Yap
Micronesia · 10 m
Description
Yap kept its own culture more completely than anywhere else in Micronesia, and it still pays large debts in stone. Rai are limestone discs up to four metres across with a hole through the middle, and they stand in rows in village banks where they have stood for generations, changing owner without ever being moved. Underwater the draw is mantas. A resident population feeds and cleans in Mi'il Channel and can be seen all year, and the barrier reef outside carries walls and channels that almost nobody dives. Permission is asked before entering a village, and the island expects that courtesy of every visitor.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 3 to 10 days (optimal 5 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: January – April
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Manta rays in Mi'il Channel
- Rai, the stone money in the village banks
- Bechiyal Cultural Center and its men's houses
- Limestone discs up to four metres across
- Yap mangrove channels by kayak
- Snorkelling with the mantas
- Yap Day at the turn of the month (February - March)
- MantaFest in the late summer (August - September)
- Barrier reef walls and channels
- Colonia and the harbour
- Weaving, carving and storytelling in the villages
- Wreck and channel diving off the outer reef
Getting there
- Airports:
- YAP
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry