This was my third time to Micronesia and my first time to Yap. I checked Tripadvisor to see where to stay and the reports of Yap Pacific Dive Resort looked very promising but they were a bit old so I was slightly hesitant about choosing it over the more common destination of Manta Ray Bay Hotel. I shouldn’t have worried.
The hotel looks great – quite old, almost colonial in appearance with lots of big pillars outside then inside it’s polished wooden floors and very tasteful furniture.
The staff are lovely, very helpful and polite, and I met Dieter the very friendly and approachable manager and the staff seemed to like him too which is always a good sign. I normally hate eating in the same hotel I’m staying in because I like to try the variety of experiences from other local restaurants but I was more than tempted by the tuna special on offer. The food was served promptly and included the best tuna I’ve ever had.
I went for a stroll and decided to pop into the aforementioned hotel to see what I was missing. It was ok but I bet the guests wouldn’t be happy if they knew the quality of the hotel I was getting for a similar price up the road!
Couple of bits of advice – ask for a room towards the reception area if you want the best wi-fi signal, or further from reception if you want a bit more quiet (only because of fewer people would walk past your door). Go diving! The guide is one of the most experienced in Yap and really knows his stuff. Despite the poor weather conditions, I managed to see a manta ray on my first dive, as well as some sharks and a plethora of reef fish.
The reception staff could do with a bit more customer service trainng but it didn't bother me too much. I'm really trying to balance this review with some negatives but I genuinely can’t think of any.

This hotel is great. It has large comfortable rooms and the beds are good. The staff here from the housekeepers, front desk, restaurant, dive shop, drivers and security are amazing. So nice and they will go out of their way to make you happy. The view is gorgeous you can see the water and the new living history museum. also it is the only hotel in yap to offer free wifi. Just ask for a room close to the lobby so you can pick up the signal. I felt like I was saying goodbye to friends when I left.

Yap Pacific Dive Resort (www.yap-pacific.com) aka Traders Ridge is a great place. The exterior and interior both look like something you would find in the 1800's. Staff is excellent at the hotel and make sure whatever you need is taken care of. The hotel sits on a hill and surrounded by tropical trees and flowers. Rooms are good size and very nice. We have been there 3 differennt times each time staying 8 days/7nights and overall have really enjoyed the stay.

Should you go diving the dive operation is excellent and is just down the hill. The marine life is outstanding and the reefs are in very good shape. Expect to see manta rays, occasional sharks, and lots of fish.

Short walk to town and you can go to the local grocery store for supplies to take back to your room.

The food can range from great to just OK. So once you have tried the food at the hotel you can try the local resturants in town and on the other side of the inlet.

I stayed at YPDR from Aug. 13-20, 2011 with a friend and was thoroughly impressed. The main building has been recently renovated and the foliage and landscaping is fabulous and well maintained. The rooms and lobby are really nice and clean. You use steps and a very short walkway of about 25 ft. to get to the restaurant, where the food is wonderful. Try the Yapese salad - excellent.
YPDR has an excellent staff. For example, Frank, as the host in the restaurant, is most attentive to your every needs. He kept a watchful eye on our table to make sure everything was OK. They don’t have any problem with delivering appetizers up to you as you are lounging in the lobby or at the pool. Speaking of the pool – it is large and very clean. It was nice to relax in the pool after a dive, while sipping on a beer the bar would bring to us.
Dieter, the owner, is attentive and was very comfortable to talk to. We enjoyed hearing some of his stories about his diving experiences. He has a wealth of knowledge on underwater photography and is willing to share his advice. Ask to see some of his photos. We had a little problem with the lack of a wakeup knock but Dieter has promised to equip all rooms with alarm clocks.
YPDR itself is not right on the water, but it turns out with the water and shore line in Yap, you won’t be doing any swimming in front of any place. The dive shop, and water front, is across a street in back of YPDR. You take steps out of the main building, down near the pool, and walk across a very short lawn and the street to the dive shop. With the landscaping and foliage at YPDR around the pool and the main building, it was much better than if it had been located right on the water.
The diving through YPDR is a lot of fun and very enjoyable, with world-class dive sites. The boats seem to be pretty well maintained. They have double-outboards and are pretty quick for getting to the dive sites. The dive instructor we were with most of the week, Vincent, knew what he was doing and knew where to take us, depending on our interests. Yamag, the dive equipment helper, was terrific helping us with all our gear. Both of them were good about sharing stories about their culture on the island. You can leave all your gear on the boat after diving. Yamag will take care of it overnight and have it on the boat for you the next morning.
We went sport fishing one day with YPDR which was a hoot. We caught 20 fish including Mahi Mahi and Yellow-fin Tuna. Our guide seemed to know how to fish in these waters. We tried the traditional hand-lines which we were skeptical about at first, but they seemed to work fine and we caught just as many fish on the hand lines as on regular poles. YPDR could improve their fishing gear as one of the two poles on the boat had the last couple feet of the pole broken off and we really didn’t have all the tackle you would expect (leaders, swivels, etc.). But how could we complain after catching 20 fish? The best part of the day was jumping a marlin, which broke the surface and was a real fight. With the drag on full, he headed straight down and when the line was almost all off the spool I put the lock on and the line snapped. The gear wasn’t what was needed for marlin, but we weren’t fishing for them anyway. Once we got back to YPDR, they took the fish and prepared three outstanding dishes of sashimi for us and our new dive friends and we enjoyed lounging in the lobby with wine and the fresh tuna. Later for dinner, we had our fresh Mahi Mahi.
All in all, I highly recommend YPDR, and this is after walking around and visiting the other places on the island. I’d recommend you get there soon if you like a Pacific Island that has awesome diving, no traffic, not many people, and where you can feel and chat with locals about the their history and culture. The talk is that developers are planning to bring in several large hotels in the coming years.