Trip Report Yap (January 2013)

(All info is in relation to the 2006 LP guide.) Coming from Palau, I found Yap refreshingly quiet, simple and low-key. Locals are westernized enough to show tolerance towards tourists and their behaviour (instead of paranoia, suspicion, greed or curiosity), yet are "uncivilized" (unspoilt) enough to be very friendly. The isolation of Yap has its disadvantages, though: Almost nobody seems to accept credit cards (those that do may demand a hefty surcharge) and the choice of groceries available is depressing. Most shops close at 6 p.m.

I stayed in the tiny apartments at E.M.I. (more commonly known as "Blue Lagoon"), where you get a room with kitchen corner and private bath for USD 35. Particularly for shorter stays this is excellent value because airport transfers are thrown in for free. More importantly, if you arrive on United Airlines in the middle of the night and leave at a similar time E.M.I. will not demand that you check out at noon, but will allow you to keep your room until you head back to the airport. Fantastic! It is an easy walk of ten minutes (along either side of the lagoon) to Colonia. The apartments do not have a proper reception. For enquiries or to pay your bill you need to go to the E.M.I. commercial complex a few steps east of Pathways, half-way between the apartments and Colonia. Incidentally, the E.M.I. supermarket has more groceries in stock than the Yap Community Association supermarket in Colonia and is open longer hours. The shack "Village Farm Market" immediately west of E.M.I. is a cooperative shop that has local fruits and vegetables.

There are ATMs at least at the bank (near the post office) and at the commercial centre in town. For WiFi access via hotspots around town (one at "Blue Lagoon"), buy prepaid cards from USD 5 from the FSM telecom office. You are charged per MB of data, so if you only want to check your e-mail and browse a few internet sites the 5 dollars will last a long time. You can use the same card to top up prepaid mobile phones or make calls from landlines. I once ate at Oasis Restaurant, only because it seemed to be the cheapest "proper" restaurant in Colonia. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover a small and cozy restaurant, with slow service but good food in generous portions. At USD 10 for fish, soup and a soft drink I found it to be excellent value for money.

Traders Ridge Resort is now called Yap Pacific Dive Resort; Traders still runs the dive shop down the steps from the resort at the Chamorro Bay waterfront. There are bicycle (acceptable quality) for hire (very expensive at USD 20 for 7 to 8 hours, but worth it) and excursions are bookable at the hotel. As an individual not staying at the hotel you may have to swallow whatever timings and itinerary bigger tourist groups staying at the hotel impose. Apart from that it is no problem to tag along. Tours are not cheap (e.g. USD 60 for a "half-day" = 3 hours excursion).

The pretty Colonia stone path starts immediately south of the Guang Mao Chinese shop (look for wide stone steps leading into the forest behind the shop building). To find the beginning of the second part, take the steps down into the forest, not the driveway towards the private house!

I also walked to Balabat and its stone money bank. A possibly even prettier stone money bank is further away in the west of Yap at GPS position North 9° 28.169', East 138° 3.676'.

You can walk up Medeqdeq Hill behind Colonia for a nice view.

Behind the airport and reachable by road is another viewpoint, from which you can see the north and south coast of Yap at the same time. GPS position: North 9° 30.300', East 138° 5.151'. Nearby at North 9° 30.044', East 138° 4.924' is a well-preserved Japanese anti-aircraft gun close to the road.

I was unable to find the old German Cable Station. A day later an islander told me that the building had been incorporated into the College of Micronesia/Yap High School complex!? What I did find at and around the school were three solid stone towers. Residents told me they had been „anchors“ for some sort of communication facility (antennas, masts maybe). The towers are located at North 9° 30.045', East 138° 5.967' and North 9° 30.084', East 138° 6.029' as well as North 9° 30.114', East 138° 5.964'.

The old airport is worth a look. No buildings remain, but there is the overgrown runway. Nearby in the forest at North 9° 29.157', East 138° 4.618' is the wrecked tail section of a Boeing 727 (Continental Micronesia flight 614), which crashed on Yap on 21 November 1980. Only a few steps away are the remains of a medium-sized Japanese World War 2 aircraft (North 9° 29.137', East 138° 4.618'). Across the runway are bits and pieces of two much smaller Japanese fighter aircraft (North 9° 29.192', East 138° 4.482'). Closer to the main road in the direction of Colonia is an official exhibit and memorial with an American military aircraft wreck on display at North 9° 30.817', East 138° 6.129'.

Leaving Yap, there is now a departure (airport) tax of USD 20 (cash only). Serious-looking airport officials will perform a manual, cursory check of checked and cabin baggage, but checked baggage of foreign tourists gets only a quick glance. I did not see anyone checking weight limits, so no worries if you are a few kilos above your allowance.

Great report, thanks!