold. We certainly could have asked for assistance but didn't get around to it. The property does have a sandy area next to the seawall with lounge chairs and umbrellas. No swimming as it is turtle grass. We were there in October and it was hot hot hot during the day. Later in the afternoon we would go sit out in the lounge chairs. They are wooden and definately could use cushions! Deet is also a good idea for the 'no see ums'.
Meals are included. There were only two other couples during our stay. Both German (not traveling together). The lovely dining room is a raised open Pavillion near the enterance of the property. There is a bar. Drinks are an extra charge. The menu is set. It was rather eclectic. I suppose they do the best they can as everything must be brought in. It was all good...don't expect haute cusine however. As an example: Night #1 Pumpkin soup (yummy), spaghetti with meat sauce, rice, and friend chicken wings in chili sauce; Night #2 Chicken curry, teriyaki Skipjack, Rice Noodles with Pork, white rice; Night #3 Sweet and Sour Calamari, rice, Potato soup with Onion, bacon and cabbage, and Pork dumplings; Night #4 Tempura vegtables, ground pork and pumpkin in coconut milk, shrimp and vegatable noodles, and white rice; and our 5th night we had BBQ quartered chicken, spaghetti with bacon and vegtables, seasoned rice, a green salad and fried banana eggrolls. We had our little 'assigned' table that they led us to every night (even though only three couples). This was not buffet style, food was served in bowls and platters to every table. You could try it all or only what you wanted. We liked it. We had some interesting things we might not have otherwise tried. Breakfasts were eggs (fried, scrambled, omelet) a piece of meat, some fruit and toast or banana bread. Lunch was on the dive boat or at a beach during our surface intervals.
Now for the best part...the diving! Our permits for Peleliu were $30 each. This is a 'valet' diving kind of place. They collected our gear from our room and we never handled it again until we got ready to leave. All we brought back to our room each day was our dive computers. We each had a milk crate for our fins, mask, and smaller stuff. Staff whisked it to the shop every day and rinsed and hung things.
The boat we used was a short (5 minute) Van ride away. We were off by about 8:15 each morning. We had 2-6 divers. Most days only 3 (one day just the two of us and one day 6). Our boat captain was a native of Peleliu named Harlan. Very pleasant and interesting to talk to. Our boat rides to Northern sites (actually in Koror state) were only 5-15 minutes. At first I was like...'what is up with this...we are going to be diving Koror when we go to Koror later in the trip!' but then I realized that these sites took us minutes to get to. The boats from Koror had to travel over an hour to get there. We were coming up from our first dive as the Koror boats arrived! It was great! We dove some of these same sites from Koror later in our trip (after the 1 hour + boat ride) and I can say the experience was superior from Peleliu. Because we were first, and such a small group, we saw much more. I can say this definitively. We saw more Manta Rays, cuttlefish, napoleon wrasse, etc than we did diving these sites from Koror. I saw my first Leopard shark! Not to say that the diving from Koror wasn't great....Peleliu was just a better jumping off point. The other clear advantage to diving Peleliu is some of the Southern sites. Peleliu Express is the highlight. We did it twice. Once with a mild current. It was fabulous. The second time was at slack tide and it was even better! We called it the "Peleliu Local" versus the "Peleliu Express" dive. :-) Our guide Akee says the current is extremely variable. She was suprised by the lack of current. What was fabulous about it was the fact that the Pelagics that usually hang on the wall came on top of the reef. Wow! One day on our way to a dive site we encountered a school of hundreds (200?) of dolphins . We stayed with them quite awhile. They like to ride our bow wave and jump. I have seen lots of dolphins but never such a big school and never one that stayed with us as long as it did. We actually peeled away to continue on to our dive site after 15 minutes :-(
We had our choice of Bento box (Japanese stir fry usually) or a Sandwich for lunch. We ate after the second dive and came back to the resort . We were usually back and cleaned up by 1:30-2pm.
Only negatives about the diving...no nitrox. With nitrox we could have done three dives a day. Actually I would have liked a third dive at a shallower spot on air anyway. Because you don't have the long boat rides like you do on Koror three dives would be easily doable here.
