Good dives, bad services, terrible food in Peleliu Storyboard Beach Resort.

Good dive, bad services, terrible food in Peleliu Storyboard Beach Resort. We were trapped there for four days and it's truly an expensive trip from hell. We wished that we had taken any of the Live Aboards that we saw every day around Peleliu.

We just spent four days in Peleliu Storyboard Beach Resort, Palau, Micronesia. The dives in Peleliu were incredible. Within only one minute boat ride from the Island of Peleliu, we reached world class dive sites, with which anywhere else could rarely compare. We saw schools of sharks, sea turtles, coral fans, sea snakes, all types of fish, rays, etc…. Now and in the future, when we see any diving pictures of Peleliu or Palau, we can proudly say that we have been there!!

However, we would like to suggest you to make more research and comparison when you make your dive plan in Peleliu, Palau. We stayed in Peleliu Storyboard Beach Resort, which manipulates the dive operation in that little island, where there are many world class dive sites within very short boat riding distance. The Resort is a family operated business. Husband is in charge of diving and wife is in charge of Storyboard. The husband is a local guy and is a cool, easy going and low key person. Under his guidance, we had wonderful dives, incredible!!!

However, the cottage is small and sloppy. The mat at the bathroom door was soaked with shower water four days never changed. There was a layer of black mold around the bottom of the shower booth becoming thinker, darker, and climbing to higher level each day. There was an electric mosquito ceil in the room driving away mosquitoes while also driving human brain nerve to the jumping edge. There is no TV, no air conditioning, no telephone, and no internet access in the room or around the “Resort”.

We had no choice of food. Every morning, ants were already crawling in the plates before our arrival. Every lunch was a sandwich or an Asian box. The Asian box was three dices of Tuna fish sautéed with four pieces of green beans on top of rice. At dinner, we did not have enough food and asked the guy who was waiting on us that if more food was coming, but he sounded either that he spoke no English or could not understand what we wanted. The charges was $60.00 per person for the room including the three meals and each room takes two people. It means that husband and wife have to pay $120.00 for the room and meals per day---almost five star hotel charge.

Dive is additional. It coasts $90.00 for two dives and $135.00 for three, night dive is $65.00. Dive couples pay $300.00 per a two-dive day for both room and dive. Diving gears are totally additional.

No one ever asked us if the room and food was okay and if we needed anything. We are lucky that there is a mini-store within walking distance, even though we had to fight street dogs while walking there. We bought cans and ice creams to feed ourselves; otherwise, we would be too hungry. On the last day of our stay, when we asked the boss to check us out, the first thing she did was walking to the kitchen to talk with the cook if we ordered lunch for that day or not. Ordered? charge! Borrowed a little rope? Charge!

Also, there is no orientation or information to cautious people for the island, nor medical treatment in the “Resort”. A neat and nice old lady from Santa Barbara, California, spending relaxation in Peleliu before traveling to Thailand and Australia, encountered with fire coral while stepping in the water somewhere in Peleliu. She got major serious skin rush and soybean size blisters all over her body. She was in extreme suffer and had to end her trip immediately to get medical treatment.

We would strongly recommend divers to take other way to dive in Peleliu of Palau; such as live aboard or where that competition enforces dive operators to improve their services.

Sorry to hear of your experience!

Re the $120 accommodation per couple including food - many of the "resorts" I'm currently looking at in Fiji for an upcoming trip charge around $150 just for food for two adults per day! I sincerely doubt that there would be ants though. This low price should have been an indication as to the quality of the establishment. Even 4 stars in this part of the world is easily upwards of $400-500 USD per night just for accommodation - there are some bargains to be had. Look at Turtle Island in Fiji is you want to see true 5 star prices - $1600 USD per night.

Palua would probably not differ by any fantastic amount - they are reasonably similar destinations not too geographically diverse.

The diving prices sounds about right. At least that part of the vacation was good!

Hi Jennefer,

I am so sorry that your trip was so frustrating & disappointing!!!

