Yap Diving

Guam Date-Time:
 

 

YAP ISLAND, MICRONESIA

Yap is a great stop-over on your way to Palau and SHOULD be considered as a single destination, but unfortunately most people don't.  Yap is most famous for it's incredible Manta Rays which are a great attraction and are normally seen (up close and personal) on almost every dive to the "Manta" channels. But Yap also offers a wide diversity of marine life from very big animals donw to tiny mandarinfish, teeming reefs, and a very special culture.

Jump on a plane and take a short 1 1/2 hour ride and you will land in paradise. Yap is a small remote island, that is the perfect place to unplug and get rest, swim, scuba dive and enjoy island cultural. This is a great place for family vacations. Enjoy hiking, kayaking and cultural tours. You can even rent a car for the day and tool around this tropical environment. Be sure to ask us about the Non Diver prices, along with Kids Prices!

Flights depart Guam on: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening.
Return to Guam on: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday early morning.

Got a question? Check out the Travel fAQ section to get answers to a lot of your questions.

 

The Manta Ray Bay Hotel is a great divers hotel, and the diving facility located there is Yap Divers. Both are located right at the water's edge making it ridiculously easy to get your stored gear and get on the boat.

They also offer village and island tours. By far the most unique attraction at Mana Ray Bay is a HUGE Indonesian schooner right in front of the hotel.   Sailed to Yap in September, 2001, the Mnuw has been converted into one of the most unique restaurants and truly nautical bars you'll find anywhere. Your evenings can be spent relaxing on the deck, visiting with the other guests and enjoying a sumptuous dinner prepared by 5 star chefs or just sipping one of their very special island drinks.

See Yap "instant load" high quality videos from our Diver Below television series.

 

 

   Go here for Package Prices

 

Pathways Hotel Cottages
Family owned and operated eco hotel, with 9 individual cottages situated on a hillside in a tropical garden setting overlooking Chamorro bay below. This hotel offers to the eco adventure travellers the experience of enjoying Yap the island way. With a wonderful restaurant that serves three meals a day, with our most popular dish called " island dinner ". The cottages are built after the traditional design of a Yapese home. We have incorporated modern amenities such as A/C, hot water, refrigerator, ceiling fan, and a private verandah overlooking Chamorro bay.  They are small, flexible and happy to cater to your pallet.

 

TIPS ON YAP

-FSM (Truk, Yap, Pohnpei, Kosrae) passports must be valid for 180 (6 months) days beyond period of intended stay.  Currently there is NO departure tax or dive permit requirted.

 

From our Guam Divers Forum

1. Take extra cash with you or plan on getting a cash advance from the Hotel's front desk (expect a 5% surcharge). There are no ATM's on Yap, and not many places accept checks or credit cards.

2. Get out and explore. If your dive days are like ours were, you'll head out on the boat and 8AM and be back to the hotel by 1:30. Unless you book afternoon dives, you'll have plenty of down time.

3. We rented a car (for $55 cash) from Pacific Bus Company. The car was great! We followed the map that the front desk provided and went ALL over the island. Be sure to get off the paved roads. Much like Guam is built around the local village church, Yap villages seem to be built around their stone money banks and long houses (men's house). Each long house is unique and the money banks are everywhere. The roads and foot pathes are beautiful and well maintained. Take water with you. Each village seems to have a snack and what-not-shop, but the pickings are slim. There are VERY few public toilets, so be prepared for that too.

4. There is an art gallery out the front door, to the left of the hotel and across the street. Great things there in a variety of price ranges to help you remember your trip.

5. Right next door to the gallery, check out O'Keefe's Bar and Grill or the Oasis resturant. Great food and service, and $5 lunch specials that are huge.

6. Batteries are expensive and not reliable there.  Bring your own.

7. There is no reliable cable tv there.  There is a tv in the rooms. You can rent DVD's at the hotel, but the current selection is very small. Plan on taking your own, or a good book, deck of cards, musical instrument, etc.

8. If the weather is rainy, expect the Cultural tour to be cancelled. (All the more reason to rent the car like I mentioned above.)

9. If there is bad weather in the area expect that your manta sightings might be affected.

10. Our dives were great, as were our boat captain and dive guide. Bring your own snacks unless you're satisfied with sweet bread, water and hot tea during your surface interval.

---When going on a dive trip take a rain jacket!! The boats on the other islands are not like the MDA Boats. So bringing along a rain jacket and dry bag will help.

==Also take a fold up umbrella. At some of the resorts you walk between the buildings and a umbrella is sometimes a nice thing to have.

==Bring your beach towel, sunscreen and a hat. If you are a burner, pack the ALOE!

==Yap was a perfect "get away from it all" diving vacation destination. Go and have a blast!!!