Products / Accommodation / PNG / Lissenung

Paradise Does Exist

Ange and Dietmar, the owners of Lissenung Island, have come a long way since they first set up their little Robinson island in the mid 1990s. The rough edges have been 'filed away', and without changing the lovely and unpretentious setting of this quiet and remote island, they have made considerable improvements to the accommodations and facilities. Almost all of the 7 rooms now feature spotlessly clean, modern ensuite bathrooms, spacious covered verandahs (some with daybeds), gleaming wooden floors and the intricate woodwork the Kavieng region is famous for. Sandy pathways, fringed by fragrant floral plants and tropical shrubs, meander between all bungalows and beach facilities. At night tiki lights lead the way to the main house, which was designed to let nature in, with a sandy floor, handcrafted furniture and comfortable lounges and beautifully decorated with masks and other local artwork. This is where everyone comes together a few times a day for lovingly prepared meals, games and stories or a quiet afternoon with a good book. Next door and adjacent to the dive shed is the newly-built, spacious and airconditioned office with separate desks for guests who would like to send emails or digitalise their photographs.

Lissenung Island has a soft pink sand beach, which is extremely rare in PNG; the perfect place for happy hour drinks as the sun goes down. Just a few fin kicks away is the very entertaining house reef, bustling with activity and with a surprising number of inhabitants - we counted 6 different species of clown fish, colourful staghorn, plate and brain coral, multi-coloured nudibranchs and schools of trevally and snappers gathering at dusk to start hunting soon. The house reef is about 10 metres deep, and it will take quite a few days to explore in its entirety.

Nearby Kavieng, the main town of New Ireland province, is a remote area even by PNG standards. Supply ships arrive irregularly, and produce we all take for granted at our local supermarkets may be scarce for months at a time. Under these difficult circumstances the inventive menus prepared in the Lissenung kitchen deserve high praise indeed, as does their little herb and vegetable patch. Fish, lobster, crayfish and chicken feature quite often, and vegetarian versions may also be ordered at any time, though meat and milk products are always difficult to find in this part of the world.

Life on Lissenung Island is deceptively simple but never dull, and each guest is well looked after at all times. This is the perfect place to unwind from stressful city life and stay close to nature, listening to the birds in the trees and the waves lapping on the beach, where carefree hours of leisure between dives tick by just a little more slowly than everywhere else. Excursions to neighbouring islands and village visit are easily arranged. With a maximum of only 14 divers and snorkellers Lissenung is often booked out by families or friends travelling together and thus enjoying their own private island, and even fully booked this island will never feel crowded.

Accommodation

There are three bungalow blocks, each bungalow has two private rooms. Six rooms have their own private facilities.
1 room has shared shower and toilet building which are just a short stroll away.

Although the water is not heated, the warm environment usually ensures that the water temperature is pleasant. Every room has ceiling fans, fly-screens and mosquito nets.

Dive Sites

Lissenung Island is surrounded by many other low tropical islands, which channel the waterways between Pacific ocean and Bismarck Sea. Medium to strong currents are common and often unpredictable, which is good news for any diver interested in drift diving and pelagics, but there are always calm spots to be found as well. This dive region has everything: year-round warm water in all shades from turquoise to purple (at least 29C/90F or more) , massive coral walls for drift diving or leisurely exploration when the currents don't run, shallow and sandy spots near the islands for critter-spotting and muck diving, and quite a few WWII wreck dives, mostly small planes. With more than 50 world-class dive sites, you would need at least 3 visits to Lissenung Island to experience them all. Three fast and well-equipped dive boats are waiting for divers and snorkellers each morning, keeping the groups small at all times. Experienced local dive guides lead all dives, and multi-lingual PADI dive instructors take care of beginner divers and students.

Albatross Passage (watch video on this website) is one of the most diverse dive sites and only 10 min by boat from Lissenung!

There are also sheltered reefs and, of course, a number of very accessible wrecks that can be dived. Some great muck diving is available also in close proximity to the island.

Click here for general information about the diving region of Kavieng.

Dive Shop

Lissenung Island is a short boat ride away from Kavieng and has a fully qualified PADI dive base. Dietmar has been running the dive operation for many years and is an expert in picking the right dive spots at the right time. He also offers dive courses on Lissenung.

The resort's three dive boats are perfectly designed for diving. Each boat is equipped with a dive ladder, canopy for sun protection, equipment boxes, tank racks and a ladder. The dive boats will have you at any of the dive sites within 20 - 30 minutes.

The latest addition (November '08) is the larger dive boat "Andiamo" which is a 26 ft fibreglass boat with twin 140HP 4-stroke Suzuki outboard engine and can comfortably carry 10 divers, 2 dive guides and the driver.

There are also two smaller dive boats, "Raven" and "Carola".
"Raven" is a 24 ft fibreglass boat with a single 115HP 4-stroke outboard engine and can comfortably carry 6-8 divers. "Carola" is a 23 ft fibreglass boat with a single 75 HP outboard engine, ideal for 4 - 6 divers divers. A DAN oxygen unit for emergency situations is on board each boat and the dive staff are trained in its use.

Day trips for divers staying in other hotels in the Kavieng area are also available.

Last but not least there is a great bonus feature: Located just off the beach is a fantastic house reef. At least 175 different species of fish have been counted on our house reef, and that the list is not quite complete yet! You get free shore day-diving on Lissenung's house reef while staying at Lissenung Island Resort! Interesting for day (for free as many as you like before 6pm) as well as night dives (night dives are guided and will be charged locally).

Special Excursions

All year round you can extend your stay at Lissenung with a village guest house stay at remote Tsoi Lik Island. This is a truly unique experience. Apart from visiting dive sites that are seldomly seen (eg: Big Fish Reef, Turtle Reef ). You will get a much better idea about the reality and beauty of Pacific Island life.                  

More details: 6 day/5 night Lissenung Island Resort / New Hanover combo
More details: 9 day/8 night Exploratory Trip 12-20 June 2010

Trip report 9day exploratory June 2009 (.pdf)

Fly & dive packages ex Australia available now more details ...

Rates valid until 31 March 2011
Accommodation/Meals (per person/per night)	Double/Twin	Single
Double bungalow with ensuite bathroom (incl. all meals)	AU$ 125	AU$ 180
Double/twin bungalow share bathroom (incl. all meals)	AU$ 105	AU$ 120
Return Airport Transfers	AU$ 35 per person
Diving rates (per person)	1 Dive	2 Dives	3 Dives
Boat dives packages (dive guide, tanks/weights)	AU$ 80	AU$ 135	AU$ 185
Hire gear (BCD, regulator, mask, fins, wetsuit)	AU$ 25 per day
Extra: Environmental & Safety Fee of PGK 12.00 pp/per dive day is payable directly to the operator.