Diving in Micronesia: Yap and Palau

"Where are you going this summer? "

When one replies "in Micronesia," in general, the cautious audience retorts, "Where is Micronesia? And when we say "Palau," we have the right to "Oula, it must be full of mosquitoes, have not you got malaria?" Or "Oh yeah, there was a Koh Lanta over there!"

And yes, Micronesia is over there, very far, as far as my Geography class ... between Japan and Papua New Guinea, in the East of the Philippines. In short, you will understand, Micronesia is in Dache...

But once one has digested at least 24h of travel and several flights through Taipei or Manila, Micronesia turns out to be a diving paradise.

For my part, I opted for 36 hours of travel on the outward journey, direction Yap first, via Franckfort - Taipei- Koror (Palau) ... to reach Palau secondly, thus making the return shorter ( 24h only!)

1^st Step: Yap

What strikes right away is the rhythm ... cool Raoul! The walnut that is chique 7 77 years, seems to impose a throbbing rhythm! The speed is limited to 30 miles (less than 50 km / h) all over the islands, and the first thing our driver will tell us at the exit of the airport will be: "You know, everything is slow here ... Even the Internet is slow! "

We went to Yap to see Mantas. Apparently, there are more 100 mantas resident in the area ... We will only see 3, by far, the last day of our diving week ... the rest of the time we spent each morning dives, kneeling in front of a cleaning station waiting for them to point the tip of their nose. And I can assure you that spend 30 minutes, knees in the sand watching rocks, it gives time to reflect on the meaning of his life 😉 or the last pair of heels flippers that we would like to s' to offer ! Finally, I think we saw more mantas on the mosaic at the bottom of the pool or the curtains of
shower! I know, it's the game my poor cod, but for the mantas, it's better to go to the season
loves, in February-March ...

The rest of the dives are done along the walls where we appreciate meetings with sharks, gray, white or black points that are in number ... especially on Vertigo which is the place of shark feeding organized by Yap Divers. No need to do shark feeding, we leave that to the naggers / Americans ...

The advantage over Vertigo is that the sharks come as soon as they hear the boat arrive. Pavlov could have replaced his dog with a shark, the experience would have been the same! There are also some sites where you can see macro, leaf fish, nudibranchs and company. Unfortunately these sites are not always accessible, depending on the tides, the current and the waves, in short the hazards of the sea.

When at the hotel, the Manta Ray Bay resort, it has the advantage of integrating the Yap Divers dive center, which is rather convenient. It also has a lot of pace, since the restaurant, Mnuw was implanted on an old rig that is accessed by a footbridge. The top terrace is nice to drink a draft beer brewed on site by the owner of the place, an old Texan who lost there there is more than 20 years. The only problem of the restaurant is the variety and quality of dishes: you have the choice between pizzas or hamburgers ... which in general makes the French pester! A tip, get out of the hotel for dinner. Just opposite, the Oasis offers huge plates of sushi for 5 $ only, a creamy curry and generous planchas! It feels a little grease, but what's good!

To go around the island (on land), half a day is enough… You can discover the famous “men's houses”, which are used for special occasions or neighborhood councils. Yap is known for its “stone money”, a currency made from heavy stones… so you can visit a stone money bank, a kind of bank in the plain! And then there are quite a few vestiges of the Second World War. In the middle of the jungle, we suddenly see a crumbling old Japanese cabin appear… this creates atmospheres worthy of the Lost series… it feels like the Dharma project!

You'll understand, it's a little disappointed not to have seen the ballets of mantas expected as we leave Yap, Palau direction for a few days of "classic" dives with Fish'n fins and a week of cruising the Ocean Hunter III.

2^rd stage: Palau

Thanks god, Palau lived up to our expectations. On the spotlight 3 spots of the place, German Channel, Blue Corner, Ulong channelit was a festival of sharks crossing schools of trevallies or barracudas, all spiced with very curious napoleons, turtles galore or a few eagle rays in full hovering flight. A kind of pizza 15 cheese from the dive!

All the divers met on site were amazed. Some came back for the third time! I only saw divers happy ... nitrogenous and happy ... except for a diver who was grumbling for not having seen enough nudibranchs and all that is the joy of macro nuts ... The guy was surrounded by sharks, and the all he wanted was nudibranchs! Well, guess what ... the grumbler was French (like most grumblers that we meet on a trip, by the way!)

