Yap

A Micronesian island that preserves traditional villages and giant stone money, where you can dive with manta rays at Mil Channel year-round.

Yap lies in the western Caroline Islands of the Western Pacific. It is one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, about 830 km from Guam and 450 km from Palau. Yap Proper consists of four closely spaced high islands, Yap, Gagil-Tomil, Maap and Rull, enclosed by a barrier reef. The capital, Colonia, has about 3,000 residents. Yap preserves Micronesian traditional culture better than most places. Villagers still wear grass skirts or traditional loincloths, villages are linked by ancient stone paths, and at dance grounds, giant stone money brought from Palau is on display.

The main areas are as follows. (1) Colonia: hotels, dive shops, the living history museum, and sunsets over Chamorro Bay. (2) At sea: Mil Channel in the north (December to April) and Goofnuw Channel on the east side (May to November) are where you can dive with manta rays. Outer reef dive sites offer sharks and coral walls. (3) Villages: the Gachpar stone money bank in Gagil, the Bechiyar Cultural Centre in Maap, the men's house in Kanifay, and ancient stone paths such as Okau. (4) Near the airport in the south, wrecks of Japanese aircraft from World War II.

The climate is tropical maritime, around 27–31°C all year. December to April is the dry season, with the best seas, and also the period when manta rays are most concentrated. July to November is rainy, with occasional typhoons. Every year on March 1, Yap Day features traditional island dance performances, the best time for cultural experiences.

Getting there: United Airlines flies via Guam several times a week to Yap (with connections via Palau). Flight schedules change often, so confirm in advance. There is no public transport on the island; you rely on hotel transfers, taxis or rental cars. Plan 4–6 days, or longer for divers. Village land is privately owned, so visits must be accompanied by a guide. Raise a green leaf to signal peaceful passage, women should wear knee-length skirts, and do not photograph villagers without permission.

Top sights

• Mi'l Channel (Manta Ridge) – Yap's most famous dive site, where, at high tide, schools of manta rays enter the channel and circle a coral cleaning station. Sightings ar…
• Gachpar Stone Money Bank – Rows of enormous standing stone money line the dance ground of this Gachpar village, with discs over two meters across. It is the classic i…
• Bechiyal Cultural Center – A traditional village on the seaside at the northern tip of Maap, with thatched men's houses, stone money and stone platform ruins; a place…
• Yap Living History Museum – An open-air folk museum in central Colonia, with rebuilt traditional meeting houses, men's houses and stone money displays; Yap Day dances…
• Colonia – The capital of Yap State, a small town around Chamorro Bay with hotels, dive shops, restaurants and government offices; the starting point…
• Okau Stone Path – Ancient stone-slab paths wind between villages, passing coconut groves and taro fields and connecting stone money, traditional meeting hous…
• WWII Japanese Aircraft Wrecks – Wrecks of aircraft, including Zero fighters, lie scattered in the jungle beside the old Japanese runway near the airport, traces left by th…
• Goofnuw Channel (Valley of the Rays) – A manta ray cleaning station on the east side of Yap; manta rays gather in the mornings from summer to autumn, and the huge lettuce coral M…
• Yap Outer Reef Dive Sites (Vertigo, Yap Caverns) – Cliff dive sites on the outer reef encircling the island. Vertigo is known for schools of gray reef sharks, and Yap Caverns has coral caves…
• Yorlap Men's House, Gal Village – A traditional men's house by the sea in Gal village, Kanifay municipality, with a high thatched roof and intact stone platforms; nearby are…

Where to eat

• Oceania Hotel Restaurant – An open-air restaurant overlooking Chamorro Bay, whose dinner menu changes daily with fresh local seafood and produce…
• Mnuw Sailing Restaurant – A restaurant and bar aboard a century-old Indonesian sailing ship moored in front of Manta Ray Bay Resort, serving loca…