I can totally relate. I once spent months doing non-stop planning for wonderful dive trip all the way around the world. I thought that I did my due diligence, doing as much research as possible. I was so looking forward to everything.... Only to end up, for part of it, stuck on a remote island, at one point in a yelling match with the owner. We came to an understanding, and I tried to make the most of my time there. It just wasn't as I expected.... Needless to say, I left as soon as was possible.... Overall, I appreciated my experiences on the trip. It's maddening to spend a lot of time planning and a lot of your hard earned money, hoping for that once-a-year paradise, only to be stressed and feel like you're being ripped off.... It's not how a vacation should be!

I'm glad that at least the dives were incredible!!! Hopefully, after some time has passed, you can look back and think that, overall, it was worth the effort.

Thanks for sharing!!! I hope your next trip goes much better!!!

Sorry to hear about your trip. These type places need to fix some of those problems and give a better description so your expectations are accurate - or they will rightfully lose business.

You should note though that they charge those prices because they can - not because they plan on giving you your money's worth. That's one of life's nasty little lessons. The resort you mentioned however, and many others like it, have no excuse for not giving you an accurate picture of what to expect. As I have been to some of them, I was surprised you expected, television, telephones, A/C and internet in the room. Many of these places barely have electric lights! But they should tell you that ahead of time.

As for the food and service, I can't really dream of an excuse they could throw out. That's just awful and your spreading the word about them is helpful to many people. Thanks.

p.s. to Scoobaroo - you hang out in some swanky digs, dude. At least the MV Grace is still nice but more reasonably priced.

Zippsy:

p.s. to Scoobaroo - you hang out in some swanky digs, dude. At least the MV Grace is still nice but more reasonably priced.

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Well it IS a honeymoon we're planning!

Aint micronesia a great place.

During my trip to Truk we returned from the days dives to find a dead dog floating next to the jetty, where we would also enjoy a few post dive beers. We let the manager know about this however four days later it was still floating there.

It is defintely worth paying a few dollars more in that part of the world and although i dived there land based would certainly opt for a LOB next time.

I actually booked my palau trip through PADI travel (although it was a few years ago) and got a good deal on dives through Sams and accomodation at the outrigger much cheaper than it would have cost to organise separately

Glad to hear the diving is great. You should have been prepared for what awaited you in Peleliu. This is not meant to be the thached hut buildings you see on the lagoon in Bora Bora. Even though Palau is out there, they are tied to the US Dollar. You cannot walk into the Palau Pacific Resort (the only real resort in Palau) for less than $250 a night. The restuarant and bar there also sport NYC type prices. $120 a night per couple, including food, was a damn good deal.

I think I would describe the meals at Storyboard as 'homesytle'. There is little if any local produce on the island so everything is brought in via speedboat from Koror. You can get nourishment and a flavor of the local cooking, but you will not be eating lobster tail and beef wellington every nite (or ever).

If you are a hardcore diver, this is the place to be. If traveling half way around the world to vacation in 'quaint' style is not your speed, look to the mainland or liveaboards.

Hi, Kevink:

Please carefully read the following:

In addition to the information I provided in my initial message, there were more disgusting details. There was no pillow case, and the pillow was too smelly and too dusty to lay any human-being's head on. I had to use my shirt or pants to cover it. The mat in the bathroom soaked with shower water and shower soap, four days never changed. Each time when stepping on it, it made guzee-guzee noise and the dirty water came to my feet. I had to use one more shirt to clean my feet before going to the bed. The molt in the shower bath never be wiped and kept growing. Ants were crawling in the plates together with food at the breakfast and dinner. My question is: is there any reason or any excuse can be given to dirtiness, filthy, irresponsible, laziness, and lacking of basic human dignity?

The lunch everyday was the same: either a sandwich or an Asian box. The Asian box was three dices tuna fish, (maybe Tuna fish is the easiest and cheapest to get in that Island), sautéed with four pieces of green beans. The third day when eating the same thing, I felt that I wanted to throw out; but unfortunately, the fourth day was the same---that really drove me away.

