Remote world class diving, trekking, kayaking &
cultural activities
"Scandinavia
in the Tropics", would be the right description
for Tufi, which is still a well kept secret on the
international dive market. The small community of
Tufi is located 250 kms east north-east of Port Moresby
on the northern coast, roughly half way between Lae
& Alotau. Tufi is one of he most remote and isolated
areas in PNG, accessible only by a twin otter aircraft
that operates 3 days per week. There are no roads
connecting Tufi with any other regions in PNG.
TUFI
Cultural Show
JUNE 7-9, 2008
Visit one of PNG's most authentic celebration of traditional
culture.
Ask for Dive and Show packages.
Tufi Dive Resort is nestled into the flanking slopes of
Mount Trafalgar overlooking sheer rock faces that plunge
into an enclosed picturesque fjord draped in exotic rainforest
down to the water's edge.
Click here
for general information about the diving regions of Tufi.
Features
Tufi
Resort is one of the more luxurious dive resorts in PNG,
and offers splendid 180 degree views over the fjord.
The
main building houses a dining room, lounge, bar, reception,
office and laundry. Built from timber to harmonise with
tropical surroundings, it features traditional woven walls
and exquisite carvings from many regions of PNG. It's an
inviting place to relax, relive the day's diving experiences
and plan tomorrow's unique diving, trekking or kayaking
adventures. Outside is a terraced dining area with spectacular
views.
In the evening sit back, relax by the bar, and enjoy the
sunset. When you have worked up an appetite, the restaurant
serves a lavish mix of local seafood, vegetables and real
tropical fruits. The tariff includes all meals at the resort
as well as lunch on dive excursions.
Accommodation
The
resort has 12 rooms, each with a double and single bed.
The deluxe units are just that…probably the highest
standard of accommodation offered in PNG - spacious, adorned
with local designs, timber floors and all the mod-cons…air
con, ensuite bathrooms, hair dryer, toiletries, tea &
coffee making facilities etc.. Mercifully,
there's no TV in any of the rooms. Each unit has it's own
large private balcony overlooking the fjord.
The
conventional units offer the same facilities inside except
that the room is slightly smaller and not quite so well
finished - also the balconies offers slightly lesser views
over the fjords!
Dive
Sites
There
are two distinctly different areas for diving at Tufi. The
excellent outer reef system and the sheltered fjords around
Tufi, ideal for "muck diving" opportunities. In
addition, some wrecks can be dived on longer outings.
Most of the outer reefs are located up to 1.5 hours away
from the the dive shop.
In this area there are many reefs to choose from - an underwater
landscape of sea mounts, pinnacles and vertical walls. Commercial
fishing is rare here so these reefs are in pristine condition.
Visibility is usually excellent, and the abundance of marine
life is immediately evident with schools of pelagics (jacks,
barracuda, tuna, dolphins), various shark species and a
huge variety of healthy soft coral species with all the
accompanying macro-life you would expect. In particaular,
Mullaway Reef & Bev's Bommie are worth a special mention.
In contrast to outer reef sites, a muck dive from the wharf
offers the opportunity to encounter plenty of cool creatures
- loads of pipe fish, stone-fish, ghost pipe fish, nudibranch's,
flat worms and even some resident mandarin fish - plenty
to keep the eyes peeled. The best time to dive Tufi is from
October to April each year.
Click here
for more information about diving Tufi.
Dive
Shop
The
dive operation is organised directly through the resort
- the Tufi Dive shop is located down by the wharf - a 5
minute walk or drive from the resort. The shop is fully
self-contained, there's sufficient dive gear for hire and
limited items for purchase available. It is generally recommended
to bring your own dive gear and spares.
The team at Tufi Dive consists of instructors, dive masters
and dive guides - all diving is carried out under the guidance
of a PADI open water instructor.
They have a fleet of three day boats, one a 7m (23') Stinger
craft with a 55hp outboard motor for inshore diving. A 5m
(16') tri hulled covered sightseeing vessel is available
to transport guests around the fjords and day trips to local
villagers, and a 9.5 m (32') vessel has also been acquired
that will cater for all off shore day dives. This vessel
is fully equipped with dive platform, camera wash and toilet
and shower facilities. It has all of the modern navigation
aids such as GPS chart plotter, radar, HF and VHF radio,
and depth sounders. It has a cruising speed of 20 knots,
which will enable divers to reach their destinations in
a very short time. All vessels are well equipped with first
aid kits and oxygen therapy equipment.
Non
divers can snorkel in the fjords or join the scuba divers
on their trips to outer reefs.