After the dive day nothing to do but relax. I understand the population of Peleliu is about 700. There is nothing to do but dive or tour the battlesites. No restaurants or bars. We rented bikes one afternoon ($5 per person) and were told we were supposed to buy a $10 per person land tour permit (a daily charge apparently) as we would be 'touring'. We said we just wanted to stretch our legs. They reluctantly let us go. Wow...$15 a person for an afternoon bike ride. After that we just walked. If you walk the road south of the resort it is mostly just jungle vegatation leading to the battle sites and invasion beach. This part of the road was called 'sniper alley' during the war as the Japanese would take shots at US troops and vehicle traveling the road. Walking North of the resort is the more populated area and will lead through the small village, past the government building, the school and to the little port. It was hot. if you go North you can buy water at the mom and pop convenience stores. If you go South take a bottle with you. We bought a couple bottles of wine at the convenience store and had a glass of wine at sunset on our private deck each night. Some of the convenience stores had yummy local baked goods.
All good things must come to an end. Our last day we dove and then packed up our gear and were transfered back to Koror. I have logged 660+ dives and my husband is approaching 600 total dives. We have been diving 18 years. BEST DIVING EVER. So sad to leave. The dive staff, resort staff, dining room staff, all wonderful. The 'permit' system for diving, and touring is annoying but the resort staff can't control that. Finally, we went in the third week of October . It was very hot during the day. The Cabana is air conditioned but while we were diving the air conditioning was off. It took a full hour to cool the room when we returned. Rain was not an issue. It did rain twice at night but we never had rain during the day.Hope to return someday.
We stayed at Caroline's and did our diving with Fish 'n Fins when we returned to Koror. Will post a review there.
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Date of stay: October 2012
Value
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:All the rooms front the ocean.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed in the Dolphin’s Bay Resort in November 2015 which was the only resort open at that time. The resort if ‘okish’ but it lacks character and has absolutely no entertainment (music, pool table, seating area to relax etc). Kayaking if the tide is high is complimentary but you will find huge pieces of rocks instead of a proper beach. The staff are quite helpful but yet it all seems a bit fake, compelling zero enthusiasm for working there. Probably as the island has only 400 inhabitants that’s quite understandable. Peleliu is very safe and doing your own tour renting a bicycle is the best option to explore the island. Don’t go for the ‘again’ overpriced tour of USD80. The problem with the bikes is that they are worse than the ones you could rent in any small town in Asia i.e. they have no brakes, therefore extra care is mandatory especially when rain hits the road. A few guests fell badly during my stay including myself, to my surprise the woman running the resort, Mayumi, wasn’t very empathetic, instead she kept smiling and saying ‘you need to be more careful next time’. The food was very nice so bearing in mind there are no restaurants/bars in town that was a positive point. There is a small shop where you can buy beers for USD1.20 so you can safe your money and fill the fridge instead of paying USD5 for each can of beer that the resort charges. The private boat transfer is also a rip-off, if you take the small public boat departing Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays it takes the same time and it costs USD15 including luggage(!)
Finally, if you are in Peleliu to do the diving sites there, beware that Peleliu divers will not take you there, at the time I booked my diving in Nov2015 the boat was overcrowded with tourists (they only have one boat apparently), there was no room for getting changed and they will only go to the same diving sites crowded with other boats from the Chinese and Korean tourist agents. Best recommendation is to organise a diving trip to Peleliu from Sam’s tours where they have more experienced divers. Also, If you complain about your experience or let alone try to make some suggestions, Mayumi will drastically say that her German customers do not complaint therefore it is your problem if you are not happy. (which I can guarantee is not true as all guests were unhappy about the diving conditions) Good luck to them. That is certainly not the way to run a business resort.
I spoke to other travellers that were not happy either and they contacted the Koror tourist office: as recommended they have Reiko’s Guest House (680) 345 – 1106. Ask the locals in Koror before getting to Peleliu that is certainly the best choice.
