Papua New Guinea Diving
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Papua New Guinea is a diver's paradise with the fourth largest surface area of coral reef ecosystem in the world (40,000 km2 of reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves in 250,000 km2 of seas), and underwater diversity with 2500 species of fish, corals, and molluscs. There are more dive sites than you can shake a stick at, with many more to be discovered, and barely a diver on them. The dive centres are so far apart that there is only ever one boat at any dive site.
Papua New Guinea has only six dive resorts and two year-round liveaboards with scheduled departures. As a result, as well as getting the best reef diving int he world, you don't have to share it with many other divers. |
In the heart of the coral triangle, PNG is home to over 75% of the world's hard coral species, and more fish, crustacean and mollusc species than you will find anywhere else, generally in visibility between 25 and 50 metres (75 to 150 feet). It also has an abundance of WW2 plane and ship wrecks in two locations, and some unique and rare creatures like the weedy scorpionfish, the Milne Bay and Papua epaulette "walking" sharks, Coleman's pygmy seahorse, albino hammerheads, and more.
PNG is one of the few places left in the world where a diver can see macro critters, large schools of pelagics, and big stuff, as well as fantastic soft and hard corals. The often misused and abused adjective “pristine” is actually appropriate here, due to low fishing pressure in the area in comparison to other areas of the Coral Triangle, no dynamite fishing, and thanks to a system implemented by dive resorts whereby local reef "owners" receive a small fee for every diver that visits "their" reef. As a result elders make sure that the reefs are not fished.
PNG is one of the few places left in the world where a diver can see macro critters, large schools of pelagics, and big stuff, as well as fantastic soft and hard corals. The often misused and abused adjective “pristine” is actually appropriate here, due to low fishing pressure in the area in comparison to other areas of the Coral Triangle, no dynamite fishing, and thanks to a system implemented by dive resorts whereby local reef "owners" receive a small fee for every diver that visits "their" reef. As a result elders make sure that the reefs are not fished.
Papua New Guinea Dive Resorts
Tufi Dive Resort
Tufi nestles atop the fjords of Tufi harbour, on the Cape Nelson peninsula in Oro Province. With 40 plus offshore reef sites, and some world-class marco diving int he fjords, Tufi is an excellent choice in any itinerary. The offshore reefs have manta cleaning stations, rare albino scalloped hammerhead sharks, amazing corals and tons of fish. The extensive house reef is right in front of the dive shop, and other reefs are between 10 and 60 minutes' boat ride away, depending on conditions.The sea is generally flat from September to May, but in the windy season, from May to mid-September, the offshore reefs can be hard to reach.
Tufi has 23 rooms in three different categories, all with en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning, balconies, and either sea or fjord views. Over the last 10 years, Tufi's meals have maintained the same levels of excellence, despite being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Flights from Port Moresby are Monday morning, Wednesday and Friday afternoon.
Tufi has 23 rooms in three different categories, all with en-suite bathrooms and air-conditioning, balconies, and either sea or fjord views. Over the last 10 years, Tufi's meals have maintained the same levels of excellence, despite being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. Flights from Port Moresby are Monday morning, Wednesday and Friday afternoon.
Walindi Plantation Resort
Walindi Plantation Resort, established in 1983, is an intimate dive resort situated on the shores of Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britain. Walindi is world famous for its quality of diving, international award-winning photography and warm hospitality. The resort's guest book reads like a Who's Who in the world of sport diving and underwater photography and the resort. Kimbe Bay has over 40 dive sites, from 10 to 60 minutes' boat ride from the dive centre. Offshore pinnacles with barracuda tornados and schools of jacks, grey reef sharks and friendly turtles, coupled wityh excellent macro and great guides make Walindi an amazing diving location. a Walindi can be affected by the rainy season from December to March, and historically August can be rather windy.
Walindi Resort offers 12 traditional style, self-contained bungalows spread along the beachfront, and 8 Plantation House Rooms, all surrounded by rainforest gardens. Bungalow facilities include ensuite bathrooms, ceiling fans, large windows to catch the tropical breezes, and private verandas overlooking the beach and gardens. Plantation House Rooms are in 2 blocks of 4 rooms, slightly smaller than the bungalows and with all the same facilities, except each block of four rooms share one verandah. Daliy flights (sometimes two) from Port Moresby, and flights to Rabaul and onwards to Kavieng.
Walindi Resort offers 12 traditional style, self-contained bungalows spread along the beachfront, and 8 Plantation House Rooms, all surrounded by rainforest gardens. Bungalow facilities include ensuite bathrooms, ceiling fans, large windows to catch the tropical breezes, and private verandas overlooking the beach and gardens. Plantation House Rooms are in 2 blocks of 4 rooms, slightly smaller than the bungalows and with all the same facilities, except each block of four rooms share one verandah. Daliy flights (sometimes two) from Port Moresby, and flights to Rabaul and onwards to Kavieng.