As members of the PNG Divers Association, Tufi supports
the Hyperbaric Chamber in Port Moresby. A contribution of
2 Kina per dive helps to maintain the facility. In an emergency,
PNG offers excellent medivac facilities. It is mandatory
that you have a suitable dive evacuation insurance before
you travel to Tufi.
Photo/Video Facilities
Currently no special photo facilities are available. Make
sure you bring enough film and spare batteries.
Activities
What
makes Tufi unique compared to any other PNG resort is its
accessibility to the village and the local community which
has retained much of it's original lifestyle & culture.
The resort itself is a part of the village and it's easy
just to wander along the various tracks to visit the neighbours
and enjoy this unique landscape. Personal safety is just
not an issue here - the locals are the friendliest and most
approachable you are likely to meet anywhere in PNG.
There are some excellent escorted half and full day trips
which offer some great trekking, kayaking & cultural
opportunities. Not to be missed is a half-day visit to the
beautiful Kofure Village. There's also a clean & comfortable
guest house in the village that makes for a unique village
stay experience which we can be pre-arranged.
For vistors to PNG who want to experience a combination
of great diving, trekking, kayaking and cultural activities
without spending valuable time flying all over over the
place, Tufi Dive Resort is a great sole-destination option.
Access
This is a
very remote area of PNG and the village is fringed by rugged
mountain ranges on one side and the coastline on the other,
so Tufi can only be accessed by aircraft. Currently, Airlines
of PNG operates 3 services per week between Port Moresby
& Tufi and stays of 7 or 10 nights duration generally
work best with these schedules.
Please Contact
us
for further details.
2008 Package Rates
7 Nights/10 Dives
Dbl/Twin
per person
Single
Deluxe
Bungalow
(per
person)
AU$ 2340
AU$
2550
Standard
Bungalow
(per
person)
AU$
2165
AU$
2375
2
Nights Village Stay
Included: Private Room, All Meals,
English-Speaking Guide
Additional: Cost for Boat Transfer
Total cost of AU$ 180 RT to be divided
among passengers
AU$
150
AU$
90
AU$
150
AU$ 180
Package
Inclusions:
*
Return flights Port Moresby - Tufi with Airlines PNG
* Meet & greet at Tufi Airport
* 7 nights accommodation in a deluxe/standard bungalow
as specified
* All meals at Tufi
* 10 boat dives with tanks & weights supplied
* 2 Complimentary wharf dives
* children under 12 get meals/accommodation free of
charge if sharing with parents
* PNG VAT (10%)
Additional Diving:
Per Dive:
Wharf
Dives
(dive
guide, tanks/weights)
AU$
38
Night
Wharf Dive (after 19:00)
(dive
guide, tanks/weights)
AU$ 50
Additional
Nights (includes all meals):
Dbl/Twin
per person/night
Single
per person/night
Deluxe
Bungalow
(per
person/night; incl all meals)
AU$
170
AU$
200
Standard
Bungalow
(per
person/night; incl all meals)
AU$
145
AU$
175
Cultural Tours
Price
Half Day Tour
(Fjord
cruising, treks & canoe trips)
AU$ 65
Full Day Tour
(includes
as above PLUS village visits, lunch & swimming)
AU$ 130
All
prices are per person and valid until 31.12.2008
Tufi
Resort is one of the more luxurious dive resorts in PNG,
and offers splendid 180 degree views over the fjord.
In the evening sit back, relax by the bar, and enjoy the
sunset. When you have worked up an appetite, the restaurant
serves a lavish mix of local seafood, vegetables and real
tropical fruits. The tariff includes all meals at the resort
as well as lunch on dive excursions.
The
resort has 12 rooms, each with a double and single bed.
The deluxe units are just that…probably the highest
standard of accommodation offered in PNG - spacious, adorned
with local designs, timber floors and all the mod-cons…air
con, ensuite bathrooms, hair dryer, toiletries, tea &
coffee making facilities etc.. Mercifully,
there's no TV in any of the rooms. Each unit has it's own
large private balcony overlooking the fjord.
The team at Tufi Dive consists of instructors, dive masters
and dive guides - all diving is carried out under the guidance
of a PADI open water instructor.
What
makes Tufi unique compared to any other PNG resort is its
accessibility to the village and the local community which
has retained much of it's original lifestyle & culture.
The resort itself is a part of the village and it's easy
just to wander along the various tracks to visit the neighbours
and enjoy this unique landscape. Personal safety is just
not an issue here - the locals are the friendliest and most
approachable you are likely to meet anywhere in PNG.
Independent