In addition to these big current spots (we hang on the walls with a tip and a hook to enjoy the show as weightless), Palau offers some original dives, for those who are tired of seeing sharks!

The first is the jellyfish lake , a saltwater lake filled with thousands of jellyfish that have lost their urticant power over time and lack of predators. It's a snorkeling dive where you rub jellyfish without getting stung. After 10 minutes of adaptation, we would almost appreciate the caresses they provide, thinking very strongly Bernard Giraudeau at the time of the year of the jellyfish 😉

I also loved diving Cellar Chandelier, which consists of 3 caves in which one can breathe back up to the surface. An atmospheric dive with nervous nervous laughter. Claustrophobes abstain because one can quickly feel choked like in a broken elevator, with Richard Clayderman's music in less! And beware of the yoyo in your ears!

And then, there are wrecks (which did not leave me with an unforgettable memory, the rotten tour did not help) and a dive at sunset to go see the mandarin fish ... you know, these little colorful fish who copulate as fast as lightning ... Those who have never thought of tangerine fish in the arms of a lover too fast raise the finger 😉

Wildlife, so it was a real aquarium. As for the boat, the Ocean Hunter III is the top of the top ... 4 dives per day (+ 1 at night for those who are not sufficiently nitrogenous), a mixed crew Micronesian / Filipino care, unmatched cuistos , warm towels at the water outlet, a homemade smoothie for afternoon tea, modern and clean cabins and then 2 jacuzzis on the deck where you can admire the sunset while whistling a Corona ... She is not beautiful, life ?

On land, you can do some walks or visit the museum of Palau where we see rather panels explaining the history of the island than real pieces of art first (well, we put everything at the Museum of Quai Branly in Paris!).

You can also visit the prison shop ... yes, you read me well, you can go to visit the prison, I even went there alone, since my Buddy was dying under 4 blankets (because it is well known, a sick man always has the impression
that he is going to die because of a small cold!) In short, the prisoners sculpt small stories on wooden boards shaped like fish. These storyboards are typical of local crafts. The specificity of the storyboards of the prison lies in the fact that they relate more stories of Kama-sutra than stories of fishermen ... Not easy to hang in his living room, once back home!

Level accommodation on Koror, we were at the Rose Garden Resort, but I think the Carolines Resort is the best value for money because it allows to enjoy the free amenities of the PPR, Palau Pacifi Resort, a luxury hotel in 10 minutes walk from the Carolinas, otherwise the entrance fee for the day is 30 $. You can enjoy one of the few beaches of Koror, the pool and sip a cocktail Shark Attack (in fact, only one is enough to knock you!)

Good bubbles to all,

Marie (The cod)

Some practical tips

- TO: I left with KeyLargo, they know the destination on the fingertips and given the complexity to find the right flights, go through a specialized travel agency seems to me a wise option!

- Gear: A wetsuit 3 mm or less, the water is at 30 ° C! A diving hook: You will find reef hooks on site at Fish'n fins

- Cags: if you want to avoid smoking local straw (the best is to quit, yes I know), it is better to buy your Marlboro at the airport while avoiding saying that you have it when you pass customs… In Yap, there is only straw and betel nuts, and in Koror, you have to go to the gas station to find some!

- The best season: the dry season is from November to May. I was there in August, in the middle of the rainy season. Over 20 days, I must have had 2 days of heavy rains. So summer is also doable, and since it's the low season, there are fewer divers! So Ok on Palau, on the other hand for Yap, I really recommend the dry season in particular February-March for the reproduction of mantas.

- Telephone: Micronesia has not signed any agreements with international operators. To call, you will need to buy a prepaid SIM card which will give you a local number. The best is still to drop out! Iphone and backberry on OFF, that's the holidays!

- Internet: you buy $ 10 cards for 4 hours to connect to wifi and consult your favorite site, scuba-people.com. At Koror airport, you can have a drink on the Lounge terrace (on the left when leaving), they have open wifi access.

- Electricity: it is 110V, remember to take an adapter for English sockets. In some hotels and on the Ocean Hunter III, there are 220V sockets from our region, but it is better to bring an adapter.