YAP & PALAU - UNITED GIVETH & UNITED TAKETH AWAY

[Ken Kurtis]

(I'm a huge fan of Yap so maybe I'm prejudiced but . . .)

United is putting the screws to Yap starting January 8 next year. Normally, you fly to Guam, have a short layover, and then get on a 737 to Yap. That plane lands around 10PM, then continues on to Palau, turns around and returns to Yap a few hours later, and then heads back up to Guam. So it's always been very easy to go from Yap to Palau and from Palau to Yap. That means it was very easy to do time in Yap and then continue on to Palau or vice-versa. No more as of next year.

Basically, United is eliminating the Yap-Palau-Yap portion. Getting to Yap's no problem. The plane will now leave Guam around 10:30PM and arrive in Yap at 1AM. (But there's still only two flights per week.) Getting to Palau is no problem as there's an evening flight direct from Guam into Palau which runs five days a week. (You can also get into Palau through Manila.)

But if you want to go from Yap to Palau, or from Palau to Yap, you can still do it, but now you'll have to fly up to Guam, endure a long (12-17 hours) layover, and then fly down to the other island. This will hurt Yap more than Palau as a lot of times, people (incorrectly and short-sightedly) view Yap as an add-on to Palau and when you make it tougher to transit between the two, you're likely going to lose business on the Yap end of it.

Jeers and angry finger-wagging for United.

 

[Wookie]

That stinks. Is the Island Hopper (what used to be Air Mic) gone? Hono-JA-Kwaj-Majuro-Ponepei-Yap-Palau-Guam

 

[Dan]

I haven't been diving in both places, but I'll be in Palau this December & will miss Yap (not in my radar up to this moment). So please point me out what makes Yap diving so much better than Palau?

 

[Ken Kurtis]

So please point me out what makes Yap diving so much better than Palau?

You're putting words in my mouth, Dan. I didn't says it's better. I said I'm a fan. (And if you've never been to Yap, how do you know it's NOT better????)

I will tell you the manta encounters will be phenomenally better in Yap than Palau, there's a great shark feed (if you like that - I do), guaranteed Mandarinfish every night, good muck dives, a couple of spectacular walls, and more. Plus, in the last few years, Palau - which I still like - has certainly become much more touristy than it used to be and the dive sites can sometimes be VERY crowded with day boats. (I was at Ulong Channel a few years ago and literally counted 50 day boats.) Yap is much more laid back and definitely feels like you're not in Kansas anymore.

Here's a link to this year's trip report and pix. You can decide for yourself. And - shameless plug - if you like what you see, I'm running the same-format trip next year June 8-20:
Yap 2017 trip report

- Ken

 

[JackConnick]

Yeah, it's messing up our trip next April. A lot of sorting logistics, as day rooms, etc have to change as well.

 

[scubafanatic]

You're putting words in my mouth, Dan. I didn't says it's better. I said I'm a fan. (And if you've never been to Yap, how do you know it's NOT better????)

I will tell you the manta encounters will be phenomenally better in Yap than Palau, there's a great shark feed (if you like that - I do), guaranteed Mandarinfish every night, good muck dives, a couple of spectacular walls, and more. Plus, in the last few years, Palau - which I still like - has certainly become much more touristy than it used to be and the dive sites can sometimes be VERY crowded with day boats. (I was at Ulong Channel a few years ago and literally counted 50 day boats.) Yap is much more laid back and definitely feels like you're not in Kansas anymore.

Here's a link to this year's trip report and pix. You can decide for yourself. And - shameless plug - if you like what you see, I'm running the same-format trip next year June 8-20:
Yap 2017 trip report

- Ken

If crazy about mantas, a Socorro Islands live aboard would be a much closer/cheaper/easier option.

 

[Ken Kurtis]

If crazy about mantas, a Socorro Islands live aboard would be a much closer/cheaper/easier option.

Actually, no IMHO. I've done Socorro twice (great trips both times) but have had relatively fleeting manta encounters. And, believe it or not, I have NEVER seen a mantra at The Boiler.

On the other hand, this is 5 minutes of video from a 30+-minute manta cleaning station encounter this past July in Yap:

 

[scubafanatic]

Actually, no IMHO. I've done Socorro twice (great trips both times) but have had relatively fleeting manta encounters. And, believe it or not, I have NEVER seen a mantra at The Boiler.

On the other hand, this is 5 minutes of video from a 30+-minute manta cleaning station encounter this past July in Yap:

I'm planning my next Socorro trip 11/2018, my 1st trip was 2008 and we had tons of heavy, very close up Manta encounters, including The Boiler.

 

[Dan]

You're putting words in my mouth, Dan. I didn't says it's better. I said I'm a fan. (And if you've never been to Yap, how do you know it's NOT better????)

I will tell you the manta encounters will be phenomenally better in Yap than Palau, there's a great shark feed (if you like that - I do), guaranteed Mandarinfish every night, good muck dives, a couple of spectacular walls, and more. Plus, in the last few years, Palau - which I still like - has certainly become much more touristy than it used to be and the dive sites can sometimes be VERY crowded with day boats. (I was at Ulong Channel a few years ago and literally counted 50 day boats.) Yap is much more laid back and definitely feels like you're not in Kansas anymore.

Here's a link to this year's trip report and pix. You can decide for yourself. And - shameless plug - if you like what you see, I'm running the same-format trip next year June 8-20:
Yap 2017 trip report

- Ken

Thanks for the detail info. I added Yap into my ever growing bucket list, after Palau with Palau Aggressor II (Dec 2017) & Socorro with Nautilus Under Sea (Dec 2018). Already booked both of them.

I also like to see the famous old (century ago) Yap currency:

 

[jorgie6]

That stinks. Is the Island Hopper (what used to be Air Mic) gone? Hono-JA-Kwaj-Majuro-Ponepei-Yap-Palau-Guam

Nope...the Island Hopper is still going strong! My husband and I flew the IH back to the states from Guam a few years ago..one of the senior flight attendants still had her Air Micronesia bag.