Tufi Diving Holidays
Located in Oro Province in the south east of mainland of Papua New Guinea, Tufi is a remote part of the country with a lot to offer both divers and non-divers alike. Stunning diving both in the 'fjords' and on the offshore reefs, cultural tours and all sorts of outdoor pursuits. Tufi will be a highlight of any Papua New Guinea itinerary.
A one hour flight from Port Moresby (via a short touchdown in Popondetta) you cruise into Tufi over turquoise waters and stunning reefs before touchdown on a tiny landing strip; you won't find many airports like this around the world.
The area is known for its vast fjord system; inland waterways where the lush landscape drops dramatically into the sea. The scenery really is dramatic and is very beautiful.
This area is not just for divers as there is a lot more on offer. There are cultural tours to the local village where you are paddled up the river on traditional canoes by locals in colourful traditional dress, and given demonstrations of ancient practices such as facial tattooing, how to make sago (the local staple carbohydrate) and warrior practices. You could even consider a kayak safari with a night or two staying in local villages. Then there is fishing, beach picnics, hiking...you won't get bored in Tufi.
And then there is the diving, and it is stunning. There are more than 15 local dive sites that range from muck diving in the fjords and the inner reefs, to the further afield (about 40 minutes by speedboat) outer reefs which are where you will find the big stuff. These reefs are coral bommies rising up from the deep and there are still many to be discovered with the best of the known ones being Cyclone Reef, Veale Reef, Mulloway and Stewart Reef. There are also a couple of wrecks in the local area such as S'Jacob, a Dutch merchant ship that was sunk during a Japanese air raid in WWII though this is only for experienced divers.
Sightings of hammerheads (even an albino one!), and a variety of reef sharks are common, but it's not just the big fish that are the attraction here. The coral is incredibly healthy and there is a wide variety of macro life, so overall there is much to appeal to divers no matter what their preference.
Overall, this is an excellent place to spend a few days whether a diver or not. The location couldn't be more stunning and what lies beneath the waves more than matches the promise of what you see on the surface.
