Yap did NOT blow me away

[pilot fish]

I just don't know if too many places could wow me, butted up against Palau.
Palau is my gold standard.

So, get any great topside shots?

and lets see the diving pictures!

Did you check out my photo gallery? I put some in there. Nothing like what you can do but it was fun for me and a good memory marker.

 

[Cacia]

I like the "fun" pictures the best, less contrived.

they make me feel like I'm diving.

I'll go look..

 

[chickdiver]

Hmmm... now you've got me thinking. Brian and I have a trip to Truk planned for next August, and we are piggy-backing Yap on. I am interested in the local culture as much as the diving, but I gotta wonder if it's worth it. I hate "pretty fishy" diving, so I have no interest in Palau (been there, was not impressed).

 

[pilot fish]

Hmmm... now you've got me thinking. Brian and I have a trip to Truk planned for next August, and we are piggy-backing Yap on. I am interested in the local culture as much as the diving, but I gotta wonder if it's worth it. I hate "pretty fishy" diving, so I have no interest in Palau (been there, was not impressed).

Truk you will love because of thet greatwrecks. Will you be on a liveabord or at a hotel? Truk is not a preety island, in town and the trip to the hotel but great diving.

Yap has manta sightings if you go to Mil Channel each morning at 7 or 7:30 am and sit and wait for thtem to appear. The reefs are ok, not great, and did not see an abundance of fish. No pelagic. Keep in mind thte horrible departure times.

The island of Yap is clean and orderly. Seems very safe as well. You can go to the "cultural show" to see the "natives" in costume for the tourist, did not interest me, and see stone money but you can do that with a travel video too. Again, it was Ok but nothing special and the diving was not thrilling, but good, not great.

 

[pilot fish]

I like the "fun" pictures the best, less contrived.

they make me feel like I'm diving.

I'll go look..

tell me what you think? I'm a novice photographer with a so so camera

 

[chickdiver]

Truk you will love because of thet greatwrecks. Will you be on a liveabord or at a hotel? Truk is not a preety island, in town and the trip to the hotel but great diving.

Yap has manta sightings if you go to Mil Channel each morning at 7 or 7:30 am and sit and wait for thtem to appear. The reefs are ok, not great, and did not see an abundance of fish. No pelagic. Keep in mind thte horrible departure times.

The island of Yap is clean and orderly. Seems very safe as well. You can go to the "cultural show" to see the "natives" in costume for the tourist, did not interest me, and see stone money but you can do that with a travel video too. Again, it was Ok but nothing special and the diving was not thrilling, but good, not great.

LOL I know what to expect from Truk (I gave you advice, remember? ). It's my 4th trip, and the last one was 3 years ago. We are on Odyssey (2nd time with them, and we have the boat booked with friends).

I lived in the WestPac for almost 2 years (Guam), and visited a lot of the islands while I was there. I never made it to Yap, it's about the only one I missed. So I am familiar with travel and departure hassles, etc. I'm just wondering now if it's worth the hassle or if Imight have more fun spending a few days on Guam and revisiting some of the sites there that I loved.

 

[Cacia]

I hate "pretty fishy" diving, so I have no interest in Palau (been there, was not impressed).

WHAT???!!!

...you didn't like the pretty little sharks?
oh man, I stay high as a kite on Blue Corner.
So...what do you like again?

 

[chickdiver]

WHAT???!!!

...you didn't like the pretty little sharks?
oh man, I stay high as a kite on Blue Corner.
So...what do you like again?

I like wrecks.

I can handle about 30 minutes on a reef, and then I get bored. If I want to look at colorful fish, I can look at a saltwater aquarium..... I just don't like reef dives, never have....

Now big animals, on the other hand,a re a different story, although that looses it's appeal fairly quickly. Being that I dive a rebreather, I have grown fairly accustomed to getting up close and personal (much to my husbands distress at times) with marine life.

 

[rcontrera]

Wow ... total opposite from our experience there. We thought the week on Yap was great!! Yes, we did go to see Mantas three of our five days of diving. And yes, the vis there in the channel was 40-50 feet at best. But every time there, we had them so close you could touch them (although that is against the rules). In fact, I had one come down so close to me that as it swam by, it was dragging across my strobe!!

I really liked the walls. I have never seen so many sharks in my life. The top of the wall was around 40 feet and we couldn't see the bottom. The longer we swam, the more sharks followed us to see what we were going to scare out of the reef. While we did see a turtle on the wall one day, it was a fleeting sighting and it took off so nobody got shots of it.

As far as the hotel, we stayed at Manta Ray Bay and it was very nice. Our room overlooked the bay on the second floor and even the garden view rooms overlooked the hotel gardens and the street. The hotel restaurant was great!! They had a world class chef on staff and every time we went to have a meal, we told him to pick something for us and he ALWAYS scored big!! Admittedly, it has been a few years since we were there and the chef's assistant at the time is now the executive chef. Bill, the owner, had just discovered brewing beer the year before so we always had lots of his "experiments" to sample at the evening get together.

All that said, six years can make a huge difference in what is available. For instance, besides the chef changing, they didn't have a pool then. The out door bar and barbecue area was located where the pool is now. Plus, there wasn't a brewery. The dive shop was located there. And the hotel restaurant was located where the offices are now.

Would I go only to Yap. Based on my past experience, yes. But then I like purty fissies!!

 

[pilot fish]

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. LOL, of course I remember you and your great advice on Truk. Your advice was much appreciated, and accurate.

If Yap is the only island you have not been to, then you should really go. I'm going to guess it's as good as Guam and perhaps has better diving. Since you do not care for pretty fish and get bored with a reef after a short while, I see not much DIVE reason to go there, for you. After two sightings of manta you would be done and asking for the nonexistant wreck. Let me know what you decide?

LOL I know what to expect from Truk (I gave you advice, remember? ). It's my 4th trip, and the last one was 3 years ago. We are on Odyssey (2nd time with them, and we have the boat booked with friends).

I lived in the WestPac for almost 2 years (Guam), and visited a lot of the islands while I was there. I never made it to Yap, it's about the only one I missed. So I am familiar with travel and departure hassles, etc. I'm just wondering now if it's worth the hassle or if Imight have more fun spending a few days on Guam and revisiting some of the sites there that I loved.