Palau is filled with memories of the past, epic battles of World War II and memories to be made of outdoor adventures and peaceful pastimes. Dive and drive historic sites, kayak in paradise and explore fascinating coral reefs.
WORLD WAR II HISTORY TOUR
While it may seem like a bit of a disconnect, Palau's World War II/Peleliu Excursion is also an integral part of Palau's truly unique history, rounding out the varied interests and attractions found within the destination's natural "habitats."
Peleliu Island was the scene of one of the Pacific's bloodiest battles when U.S. Marines made an amphibious assault on the beaches of Peleliu 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. Remnants of Japanese headquarters buildings, incredible cave systems, gun emplacements, tanks, planes and weapons can still be seen today.
Sam's Tours works closely with Peleliu Adventures, a small locally-owned tour company based in Peleliu that offers professionally guided tours to battles sites, tanks, shrines, historical monuments and the Peleliu WWII Museum. For more information, contact Sam's Tours at (680) 488-1062 or reservations@samstours.com or Fish 'n Fins at (680) 488-2637 or info@fishnfins.com..
KAYAKING IN PALAU
Palau's uplifted limestone islands are studded with marine caves, natural archways, tropical beaches, emerald bays, and even siphon tunnels leading into inner lagoon wonderlands. There's no better way to explore this labyrinth of limestone than with the eco-friendly kayak. Freed from the noise of outboard motors, the kayaks let us explore this Micronesian maze at leisure. Guided by professional local naturalists, the subtle beauty of the multi-colored reefs, tropical flowers, and endemic birds comes to life.
Among the myriad of hidden treasures are the world famous marine lakes and lagoons. Accessible only via kayak at precise tides, we weave through crystal clear mangrove forests into isolated wonderlands. These natural marine preserves are filled with nesting sea birds, fragile corals, and enormous clams which can be hundreds of years old. The ultimate high for paddlers is however slipping through the siphon tunnels and spilling into the calm water oasis within. Protected from winds, waves, surf, surge, and current, these protected habitats are home to reef fish nurseries, shark & stingray pupping grounds, and perhaps most impressively, giant baskets of multi-colored coral. Marine Biologist Ron Leidich says that "each isolated lake is like an evolutionary laboratory. Much like the individual islands of the Galapagos, the creatures found within the confines of the lake are unique to each individual habitat." Nowhere else on earth do you find so many species in such unique assemblages in such a protected environment.
Many visitors to Palau choose to enjoy a kayak day tour as a grand finale to their diving experience. Several dive shops offer guided day tours. For guests interested in more intimate experiences, only Sam's Tours / Planet Blue Sea Kayak Tours offers custom guided kayaking and camping safaris. Varying in length from 2 to 10 days, each trip is designed to cater to the guests' abilities, interests, and experience levels. They're even offering luxury kayak and camping safaris, where a hand-picked crew sets up a safari-style camp with walk in tents with beds, dining tent complete with linen and china, and even hot showers and a gourmet chef.
For more information, contact Sam's Tours at (680) 488-1062 or reservations@samstours.com

OLD GROWTH CORALS OF PALAU
Anyone's who's ever wondered through an old growth forest of Douglas Fir or California Redwood can immediately appreciate the ancient beauty of ancient timber. Palau, interestingly enough offers snorkelers the same feeling of timeless scenery in the form of our old growth forests. While many species of sun loving corals grow with amazing speed, those corals found within the shade of overhanging limestone islands are limited to imperceptible growth. The vertical walls of Palau's rock islands serve as cathedral like walls, protecting ancient corals from seasonal winds, waves, and even typhoons. As a result, the corals within the rock islands are often hundreds and even thousands of years old! Without any physical disturbance to limit their growth, the rock island corals can form massive boulders, delicate branches, or even absurdly giant baskets. These protected habitats are akin to the "high rent district" of a bustling city. In this case, multi-colored corals are literally climbing over one another competing for every inch of available real-estate.
While the divers flock to the vertical walls of the outer reef, the snorkelers have discovered the profusion of life around the patch reef habitats. These current swept environments are bathed in nutrient rich waters and tropical sunshine. The combination of food sources creates an ideal habitat for giant table corals and multi-colored branching or stag-horn corals. Competing for sunlight, these corals create mutli-level tiers, in order to block their neighbors light! Living within this coral city are an uncountable number of reef fish swimming the protected maze of their coral home.
These coral habitats can be enjoyed on both speed boat and kayak/snorkel excursions. Contact the following for more information: Sam's Tours at (680) 488-1062 or reservations@samstours.com.