mjarens
Contributor
I'm off next week for Palau, and two weeks back-to-back diving on the Palau Aggressor. Any ideas for sightseeing on my free day in Koror?
mjarens
mjarens
Sightseeing Ideas for Palau???
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Damselfish
Contributor
kayaking, try Sam's tours.
Considerably more somber, but perhaps a more unique and thought provoking alternative.
Go to Pelelieu. We dove the invasion beach, then took a 4 hour land tour as a surface interval, then did the second dive on the invasion beach.
It was an eerie experience (this was in 1983). The howitzers were still in their dug in positions on Bloody Nose Ridge. Their ammunition was stacked in pallets behind them. Trees grew up through the wreckage of tanks in fields. Where fields had been cleared for agriculture, rifle barrels stuck up through the weeds. helmets could be seen rusting through small bushes.
It looked as if the combatants had suddenly stopped fighting and walked away, leaving all the detritus of war scattered hither and yon. In a clearing in the jungle was a black rock oblisk, erected to the sacred memory of thousands of combatants who fell during the invasion of Pelelieu.
I still have the photos, but the photos do not convey the utterly eerie sense of stillness over those parts of Pelelieu. If you are looking for a truly unique option for a day trip, (and I've not been back since 1983, so cannot speak to changes in the environment since then) yet I suspect that a day tour of Pelelieu would offer you a large number of things to think about.
http://www.militaryunits.com/pelelieu.htm
Regards,
Doc
Go to Pelelieu. We dove the invasion beach, then took a 4 hour land tour as a surface interval, then did the second dive on the invasion beach.
It was an eerie experience (this was in 1983). The howitzers were still in their dug in positions on Bloody Nose Ridge. Their ammunition was stacked in pallets behind them. Trees grew up through the wreckage of tanks in fields. Where fields had been cleared for agriculture, rifle barrels stuck up through the weeds. helmets could be seen rusting through small bushes.
It looked as if the combatants had suddenly stopped fighting and walked away, leaving all the detritus of war scattered hither and yon. In a clearing in the jungle was a black rock oblisk, erected to the sacred memory of thousands of combatants who fell during the invasion of Pelelieu.
I still have the photos, but the photos do not convey the utterly eerie sense of stillness over those parts of Pelelieu. If you are looking for a truly unique option for a day trip, (and I've not been back since 1983, so cannot speak to changes in the environment since then) yet I suspect that a day tour of Pelelieu would offer you a large number of things to think about.
http://www.militaryunits.com/pelelieu.htm
Regards,
Doc
Shasta_man
Contributor
Fully agreed with Doc. I just stood on the beach thinking of the battle, thinking of the guys who made it possible for me to live life how I please. They have a very good little museum with objects from the area, housed in a former block house riddled with 16 inch gun battleship shell impacts.
I would expect you get the chance for a day trip on the Aggressor as we did on the BBE. More time could easily be spent by a student of history.
I'll mention it's hotter than Hades there.
I would expect you get the chance for a day trip on the Aggressor as we did on the BBE. More time could easily be spent by a student of history.
I'll mention it's hotter than Hades there.
Shasta_man
Contributor
And let me know if you need anyone to carry your luggage.... Palau diving is awesome. ;-)
OP
mjarens
Contributor
My thanks to each of you for your ideas and reminiscing of your past adventures. As I'm not sure where Pelelieu is, I will enquire in town when I am in Koror before boarding for my first week on the Aggressor. I will have one free day ashore, Sunday, between the two weeks of liveaboard diving.
Also, kayaking is a new sport I have taken up this year. So I will check out Sam's for kayak tours available that day. I have been averageing about 5 miles in a 1 1/2 hour kayaking trip on a lake a several days a week this summer. This would be a fun adventure for me in Palau.
Thank you for your interest.
Regards,
Marta
Also, kayaking is a new sport I have taken up this year. So I will check out Sam's for kayak tours available that day. I have been averageing about 5 miles in a 1 1/2 hour kayaking trip on a lake a several days a week this summer. This would be a fun adventure for me in Palau.
Thank you for your interest.
Regards,
Marta
robint
Contributor
Have a great time in Palau and bring back lots of pics and a trip report to post here!! We are headed there in Dec on the Big Blue Explorer, woo hoo!
Pelilu Island is a great tour of WWII wrecks, the kayak tour around Koror will also have a number of WWII artifacts to see. Another option is to see where the stone money of YAP was mined. They even have a 8' diameter stone money piece that never made the trip. You could do a tour of northern Palau but the other ideas above sound better.
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