Papua New Guinea |
Papua New Guinea, or PNG as it is often known, occupies the eastern half of New Guinea - and island it shares with Indonesia. To the north is the Pacific Ocean, to the south Australia’s Coral Sea and to the east the Bismark & Solomon Seas. The area is a melting pot of marine life and one of the most diverse and spectacular marine environments on the planet.
For the adventurous, it is the ultimate travel destination where remote, pristine rain-forests tumble down from towering peaks into crystal clear waters teeming with life. In terms of culture it is equally rich, with hundreds of indigenous, traditional communities & around 800 distinct languages. Many of these communities have little or no contact with the outside world.
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The majority of PNG’s diving hotspots are in the east of the country, either on the south-eastern peninsula around the islands of New Ireland & New Britain.
On the south coast of the mainland, the capital, Port Moresby has excellent diving, while on the north coast, Madang has beautiful reefs and is a hotspot for marine scientists due to its diversity. Further down the coast, Tufi is a region of stunning fjords that is blessed with superb visibility and a wealth of marine life.
At the south-eastern tip of the mainland is Milne Bay. It is one of the countries original and most famous diving areas. The term ‘muck-diving’ was actually coined here and it is still considered one of the world’s best spots for critter hunting.
To the north-east, separating the Bismark & Solomon Seas, New Britain Island has two famous dive areas. Kimbe Bay is a photographers dream - with a huge level of diversity and spectacular corals, while Rabaul is famous for its WWII wrecks. On the tip of New Ireland, Kavieng offers more outstanding diving experiences & plenty of big fish encounters.
In terms of marine life, PNG really does have it all. It is one of the best places for Shark encounters, with many species commonly seen from Bronze Whalers to Epaulette Sharks. Eagle Rays and Manta Rays are common, as are large numbers of pelagic hunters such as Tuna, Trevally & Barracuda.
In terms of coral life, Papua New Guinea is almost unrivaled. Most of its reefs are still in pristine or almost pristine condition and the diversity of species can only really be matched by Indonesia or the Philippines. These corals hide a wealth of smaller marine life as well, with many rare, cryptic & sought after species such as Pygmy Seahorses, Frogfish & Lacy Scorpionfish.
It is also one of the world’s top destinations for wreck diving due to the abundance of WWII wrecks dotted around its coasts, including some very interesting aeroplane wrecks.
The majority of Papua New Guinea's diving is Liveaboard diving, although increasingly it is becoming possible to dive from land, with a number of resorts set up specifically to cater for divers. Port Moresby, Kimbe Bay, Madang & Tufi are the best spots for those wanting land-based diving.
   
Papua New Guinea has a wet season that runs from December until March, but being a mountainous, heavily rain-forested area in the tropics, it receives plenty of rainfall all year round. This does not detract from the diving though, which is excellent all year-round in most places. The very best conditions for particular spots tend to be very dependent on local climate and geography and vary from place to place.
As much of the country is remote & inaccessible and infrastructure is limited, PNG is not the cheapest place to visit. Accommodation is normally in dedicated dive resorts that offer dive & accommodation packages, or on Liveaboards. The only practical way to travel is by air. Generally, PNG is for adventurous travelers with a little cash, rather than those on a very tight budget.
Papua New Guinea has one of the most imposing landscapes of any country in the world, and minimal infrastructure in many places. This makes it incredibly beautiful but difficult to travel around. Roads are conspicuous by their absence and the only practical ways to get around are by boat and by air.
Fortunately, the popular diving areas areas all connected by Air Niugini from the capital Port Moresby, so reaching these spots is relatively easy. Travel outside these areas is expensive and difficult though.
Nationals of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the UK and the USA may all apply for a 60-day tourist visa on arrival. Visitors from other countries should arrange visas in advance. Proof of funds for your stay and an onward or return airline ticket are required.
Alternatively, 60 day tourist visas can be arranged in advance from an embassy. If you do not have a PNG embassy, it is worth checking with the Australian Embassy, who can sometimes arrange visas.
Papua New Guinea’s people are both diverse & unique. The impenetrable geography of the country has meant that many communities have grown-up in almost complete isolation. Most of Papua New Guinea’s population are still rural, living in traditional villages & making a living from subsistence farming. There are over 800 languages and many communities and cultures were completely unknown to the western world until very recently. There are few more fascinating peoples anywhere in the world.
Papua New Guinea is very remote. For this reason, safety should always be taken seriously by visitors to PNG. Dive operations and resorts are run to a very high standard though and health & safety are not taken lightly.
Port Moresby, the capital, has a high crime rate and a number of social problems as PNG’s many peoples try to make the transition from traditional rural life to modern urban life.
This should not detract from visiting the region though as you are likely to be taken straight from the airport to your resort.
   
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| Milne Bay can be found at the south-eastern tip of mainland Papua New Guinea.
The surrounding area, encompassing numerous island groups both to the north & the south, is one of the country's first & most famous dive spots & the original home of muck-diving... |
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Kimbe Bay is known for its stunning coral formations and boasts a huge diversity of marine life, from Dolphins, Sharks and Whales to endless tiny invertebrates. Incredibly, around seventy percent of all Indo-Pacific marine species can be found in the area...
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Main Diving Areas
What to See
Logistics
Costs
Ease of Travel
Visas
The People
Safety