Planning to visit the Yap Outer Islands?
HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
PERMIT
Upon arrival in Yap, you will need to visit the Council of Chiefs to inform them of your desire to visit the outer islands. They will ask you some questions just to make sure they know your purpose for visiting and to make sure the people on the islands know you are coming. If you wish to contact them in advance, you can email:
HOW TO GET THERE
You will depart out of our PMA hangar at the Yap, International Airport. Here is a schedule of what you can expect for flying to Ulithi. For the other islands it may vary as we do not fly there as regularly:
7:30-8:00 Check-in
8:00-8:30 Loading the plane
9:00 Departure from Yap
9:45 Arrival in Ulithi
11:00 Departure from Ulithi
11:45 Arrival in Yap
WHERE TO STAY
None of the islands have hotel accommodations except Falalop, Ulithi, which has a 10 room lodge called the Ulithi Adventure Lodge. Please contact them in advance as it is open seasonally. There is one other option on some of the islands called “home stay.” This is where a local family allows you to stay with them. If you are interested in this option please click the button below and we will try to connect you as best we can.
"KAPETALWA"
It is customary to bring a “kapetalwa” (gift) to present to the chief upon arrival on the island. Nice if you can bring unique food items from your home country. But if you don’t have space in your travels you can buy something in Yap before heading out. Gifts like instant coffee, canned goods, snacks, or if you want to spend a little extra on something like a flashlight, those are always useful.
DRESS CODE
It is always good when visiting different cultures to be sensitive to their customs and cultural taboos. One area that is important to be aware of is modesty in terms of the dress code. For the women in the outer islands any skirt or leg coverings should be long enough to reach the knee and not expose the thigh. Please make sure to wear something appropriate out of respect for their culture.
