We stayed at one of the other hotel on Yap but by farmost this hotel is the nicest. We visit it a few times for lunch and dinner and we we're a little bit dissapointed not to stay here.

The staff is so unbelievable friendly, they will make you feel like home.

A negative side is the food (dinner mostly). We do not say it's bad but it need some attention. The young chef Ryan from Texas need to learn more about how to serve food in a 5* restaurant. The price/quality is not perfect and that's a shame for such a pretty resort.

We still advise this hotel for your stay. Especially for the diving. Unfortunately we had to go with the crowded boats but with them we saw only a few divers per boat.

For divers, the choice is between Manta Bay and Traders Ridge. For charm and class, as well as diving, Traders Ridge has Manta Bay beat, hands down. Our room was lovely, overlooking the pool and bay. The building is all new, but built to look like an old colonial mansion. There are wood floors, period funishings, and everything is very quaint. The place was incredibly quiet when we were there (low season, July), and we were one of two couples or the only couple in the whole place! There are supposedly two restaurants, but the more "upscale" one upstairs wasn't open due to so few people there. The food, for the most part was excellent, as was the service. The atmosphere in the dining room was also extremely pleasant and classy, with period jazz or other mellow music in the background. I preferred diving with Traders Ridge over Manta Bay - Manta Bay was mobbed with obnoxious photographers with their ridiculously bulky camera gear, elbowing other divers to get a good shot of the mantas. We, on the other hand, had the boat to ourselves, and got to the best sites well before the pokey Manta Bay boats. The dive shop manager seems concerned about safety issues and ensuring the divers manage to get to the best sites to see what they want to see. Manta Bay is worth walking over to and having a drink, but you'll be glad you chose to stay at Traders Ridge instead.

We stayed four nights at Traders Ridge. It's probably the best in Yap (there are only 138 rooms in the entire area) but regardless, it's a comfortable hotel. You can go their website to view photos so I won't describe the facility except to say it's clean and the staff is friendly (almost too friendly if that's possible). The rooms are large and comfortable. The hotel sits about a block from the water, which afforts a nice view of the channel and catches any breeze that happens to pass by. The hotel was practically empty when we were there and the staff devoted themselves to making us feel at home. The young American chef is new and the food needs work (other guests agreed with us). There aren't many choices of restaurants on the island and we'd been told it was the best in town so we just went with the flow, it wasn't a big deal. The Activities Center is close and although I'm not a diver it looked good with a large drying room etc. We rented a boat and a friendly driver for a half-day snorkel and were very happy. They offer a half day island tour and I highly recommend it. The hotel van was waiting for us at the airport when we arrived and delivered us promptly when left. They have an airconditioned waiting room at the airport for hotel guests, which was a godsend. Our driver waited outside to make sure we didn't miss the flight, which was a very thoughtful gesture. Overall, I'd give this hotel a 'B' rating - and an 'A' if they improve the food. Happy travels!

When in Yap there are really only two places to stay, either Trader's Ridge or Pathways. The advantages of Traders are many.

If you are the kind of Traveler that wants the "first" class experience (or as close as you can get in Yap) then you should head directly to Trader's. There have well appointed rooms, flawless service, and a great array of activities for you to fill your time with.

The dive operation will accommodate all needs and is probably the best on the island if you are a well-traveled diver and are looking to see and learn about what the marine environment of Yap has to offer. Also their being a non-profit cultural organization means that you can spend your time learning about the culture and people of Yap just as easily.

The food is the closest you will get to gourmet in this part of the world. Much of the variability in the menu (aside from fresh fish)has simply to do with what has arrived by ship and what has not. If things are available you will have your best meals at Trader's. The Cajun Sushi and Spinach Salad cannot be duplicated anywhere else. And for those new to Micronesia the Betelnut martini should not be missed.

All in all at Trader's you get what you pay for, even at the end, as you go to the airport to leave, Trader's has a private waiting room that serves hot coffee or tea and allows you to leave feeling just a little bit more catered to than the average traveler. If you want cushy then Trader's is your place.