The review above, Palau 07, is a great review and I couldn't agree with him more. Instead of repeating what he wrote, I'll touch on or experiences with accomodations and operators.

We just returned from 8 days in Palau. We dove with Neco Marine and Sam's. Both first class dive operators. You can't go wrong with either.

We dove mostly with Neco as they offered us a great deal on the dives. Their lunches are excellent, choice between homemade sandwich lunch or a Bento box which is great. Neco's dive shop has a nice pool and showers and are very freindly.

We dove one day with Sam's and they have a great facility as well. Their digital photo shop is great for downloading your photos to disk or print them right there as well. They have many boats and can accomodate your needs. Sam's lunch was good but Necos' was better. Both dive operators will give you a ride to/from your hotel.

We stayed at the Penthouse, which is right in downtown Koror. Its a good location to walk to all your shopping needs. They are also a good value for the money. They too will pick you up at the airport. We were there to dive, not sit by the pool so we were more than pleased with it. If you are looking to lounge around the hotel, you may want to go with the PPR or Cliffside. They are the resort type hotels.

NO need for a car as there are many taxi's and it only $5 per ride. If you need a car, Budget and Toyota car rentals will drop the cars off at your hotel and pick them up there. Car rental is about $40/day.

When its time to eat, there are many great options. Sushi: Mito's is the best we found. ToToTo was good as well despite the funny name. Taj searves great Indian food. Don't miss Kramers. Great banana peal wrapped fish Rock Island cafe was our favorite breakfast stop. Many restaurants do serve Fruit Bat, its for the strong stomached. We couldn't eat the cute creatures.

As mentioned in the other review, the Peleliu land tour is well worth the price, about $150 per person. Its a 1hr boat ride from Sam's dock then a 2 to 3 hr land tour by one of the locals. It takes you through the military history of the island. You will see many wrecked tanks, planes and artifacts left from the war. Bradford gives a great tour. A better idea is to stay on Peleliu and dive a few days as it is really close to the outer reef, blue corner, blue hole etc.

Another great way to take a day off is to rent a car and drive up north. The new road is in and it is an easy drive. North Beach Cottages is the only restaurant but they have good food. They have 4 cottages on the water. A great place to stay for some relaxation from the main island. We didn't stay there but they showed us around.

We rented a kayak after lunch for $10. Be sure to visit the stone monoliths if you make it that far north. The jungle boat tour was interesting but only about 50 minutes. We saw one crocidile. Its kind of pricey, $45/person, for a boat ride through the jungle. The boat guide and captain are very friendly but I don't think I'd do it again. If you have a free day it might be worth while but don't go out of your way to do it. They do pick you up at the hotel so you won't need a car.

I hope this helps you plan your trip. You're sure to have a great dive in Palau.