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Date of stay: November 2015
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I did not stay here, only dove so my comments are about the experiences I had with Myunami, the greedy owner who lies. She offered to obtain a dive permit from the government permit office for me. It turned out that the 10 day permit did not start the following day as I had requested, but started on the day I paid. I only found that out when, on what I thought was my last day, she told me it had expired. She had many reasons for this foul-up, she did me a favor, my responsibility etc but finally settled on the false statement that the government insists on the permit starting the day payment is made. Not true according to the permit office who said they would look into the matter. Also, on the day she told me my permit had expired she still charged me $10 dollars for the lunch (rice and vegetables) because she claimed she did not realize until after lunch was made that my permit had expired. Really? Even though she had kept my permit she claimed she didn't realize it expired until she had gouged me for an additional $10.
Other reasons not to dive here- 24 hour cancellation policy. Don't want to dive because you woke up feeling sick, awful weather etc? Tough luck. You could pay the morning of the dive but if you do not stay at her resort this might not be feasible.
She would not allow the driver to pick me up at my lodging which was on the road and on the way to the diveboat. Instead, I had to wait at a shop to be picked up. She never gave a clear reason, just said no. Could it be so people staying at her expensive lodge would not realize there is adequate lodging on island for only $35 a night?
The island's internet went down and she claimed for the rest of the week she didn't know the weather forecast. She said she relied on the local's expertise. When I told her I had called nearby Palau and received a 10 day forecast (accurately predicted as rainy and windy due to a typhoon in the region) she did not express any interest in hearing the forecast.
So Mynami runs an operation where she claims she only obtains weather forecasts from the locals, has a 24 hour dive cancellation policy, lies about the reason the permit was only for 9 days (and causes the Palau Tourist Office to investigate this false claim), wouldn't pick me up at my lodgings, and charges $10 for a rice lunch because she didn't realize my permit had expired until after she had made lunch..
Does this sound like someone you want to deal with?
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Date of stay: February 2015Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed 5 nights in Dolphin Bay Resort. Overall, we were a bit disappointed with our experience. We went there because we were looking for great diving and bungalows on the beach. We were also appealed by discovery of Peleliu by bike. Unfortunately we found that diving with Dolphin Bay crew was not as great - due to lack of interest of the Japanese diving master - and we realized on the first day, that the sea next to the bungalows is certainly pretty but we could not swim there.
On the Positive Side: - The 7 bungalows are really well maintained and clean. We found a really well arranged garden, and pretty bungalows, all in wood with great views on the sea. The owners are doing an exceptional job at keeping the place implacable, as the climate and the sea must be rough on the structure. The bathrooms were a little small with very tiny water flow due to the island access to water, but the rooms were airy and large. - We truly enjoyed our bicycle rides in the island. A word of advice: Be armed with a good map before going outside, as it is extremely easy to get lost on the jungle paths. And don’t be like us, make sure to get back before dusk as the night falls very fast and when it is dark in the jungle, it is really dark!. With this in mind, the rides are exceptional, really enjoyable for us, to discover the jungle, the battlefields of Peleliu. - On the bright side, the diving material is well maintained and there are two boats. Other diving centers in Peleliu are not better off, with only one boat (therefore putting beginners and advanced together) and equipment that seemed less well maintained.
