Dolphin Bay is a family-owned and run resort. It is beautifully kept and the service is attentive and friendly. If you are looking for a luxury resort with casino and nightlife, this is not the place to stay. Dolphin bay is a quiet and welcoming place for divers and those who go to Peleliu for the history. By nine at night everything is pretty much over for the day and the divers and explorers ready to sleep. The food is very good and served family style. There are only seven bungalows, all are one room plus bath with a porch looking out to the ocean which is only a few steps away. The sunsets are often magnificent. The rooms are modern, clean and comfortable, having been built only five or six years ago. To my mind, this is a bargain vacation place that is as near to perfection as anywhere I have been. If you have any sense of adventure, dive or care about WWII history, you will not find a better place than Peleliu or a nicer place to stay than Dolphin Bay. (Just don't tell too many others about it!)

I stayed at Dolphin Bay by recomendation of a friend and my purpose was for the most part historical, as well as just relaxing in the evening. Very few people have ever heard of this Island, let alone the intensity of the battle fought here. I rented a bike from the resort and with maps in hand, toured a large portion of the Island, but still much more I didn't see - this trip.

My stay was entirely too short and I hope to get back to DB and Peleliu again very soon! The staff was extremely attentive, very friendly, and went about their daily activities with a perpetual smile. The meals here are extremely well put together and the service was outstanding. The smoked fish on my last night there was the best I've ever had, anywhere in the world! Tip: Don't leave Palau without trying its Red Rooster beer brewed in Koror! Wish I could find it in the states!

The grounds are immaculate and a leaf barely hits the ground before someone is there raking it up. The cabins are very comfortable with AC units for those that need it. The locals are all very nice as are most in the Western Pacific.

A previous viewer complained of the lack of swimming availability near the resort, but this is a REEF Island, most of which have no deep water for swimming near the shore.

Mayumi and Godwin are the perfect hosts and were always available to answer the many questions I had. Although I don't dive yet, I can't imagine any place better given the closeness of WW II wrecks and the overall beauty of the surroundings.

If you get a chance to visit, first pick up a book on the Battle for Peleliu, which are few, but all very good. You'll have a whole new perspective when you stand on one of the invasion beaches and look out to sea and listen to the crash of the surf on the reef's edge hundreds of yards out. Step 10 meters inside the sweltering, humid jungle and try to imagine what it must have been like fighting a nearly invisible enemy there!

Don't worry about the land crabs - they'll get out of your way. Do be careful to wear good shoes and walk carefully on the razor sharp coral all over the island!

The scars of battle are everwhere here and you'll gather an entirely new perspective on the battles of the Pacific Theater. This is hallowed ground, every bit that of Gettysburg, Normandy, Flanders, Bastogne and the like.

As long as you dont go there expecting a resort and are going to dive you're in business. The bungalows are super charming and the grounds are immaculate. The food was adequate..the meals were included in our package. Be aware that there is no menu, the cook prepares the same thing for everyone, though it is served restaurant style to the individual tables. Wear long pants or bug spray on your ankles, the restaurant is practically right on the sand which is great for sunsets but obviously brings a few buggies too..

Peleliu has some interesting war memorabilia that can be seen by renting a bike.. This is kind of unbelievable that they charge for the bikes though.. The 2 dives I missed were because I fell when the rusted bike pedal fell off...I really hurt my head & neck and couldn't bare the idea of wearing a tank so i missed 2 dives ,I learned its not a good idea to prepay even if it saves a few $$, they were aware of why i didn't dive, their broken bike, but didn't offer anything in the way of ..not even a refund for the missed dives... but something.. how about NOT charging me for the bike!! lol

They have internet in the office but guests are not permitted to use it, there is a place about 3/4 mile down the road though that you can rent by the hour for I think $3.

Overall the place was very quaint and beautiful views...the boats were fine and the dive guides were good and got you where you asked to go.

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.