Lissenung Island Resort
Lissenung Island Resort is located a 20-minute boat ride from Kavieng, the capital of New Ireland Province, a two-hour flight from Port Moresby, or a thirty minute flight from Rabaul and Rapopo Plantation Resort, where it is also possible to connect to a flight to Hoskins for Walindi Plantation Reser, the MV Febrina, and the MV Oceania. The resort was started by Dietmar Amon in early 1996 and it still remains all there is on the island. Seven ocean-front rooms in four duplex bungalows, furnished with hardwood floors and spacious verandahs, are spread out over the island. Other than a handful of local staff, you won’t see another soul, and you can easily circumnavigate the island in about 10 – 15 minutes.
Deckchairs and a bottle of wine on the beach at sunset time are the perfect way to end an exciting day of diving. A minimum age limit of 12 years for our guests ensures a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere. With a maximum of 14 guests, personal service is guaranteed and your holiday truly spectacular!
Located at the meeting point of the Bismarck Sea or the South Pacific, Lissenung has many sites providing excellent reef, wall, and pass diving. As an key Japanese supply base in WW2, the area has some rare and beautiful WW2 plane wreck dive sites too.
Deckchairs and a bottle of wine on the beach at sunset time are the perfect way to end an exciting day of diving. A minimum age limit of 12 years for our guests ensures a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere. With a maximum of 14 guests, personal service is guaranteed and your holiday truly spectacular!
Located at the meeting point of the Bismarck Sea or the South Pacific, Lissenung has many sites providing excellent reef, wall, and pass diving. As an key Japanese supply base in WW2, the area has some rare and beautiful WW2 plane wreck dive sites too.
Rapopo Plantation Resort
Rapopo Plantation Resort is conveniently located between Kokopo and Tokua Airport and is part of a working plantation. The resort has an idyllic setting, surrounded by a working cocoa and coconut plantation. It is about a 5-minute drive to Kokopo and a 10-minute drive to Tokua (Rabaul) Airport. The resort is right on the beach front, overlooking Pigeon Island and the bellowing Mt Tavurvur. The resort is quiet except the sound of the breaking waves. The magnificent views of Mt Tavurvur at daybreak and sunset are superb. The in-house dive shop specialises in diving the many World War 2 Japanese ship wrecks and plane wrecks in the area, but also does some reef diving when the wind permits (best from September to June, though January to March is the rainy season).
Madang Resort
Madang is located just a 50-minute flight from Port Moresby on the north coast. Madang is a canvas crowded with many different textures and colours, climate, topography, wildlife, culture, people and languages and underwater beauty that is hard to compare with anywhere else in the world. The resort is ideally located with deep water frontage onto Dallman Passage and Yamilon Lagoon. The Madang harbour has more than 30 coral laced islands ideal for snorkelling and diving from hard corals to swaying soft corals, small critters to schooling jacks and barracudas. A wide variety of diving is available including wall dives, shipwrecks and a WW2 B25 Mitchell bomber teeming with tropical fish life that will blow your mind. At Planet Rock you may see hammerhead sharks and many other species in crystal clear waters and dives can also be arranged at the nearby offshore islands of Bagabag, Kar Kar, Manam and Boisa Islands.
PNG Liveaboards and Dive Cruises
Over the years PNG has seen a number of dive cruise liveaboard boats come and go, for a variety of reasons. Today there are two boats, Febrina and Oceania, that are fully operational, running scheduled trips year round, and one vessel, Solomons PNG Master, visiting PNG seasonally. There are also three other boats, Golden Dawn, Undersea Explorer, and Chertan, available for private charter, subject to availability.
Why book with us?
- We've been diving, exploring and touring Papua New Guinea since 2010. Our Managing Director, Christopher Bartlett, has logged over 700 dives in the country, spends 2 months a year in country checking up on service providers, leading cultural tours to festivals, birding, and exploring new spots for new trips in the highlands regions and the Sepik.
- We have established close-knit relationships with local in the Eastern and Western Highlands and Sepik River regions, leading to some exceptionally rich experiences for our more intrepid clients. Our team on the ground in the Asaro Valley and Sepik ensure that you arrive as a client and leave as a friend.
- We doubt that you will find another tour operator with our breadth of experience and knowledge covering diving and land tours.
- Our network of contacts with the local airlines and resorts is well-nurtured and close and we fully understand both the intricacies of travel in PNG and our client's various and differing requirements.
- We represent PNG resorts at international dive and travel shows in Europe and the USA and are an approved PNG Guinea inbound tour operator, see the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority website here.
- We have been involved in remote-location tourism, from expeditions to luxury travel for the best part of 15 years.
- We are an international company, with bank accounts in USD, GBP, EUR, and AUD, amongst others, and accept card payments.