On the Negative Side: - Our biggest disappointment was with the diving. The sites are great but the crew seemed so unhappy. The Diving master brought us to famous spots but did not really care to show what he knew. He seemed so bored. What a pity! He has been doing this job in Peleliu for 4 or 5 years and obviously had more than enough. Whereas on the boat or during the dives themselves, he did not pointed out to anything else to the obvious sharks and turtles. The good news is that he will be replaced in Summer 2009. The dive sites are mostly the same than the one we had dived the week before, leaving from Koror. This was our second week in Palau and we had dived earlier at the same spots, but accessing them from Koror. And since we had been diving to the same spots with another dive master from Koror, we could really feel the difference! When the dive master from Koror we pointed out to hundreds of things under the water in one site, the Dive Master from Dolphin Bay was just passing by without noticing them. - No swimming!! One of the reasons we booked Dolphin Bay was to be able to jump in the water from the bungalows, but we discovered that this is not possible. We could not swim from the beach in front of the bungalows. It is too shallow, even at high tide. It is mostly a sea lagoon full of sea plants. It is also too shallow for the boats . We were also surprised that the diving boats (2) are also leaving from the South Dock, about 10 minutes rides from Dolphin Bay. And the boat that brought us from Koror, birth at the North Dock. - Finally the last disappointment was with the overall spirit of the place. Be prepared that there is no life or entertainment or even games. It is such a pretty place, that you would expect a smiling and relax team. On the contrary it was the exact same tired music every night in the restaurant, the food was efficient but not exotic or tasty, the owners or the staff never mixed up with the guests for a drink, or a game. It is not because the owners don’t treat their staff properly, because we were told many times, how much they were “good bosses”, but somehow, everyone seemed so absorbed in its own task that there was no time or appetite for bringing this place to life.
Overall, and although we recognized the fantastic effort of the owner to build and manage this place, we would not recommend it to our friends. We were looking for good diving and warm place, and instead found an efficient yet lifeless management and dives that are way more entertaining from Koror.
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Date of stay: December 2008
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This resort is well kept, clean, organized and beautifully located. The food is good and the staff very friendly. The owners Mayumi and Godwin are wonderful hosts and really try to provide an excellent experience for their guests. A couple of our group have been diving all over the world for many years and one of our group is a highly experienced and respected dive instructor. One of our party had been to Dolphin Bay Resort before and raved about the diving and the dive guides. This time, diving was great, and the boat captain selected excellent spots. Unfortunately our vacation was almost ruined by the rudest dive guide any of us have ever met. We had to ask the owners to take Mitch (problem dive guide) off our dives. They understood, removed him from our dives, and after that we had great dives and a wonderful time with their other dive guide, Isaac, who was excellent - vacation saved. If you want to dive Peleiu, this is a great resort, but I suggest you wait until he leaves or is fired. When Mitch is gone this will be a great dive resort again!
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Date of stay: April 2014
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A group of us stayed here for a week of diving. Despite dismal weather, we had a great time. The villas are rustic,humble, comfortable and facing the sea. Do not stay here if you require 1000tc linens or turndown service. Well-maintained grounds and very pleasant staff that treated us Ike family. There are kayaks and bikes to use, great way to explore the island and some of the WWII sites. Diving operation was top-notch; our guides worked with the less experienced divers and made safety a priority- we were lucky to have both Masako and Isaac. Being this close to the primo sites is fantastic- it's worth it to be in the water first at German Channel and Blue Corner.
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Date of stay: February 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I tried to stay here. We emailed them several times 1-2 months before our trip. After confirming our booking 1 week before they replied to us and said there weren't enough rooms, that there was a mistake. So still we arrived to Peleliu, staying in another small hotel. Since there's not much information about diving in Peleliu we decided to dive with them. I was very disappointed, they were very rude as they didn't want to offer the service to us. They refused in a very Japanese way (by not giving a clear answer of why we couldn't dive with them). Even if we explained we tried to stay with them but they made a mistake and were full. The owner is a Japanese lady, that has no hospitality skills. they only want to cater their guests and prefer to loose business. We tried to eat at their facilities, this wasn't possible. Gardens seem nice, but it's amazing there is no swimming pool. In Peleliu it's Impossible to swim from the shore. Even if you want to walk 300 meters you might change your mind when you find that there are some bugs in the water that will bite you. I do think to invest in a saltwater swimming pool should be done.
So overall we were very disappointed with the service from this place. We decided then to charter a boat to go back to koror from this people, this was also a hassle for them,they didn't want to offer the service and also refused to advice us on who could charter this for us. They just said that we should ask around to malm divers and see if they could arrange for us. It seems this lady doesn't have good relationship with the people in the island and she has had some big issues getting along with them, as everyone we mentioned our situation with dolphin divers weren't surprised. I think this lady is missing a lot of opportunities for business in an island where there's very little infrastructure for tourism. They could even offer tours in the island for non guests, we didn't bother in asking.Overall I wouldn't recommend to stay at dolphin bay, other customers didn't have very good opinion about the service either.
