Traders' Ridge Resort
Micronesia

Tuesday

For all our travels around the bluest corner of this planet, the mighty South Pacific, we sometimes wonder if the South Pacific of yore—a wild, exotic and romantic land of Melville and London—is forever lost.

Which is why Yap—and Traders' Ridge Resort—came as such a wonderful surprise to us. We had barely made our way through the glistening halls of the Guam International Airport when our flight banked in on this small Micronesian archipelago. Bowed coconut palms drooping over sky-blue lagoons painted with jade coral heads, and an uncluttered coastline of fishing villages and empty beaches, not a high-rise resort in sight.

It is the drive to Traders' Ridge Resort that seals the deal. There, walking down Colonia's empty main street illuminated in the late afternoon sun were several beetle-nut chewing, bare-breasted women sashaying in grass skirts, one with a crying baby slung over her shoulders. Excited about the cultural side of Yap, I asked our shuttle driver, "Is there a show tonight, some sort of dance we can go to?"

He'd heard this reaction before and chuckled. As we pulled up to Traders' Ridge, a gorgeous Victorian mansion commanding a crestline view from the hill, he looked back and said, "Oh no. Those women have just come in on the freighter from the out islands to do some shopping. That's the way they always dress." Thom and I met eyes; I knew we had stumbled on one of the last forgotten corners of the South Pacific.

Wednesday

One thing is for certain—being lost in the South Pacific at Traders' Ridge Resort certainly does not mean foregoing the comforts of the contemporary world. While it was originally built right after WWII as a Seabee inn with a 19th century Victorian design (and a nearby Japanese lookout and officers quarters have been renovated into the Veranda View Conservatory Restaurant and Poolside Cafˇ and Bar), the resort has evolved into 20 spacious rooms and two grand suites that are straight out of a five-star hotel.

Our home for the next few days is one of the eight Veranda Ocean rooms, and I'm immediately impressed with immaculate wooden floors, the lazy halo of ceiling fans (there is also air conditioning), and the French doors that lead out onto a veranda with sweeping views of Chamorro Bay. Thom and I are also struck by the carefully curated artwork adorning the rooms.

The cultural accents are no accident. General Managers Christopher Gordon and Brenna Barrett explain that the resort is closely affiliated with the Ethnic Art Institute of Micronesia, a nonprofit created by the Robert Gumbiner Foundation. In a model village adjacent to the resort, local artisans now practice handicrafts that were once in danger of being forgotten. For guests, this is a bonus. Instead of shopping for postcards and T-shirts, Thom and I found ourselves browsing this afternoon for souvenirs in the resort's gift shop—unique wooden carvings and colorful weavings.

Thursday

"We're not at a resort," I told Thom this morning. "We're at an eccentric uncle's maritime estate for a weekend party." And indeed it feels like that. Our fellow travelers are wonderful characters straight out of a Michener novel—a couple of former Kiwi bankers from Auckland who threw in the nine-to-five towel and are sailing the South Seas aboard the Sea Fox, an ex-Peace Corps-turned-Silicon Valley business maverick and his wife, and the Gains family, scuba divers from Florida who have come to see the manta rays.

"For divers it's all about the mantas here," says Jim Gains. "This is one of maybe three places in the world you are guaranteed to see them, and Traders' Ridge has a brand new scuba center." Set at the waterfront Activity Center, it offers not only all PADI certification levels and the latest in gear, but also free Nitrox, a specialized and much safer gas for diving.

The less ambitious among us lounge around the small pool where a local Peace Corps volunteer leads water aerobics classes. Later today, I'm going to try a local turmeric treatment and massage at the small, thatched spa bure.

Friday

After a day spent exploring Yap—sea kayaking among the mangroves and hiking along the ancient stone walkways that connect villages—we have adjourned for a quiet, romantic meal of mangrove crab cakes with sweet potatoes (a local delicacy) at the Veranda View Conservatory Restaurant.

Chamorro Bay is quiet below us and the village lights are just coming up as the sun vanishes on the horizon. The night herons are croaking, and we can hear the laughter of children in the street below as they make their way home from fishing. I remember a conversation earlier today with Jim Gains. "We've been traveling around the islands for a month," he said. "Yap is our favorite. Sure the diving is great and the mantas are fun, but the island also has some amazing culture. This is the true South Pacific, and it won't last forever."

Traders' Ridge Resort