Beautifully built from native wood, and impeccably maintained, this small resort is an unknown gem. So unknown, in fact, that we were the only guests here for three days (and apparently the foreseeable future upon our departure). Yet the place is gorgeous, beautifully maintained, and friendly. Food was excellent as well.

Not cheap, but wonderful atmosphere.

Traders Ridge Resort, Yap. This is the best hotel on Yap. We stay there 5 nights in March 2006 and it was better than the best hotel we had in the Pacific. The owner and the staf of this hotel are as brothers and sisters... For us no question, Traders Ridge Resort, the best there is...

My wife and I just spent 3 nights at the Trader's Ridge Resort (known locally as TR). The 22 room hotel and grounds are much more attractive than the others in town, with native art displayed everywhere to great effect. Our room was large, attractive and very functional; the bathroom was fine, but finished to a lower standard. The pleasant pool is small but surrounded by all kinds of tropical plants to create a nice environment.

There are two restaurants. The less formal one (nothing's very formal in Yap) can serve you from both menus. Food at lunch and dinner is reasonably priced and generally quite good. However, breakfast is a problem, with all choices $15 and ala carte items limited and overpriced - like a "bread basket" containing two slices of toast and one of banana bread for $4.50. A cup of coffee is $2.50. Get some provisions at the local markets and eat your own breakfast on your balcony before diving.

The hotel is only a 4 or 5 minute walk from Manta Ray/Yap divers, and several shops/restaurants, so it is easy to stay at TR and dive with Yap Divers if you wish, as we did. Yap divers always offered to drive us, but we walked half the time. The dive operation at TR was changing hands during our stay.

While we really liked the hotel, we cannot say the same for the dive and hotel managers. For example, as soon as the dive manager found out we were using another dive operator, the friendly veneer was gone. The hotel manager smiled, but was never helpful. Forget about them and go anyway - it's still a great place to stay in Yap!

We just spent a week at Traders Ridge this February and I can't say enough how wonderful our stay was. Everyone staff member was devoted to making sure we had a great experience. The hotel itself was immaculately clean and beautiful. Fresh flowers were on our bed every night at turn down.
When we first planned our trip, we considered staying at the Manta Ray Bay. After stopping by that hotel for dinner and drinks one night, we were so glad we didn't stay there. If you are a dive hooligan that wants to drink and party all night, then Manta Ray Bay is the place for you. If you are looking for tranquility and peace and a little luxury on your trip, then Traders Ridge is your best bet.
By the way, the food was outstanding.