Peleliu
Palau · 15 m
Description
Peleliu was supposed to take four days. It took over two months, cost more than two thousand American and ten thousand Japanese lives, and it is still argued about, because the airfield the whole thing was fought for turned out not to matter. The Japanese had dug into the coral ridges of the Umurbrogol rather than defend the beaches, and those caves and bunkers are still there, as is the airstrip, as are tanks and guns left where they stopped. Wrecks from the battle lie in the shallows offshore. Five hundred people live on the island now, along one road, and a boat service from Koror runs twice a week.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: December – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Bloody Nose Ridge in the Umurbrogol
- Japanese caves and bunkers dug into the coral rock
- The wartime airstrip, still the longest runway in Palau
- Tanks and guns left where they stopped
- Orange Beach where the marines landed
- The Japanese seaplane Jake in the shallows
- Peleliu Wall and the outer reef drop-off
- Memorials on the ridge and along the airstrip
- The twice weekly boat from Koror
- Coral gardens along the southern reef
- Quiet villages away from the battlefield
- An island of five hundred people and one road
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- ROR
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry