Short Version:
Palau
Sea Passion Hotel—excellent food, comfortable accommodations
Sam's Tours—great operation and awesome dive guide
Diving—lots of fish diversity, many sharks, a couple mantas, some strong currents but not an issue if you dive with them, not against. Healthy reefs. Water temps around 82 degrees.
Yap
Manta Ray Bay Hotel—very uncomfortable bed, expensive, food options limited
Yap Divers—ok operation, did not like the lack of gear racks on boats
Diving—good, but we kept hitting the same sites over and over again. Reefs are in poor shape. Lots of sharks and saw several mantas. Water temps around 82 degrees.
Here's my video of the trip and how we prepared for it.
YouTube - ‪26Scuba's Channel‬‏
Long Version:
We flew to Palau/Yap from Baltimore, MD and divided our trip into a week at each location. We were part of a group of 16 divers.
Palau
We stayed at Sea Passion hotel and couldn't have been happier. Due to limited flight options, you arrive early in the morning. The staff took this into account and handed us room keys and paperwork to drop off later when we woke up. Fastest check in ever!
Sea Passion offers a free buffet breakfast with lots of options. The staff refilled everything promptly and there was always plenty to eat.
Internet was $5 for the week, but you could only get a signal in and around the lobby. It was slow, but tolerable. The hotel also does laundry for $5 for up to 15 items. It is back by the time you are back from diving.
We ate one dinner at the tables next to the lobby and it was decent and reasonably priced. We also ate upstairs at the Japanese restaurant and found the food good, but expensive.
We walked into town and ate at Kramers, The Drop Off, Rock Island Grill and Manta Grill. Manta Grill was aweful. Drop Off and Rock Island both had lots of options and great pizza. Kramers was also very good—good idea to make reservations here.
We dived with Sam's Tours and even though they had a very large group from Thailand that week, they kept everything organized and running smoothly. Sam's had so many customers that week, they had to rent boats, drivers, and tanks from other operations to handle the demand.
Sam's picked us up at the Sea Passion dock in the morning, but we were forced to walk back (about 15 min. walk--not bad) or take a van back in the afternoon due to low tides.
Our group was split into two groups of 8 and we had Dexter as our guide. Dexter was the best guide I have ever met. He had a unique knack for reading the quick changing currents and we never got caught diving the wrong direction. We heard from the other group that they spent a whole drift dive swimming into the current and also had to reboard and reposition just after jumping in after their guide realized his mistake too late.
Dexter was great at finding unique fish and small creatures. We saw lots of large schools, sharks on just about every dive, and two mantas at German Channel. Visibility was about 80-100 feet with a moderate amount of particles in the water. We used reef hooks on about a third of the dives. Dexter provided reef hooks to those who did not have them. Some currents were strong, but as long as you are diving with them, they are not a problem. We encountered a few eddies and down currents, but Dexter made sure to stay out in front of us on those dives and as long as we followed and stuck with him, we had no troubles.
We only scheduled two dives a day, and I would suggest doing three a day instead. For the 45-60min travel times each way, it only makes sense to take advantage of your time out there.
We did two dives on Pelelieu and also did the land tour. I recommend both.
Sam's provides a Bento box lunch. You pick your choice from about 12 different meals the day prior. Most are Asian dishes of chicken, pork, or beef. There is also a ham sandwich option.
Another benefit of diving with Sam's was having use of their vans. We never paid for a cab. We would just ask for a ride and they would take us where we wanted to go. We tipped, of course. Twice, the drivers gave their number to the restaurant they dropped us off at with instructions for the wait staff to call when we were finishing our meal. Another time, we flagged down a Sam's van after we found we bit off more than we could chew on a lengthy walk into town. They gladly took us back to the hotel. Sam's Tours Rocks!
Yap
You again fly in very early in the AM at Yap. Their check in is similar to Sea Passion's with a short 2 minute tour of the property and then off to your room to get a couple hours of sleep before the dives that day.
We stayed at Manta Ray Bay hotel. I found their mattress unbearable. Another member of our group had a newer, more padded mattress (his room was in a newer section of the hotel over the dive shop). I asked the front desk if we could swap mattresses for the week and was told no. They did offer to switch me to a room with a better mattress for an additional $180. I didn't go for that and ended up sleeping on the cushions for the furniture in the room.
Internet at Manta Ray Bay is $130 for the week. They also have hourly and other options. Most of our group paid $5/hr at the cafe down the street. The hotel does laundry, but charge $1-3 per item, depending on the item.
At Manta Ray Bay, they serve all meals on the M'Nuw, a pirate ship docked in front of the hotel. Breakfast is free, but it was a struggle to get items you wanted. They were very slow to replenish the buffet items and most days I felt lucky to get an egg and some toast. There is not a whole lot to choose from at breakfast.
One morning, I decided I would get French toast, whatever the cost. I seized an opportunity when a German lady paused a moment too long at the bacon tray. I jumped in front of her and snatched up the last four pieces of French toast. She was obviously not too happy with me as was evidenced by her account of the event to her friends. I don't speak German, but when she motioned in my direction and said "whoosh", I knew the jist of it. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize the the great country of Germany and hope that my actions did not set back our relations with them too far.
The wait staff continues to be slow at lunch and dinner. Several times I had to hunt them down to take my order. They have a half decent menu, but they were out of much of it. We soon tired of the same burgers, pizzas, and tacos each day. For dinner, they offer a choice of 3 entrees in addition to the lunch menu, but those entrees are twice the price.
We ate at Oasis and Trader's Ridge in town. Oasis was very good. Trader's Ridge was good and even arranged a lobster dinner for all 16 of us. However, we noticed halfway through the meal that a steady stream of rats was crawling up the trees and into the second floor of the hotel. We didn't go back.
Yap Divers is the dive op co-located at Manta Ray Bay. They have nice open air gear lockers and camera tables and a nice rinse area. Their small boats lack gear storage racks and you are limited to laying your scuba unit on the floor of the boat and hoping your gauges or regs don't get crushed.
We also weren't prepared for all the beetlenut spitting by the dive guides. Yuck.
The guides did an adequate job, but aside from pointing out a few fish or creatures here or there, they didn't do much more than help us on and off the boat.
We also didn't feel like we were in control of picking the dive sites. We kept hitting the same sites over and over again and I began to wonder where all the sites listed on the shirts in the gift shop were.
We did get to see mantas on nearly all the dives we were supposed to see them. Unfortunately, the water was a bit green and murky at Alex's Alley where they came very close to us over the cleaning station. Most of the dives in Mils Channel, where the mantas are, were about 60-70 foot viz.
We did venture out on their one larger boat, which could take all 16 of us (barely). It had gear storage racks and places to sit. It goes out to the farther out sites.
Yap was good, but the reefs are in poor shape. They have been hit by a combination of heavy storms and crown of thorns damage. Other than the mantas, we really didn't see anything we hadn't seen in Palau.
Some of our group did a cultural tour on the last day and seemed to enjoy it.
Conclusion
If I had to do the trip over again, and I will, I would spend 10-14 days at Palau, doing at least 3 dives a day, and skip Yap. I would also consider a liveaboard/land diving split at Palau. If you absolutely must see mantas, hit Yap for 2-3 days on the way in and spend the rest of the time at Palau.
Palau
Sea Passion Hotel—excellent food, comfortable accommodations
Sam's Tours—great operation and awesome dive guide
Diving—lots of fish diversity, many sharks, a couple mantas, some strong currents but not an issue if you dive with them, not against. Healthy reefs. Water temps around 82 degrees.
Yap
Manta Ray Bay Hotel—very uncomfortable bed, expensive, food options limited
Yap Divers—ok operation, did not like the lack of gear racks on boats
Diving—good, but we kept hitting the same sites over and over again. Reefs are in poor shape. Lots of sharks and saw several mantas. Water temps around 82 degrees.
Here's my video of the trip and how we prepared for it.
YouTube - ‪26Scuba's Channel‬‏
Long Version:
We flew to Palau/Yap from Baltimore, MD and divided our trip into a week at each location. We were part of a group of 16 divers.
Palau
We stayed at Sea Passion hotel and couldn't have been happier. Due to limited flight options, you arrive early in the morning. The staff took this into account and handed us room keys and paperwork to drop off later when we woke up. Fastest check in ever!
Sea Passion offers a free buffet breakfast with lots of options. The staff refilled everything promptly and there was always plenty to eat.
Internet was $5 for the week, but you could only get a signal in and around the lobby. It was slow, but tolerable. The hotel also does laundry for $5 for up to 15 items. It is back by the time you are back from diving.
We ate one dinner at the tables next to the lobby and it was decent and reasonably priced. We also ate upstairs at the Japanese restaurant and found the food good, but expensive.
We walked into town and ate at Kramers, The Drop Off, Rock Island Grill and Manta Grill. Manta Grill was aweful. Drop Off and Rock Island both had lots of options and great pizza. Kramers was also very good—good idea to make reservations here.
We dived with Sam's Tours and even though they had a very large group from Thailand that week, they kept everything organized and running smoothly. Sam's had so many customers that week, they had to rent boats, drivers, and tanks from other operations to handle the demand.
Sam's picked us up at the Sea Passion dock in the morning, but we were forced to walk back (about 15 min. walk--not bad) or take a van back in the afternoon due to low tides.
Our group was split into two groups of 8 and we had Dexter as our guide. Dexter was the best guide I have ever met. He had a unique knack for reading the quick changing currents and we never got caught diving the wrong direction. We heard from the other group that they spent a whole drift dive swimming into the current and also had to reboard and reposition just after jumping in after their guide realized his mistake too late.
Dexter was great at finding unique fish and small creatures. We saw lots of large schools, sharks on just about every dive, and two mantas at German Channel. Visibility was about 80-100 feet with a moderate amount of particles in the water. We used reef hooks on about a third of the dives. Dexter provided reef hooks to those who did not have them. Some currents were strong, but as long as you are diving with them, they are not a problem. We encountered a few eddies and down currents, but Dexter made sure to stay out in front of us on those dives and as long as we followed and stuck with him, we had no troubles.
We only scheduled two dives a day, and I would suggest doing three a day instead. For the 45-60min travel times each way, it only makes sense to take advantage of your time out there.
We did two dives on Pelelieu and also did the land tour. I recommend both.
Sam's provides a Bento box lunch. You pick your choice from about 12 different meals the day prior. Most are Asian dishes of chicken, pork, or beef. There is also a ham sandwich option.
Another benefit of diving with Sam's was having use of their vans. We never paid for a cab. We would just ask for a ride and they would take us where we wanted to go. We tipped, of course. Twice, the drivers gave their number to the restaurant they dropped us off at with instructions for the wait staff to call when we were finishing our meal. Another time, we flagged down a Sam's van after we found we bit off more than we could chew on a lengthy walk into town. They gladly took us back to the hotel. Sam's Tours Rocks!
Yap
You again fly in very early in the AM at Yap. Their check in is similar to Sea Passion's with a short 2 minute tour of the property and then off to your room to get a couple hours of sleep before the dives that day.
We stayed at Manta Ray Bay hotel. I found their mattress unbearable. Another member of our group had a newer, more padded mattress (his room was in a newer section of the hotel over the dive shop). I asked the front desk if we could swap mattresses for the week and was told no. They did offer to switch me to a room with a better mattress for an additional $180. I didn't go for that and ended up sleeping on the cushions for the furniture in the room.
Internet at Manta Ray Bay is $130 for the week. They also have hourly and other options. Most of our group paid $5/hr at the cafe down the street. The hotel does laundry, but charge $1-3 per item, depending on the item.
At Manta Ray Bay, they serve all meals on the M'Nuw, a pirate ship docked in front of the hotel. Breakfast is free, but it was a struggle to get items you wanted. They were very slow to replenish the buffet items and most days I felt lucky to get an egg and some toast. There is not a whole lot to choose from at breakfast.
One morning, I decided I would get French toast, whatever the cost. I seized an opportunity when a German lady paused a moment too long at the bacon tray. I jumped in front of her and snatched up the last four pieces of French toast. She was obviously not too happy with me as was evidenced by her account of the event to her friends. I don't speak German, but when she motioned in my direction and said "whoosh", I knew the jist of it. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize the the great country of Germany and hope that my actions did not set back our relations with them too far.
The wait staff continues to be slow at lunch and dinner. Several times I had to hunt them down to take my order. They have a half decent menu, but they were out of much of it. We soon tired of the same burgers, pizzas, and tacos each day. For dinner, they offer a choice of 3 entrees in addition to the lunch menu, but those entrees are twice the price.
We ate at Oasis and Trader's Ridge in town. Oasis was very good. Trader's Ridge was good and even arranged a lobster dinner for all 16 of us. However, we noticed halfway through the meal that a steady stream of rats was crawling up the trees and into the second floor of the hotel. We didn't go back.
Yap Divers is the dive op co-located at Manta Ray Bay. They have nice open air gear lockers and camera tables and a nice rinse area. Their small boats lack gear storage racks and you are limited to laying your scuba unit on the floor of the boat and hoping your gauges or regs don't get crushed.
We also weren't prepared for all the beetlenut spitting by the dive guides. Yuck.
The guides did an adequate job, but aside from pointing out a few fish or creatures here or there, they didn't do much more than help us on and off the boat.
We also didn't feel like we were in control of picking the dive sites. We kept hitting the same sites over and over again and I began to wonder where all the sites listed on the shirts in the gift shop were.
We did get to see mantas on nearly all the dives we were supposed to see them. Unfortunately, the water was a bit green and murky at Alex's Alley where they came very close to us over the cleaning station. Most of the dives in Mils Channel, where the mantas are, were about 60-70 foot viz.
We did venture out on their one larger boat, which could take all 16 of us (barely). It had gear storage racks and places to sit. It goes out to the farther out sites.
Yap was good, but the reefs are in poor shape. They have been hit by a combination of heavy storms and crown of thorns damage. Other than the mantas, we really didn't see anything we hadn't seen in Palau.
Some of our group did a cultural tour on the last day and seemed to enjoy it.
Conclusion
If I had to do the trip over again, and I will, I would spend 10-14 days at Palau, doing at least 3 dives a day, and skip Yap. I would also consider a liveaboard/land diving split at Palau. If you absolutely must see mantas, hit Yap for 2-3 days on the way in and spend the rest of the time at Palau.
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