It was quite hard for us to leave the island,but at the end people from storyboard where able to arrange a small local boat to take us to koror,they were super nice and helpful.
As for Peleliu is definitely worth a visit. Rent a bike and check out the WWII sites. The island itself is beautiful, it is still very undeveloped and wild. After the typhoon the island is still with a lot of trees and there is some damage, specially in the south part, where the honeymoon beach is quite devastated. The road to the swimming hole is blocked until feb 2013, so you can't go there either. Big downside is you can't swim anywhere. Bring deet repellent if you can. Wear long pants at night,Mosquitos are ferocious.
unfortunately Malm divers aren't very organized either. They just need to be more professional about the services. We did dive with them twice, their equipment in Peleliu is ok for bcd's and octopus, i think wetsuits were also ok, they have a lack of fins. They have now a dive master that has experience, but needs to be more careful with details and look more concerned about guests. They have a Japanese second dive master that will be a backup for safety. This was an improvement from other comments I read about malm. I think overall they aren't as bad as they say but for sure they aren't at the level of fish and fins for example, and their prices are just a few usd cheaper. The reason I didn't really like to dive with them is because they don't have a boat in Peleliu, the boat they use it comes all the way from koror and sometimes will or will not stay in the island for the next day use. So even if Peleliu is closer to the dive sites you can't go early because you have to wait for the boat to arrive from koror, no point to stay in peleliu if you can't dive earlier. I suggest to stick to one operator and do all your dives with them. Palau is a busy diving place and unfortunately they keep going to the same popular spots, so if you stay with the same operator you have more chances of going to different locations.
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Date of stay: February 2013Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dolphin Bay Resort and Peleliu Divers is the perfect place on earth to enjoy world-class diving, the cutest cottages I've ever stayed in, the greatest staff, yummy foods, and just overall terrific in every way.
Owners Godwin and Mayumi are happy and friendly and work hard to make your visit everything you dream of. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The English-speaking Japanese dive guides Masa and Naomi are superb.
I have only great things to say about this wonderful little resort.
Email them and book direct. They will help you make all the arrangements to stay there.
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Date of stay: September 2008
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Business service (e.g., internet access)
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have just come back from Palau and we stayed the first half of our vacation in Pelelieu. We are both divers and the proximity to the best dive sites in Palau made us choose Dolphin Bay Resort. Sadly the weather was not cooperative (too much wind) but even so we had a superb time diving with Pelelieu Divers. We have already been diving in several parts of this globe and by far MITCH HAS BEEN OUR BEST DIVE GUIDE EVER (my husband CMAS *** with over 1000 dives) and now is now also a great friend!! We were the only divers at the time and both Mitch and the skipper tried everything (within safety boundaries) to take us to the 'outside' dive sites. We managed also to be the first and only divers at the German Channel (after you have been there you will understand how difficult this is) and on top with great visibility. The manta gave us her "private dance" for almost half hour with at least five grey reef sharks and black tips in the background.
We also took a land-tour with Mitch and learned and saw plenty about the sad past of the island. During our stay we had the honor to meet the son of one American Marine of the 1st Division (who fought in the Pelelieu battle in WWII). The owners Mayumi and Gadwin are excellent hosts!!
Heaps of fun!!! We recommend this to all passionate divers who want to be away from the crowds and have tailored made diving!! Especially diving with Mitch!! It is a pleasure to dive with someone who loves what he does! We absolutely loved the time we spent there and will be back soon!
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Date of stay: September 2014Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, sometimes it takes sometime for them to answer. For example if Mayumi (the owner) is in Japan, some of her email accounts do not work. And the reception is not occupied 24h as you could imagine in a small hotel in a remote island... I have contacted Mayumi via the email which ends with jp (for some reason/ guidelines from tripadvisor I cannot write the email address here...)
There are more places to choose from in the Koror area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
dolphin bay resort & peleliu divers hotel koror, dolphin bay resort and peleliu divers
LOCATION
PalauKoror IslandKoror
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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