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 6-7, 2009 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.

Download Tufis latest brochure (.pdf, 1MB)

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.

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.

2010 - Packages (7 Nights/10 Dives)	Dbl/Twin per person	Single
Deluxe Bungalow (per person)	AU$ 1940	AU$ 2500
Standard Bungalow (per person)	AU$ 1765	AU$ 1975
2 Nights Village Stay Included: Private Room, All Meals, English-Speaking Guide Additional cost: Cost for return Boat Transfer	AU$ 180 AU$ 180	AU$ 180 AU$ 180
Package Inclusions: * Meet & greet at Tufi Airport * 7 nights accommodation in a deluxe/standard bungalow as specified * All meals at resort * 10 boat dives with tanks & weights * children under 10 get meals/accommodation free of charge if sharing with parents * PNG VAT (10%) Extra costs : * Return flights Port Moresby-Tufi (with Airlines PNG), please inquire for pricing
Additional Diving:	Per Dive:
Wharf Dives (dive guide, tanks/weights)	AU$ 30
Night Wharf Dive (after 19:00) (dive guide, tanks/weights)	AU$ 50
Additional Nights (includes all meals):	Dbl/Twin per person/night	Single per night
Deluxe Bungalow (per person/night; incl all meals)	AU$ 170	AU$ 250
Standard Bungalow (per person/night; incl all meals)	AU$ 145	AU$ 175
Cultural Tours	Price
Half Day Tour (Fjord cruising, treks & canoe trips)	AU$ 75
Full Day Tour (includes as above PLUS village visits, lunch & swimming)	AU$ 150
All prices are per person and valid until 31 December 2010 Extra: Environmental & Safety Fee of PGK 12.00 pp/per dive day is payable directly to the operator Note: Special packages available from Australia and New Zealand, for further details, please contact us