However, the reason why that I had booked the trip was because I had read the Peleliu Storyboard Beach Resort’s advertisement on the internet enticing me that its food was very good and it would “cook to your order.” In addition, when I communicated with the business owner, the information I received was that, “Everybody is happy.” And the name, "Beach Resort" sounded enticing. However, the advertisement, the article, and messages about the storyboard turned out to be all lies. The so called resort was just a resort of old magazines and books in front of the dive shop. I had been unfortunately misled.

Now, it added up a “family style.” If it’s a family style, where was the owner? Why she never showed up to take a look at any of our breakfast, lunch and dinner in the small dinning room, which is in the same small compound in the so called Resort? Where was the family, if it’s the family style? Where was the basic eatable food? Please do not twist my words that I would want lobster. I paid the money just wanted to be a human being receiving a basic respect to my human dignity that every diver possesses and have good dives in Peleliu. Adding up lies and twisting my words could make their image much worse, because it could become evidence that they are still making up stories.

Living expenses in Peleliu and Palau is low. There is no mortgage, because the government just gives it to its citizens. No or very low tax. Very low gas expenses because diving sites are within very short boat riding distance. The food would have to purchase from Koror or somewhere else, and it’s understandable that it would need to reasonably charge higher but not ridiculous. Therefore, in addition to the owner’s greediness, there is no substantial facts to excuse the ridiculously high price. If there were such a good diving place like Peleliu nearby where most divers live, there would be good reasons and chances to charge a high price. However, after people spending a lot of money to fly over there, the charge should not be as high as it in New York or Europe.

Most divers are middle and working class people. They thoroughly planned the trip for a long time and saved hard working money and leave time for the once a year event. No could afford to spoiling the vacation and no one would give forgiveness to business operators, especially to someone who occupy or manipulate best tour centers or diving locations, for their taking business as granted and lacking respect to their customers. No one would give forgiveness to them for their consideration only for their greediness of money but no consideration for customers who are their god and blessed them.

Even though there is no competitions for those owners or business operators at their locations, the internet is out there around the world and the truth will always be known. Hopefully, the messages and opinions from me, Zippsy, Pisces, Albion, and many more out there can be a kick on their thigh to have them improve their business and have respect to their customers---their god.

Yeah, does sound pretty crap now. Hopefully you'll help other divers avoid this place. People underestimate the power of the internet in spreading bad reputation.

First of all,I've been to the Storyboard before (2 years ago) and did not have your experience. I am sympathetic to anyone who has a bad vacation. However, your comparisons to US standards is be unfair and out of context. You are going to a lesser developed country and cannot possibly expect the same standards as home $ for $. Any dive center in Koror charges $95 or more for just 2 dives a day. You'd be hardpressed to find a decent motel/hotel for under $40 around Koror. Then there's the food. Eating out is at least $10 per meal.
You say there is little or no overhead involved? Fuel costs are high in Micronesia because it is shipped by tanker( not pipelined in) as is everything from produce to supplies. Only fish is locally caught. Then consider the costs of bringing fresh supplies into Peleliu daily or weekly. Generator costs, tanks, compressors and maintenance of boats. All these costs are MUCH higher than in the US where channels are open and big supply is available. A machine part you can buy in a hardware store for $0.50 is probably $2 in Palau after importing. In hawaii, most everything is more expensive because it is mostly imported. And that is with the regular shipping and flights from the continent. Palau has how many flights coming in weekly?
And the most important thing is that you are paying a premium to dive in premium spots in the world. That's the way of the market. Storyboard is one of the few local owned dive ops in Palau. Others are run by foreigners who come in to cash in. So yes they charge a lot and give little back except for the diving. And there is profiteering by these foreigners.
Palau has nothing but the tourism and foreign aid to support themselves. So to build the infrastructure to support the tourism industry costs a premium and it trickles down. I won't even get into indigenous culture.
I am not writing this to defend the Storyboard people. If what you say happened then they need to do something or lose customers who expect a certain level at price paid. That said, I think perspective is tantamount to planning a good vacation. If you had researched properly then you'd know bang for buck vacations are not found in Micronesia. Flights are expensive going there, as is accomodation etc. You decided to stay on even though you were unhappy. Why did you not ask for a refund and leave the island and complain to the tourist board there? Because the diving was that good!