Papua New Guinea

Hello everyone,

I am thinking about doing a trip to Papua New Guinea maybe for next April or May but I don't know much about the location and how to get there. From the last couple of years I heard really nice coments about Mike Ball Dive Expeditions but I would like to know if anyone had any previus experience diving with them or if you will recomend any other companies. It looks like that is one of the must amazing diving spots on the world and very prestine but just very far. Which airline do you recomend to get to Port Moresby from States ?

Thanks for all your help

David

I've been diving in PNG three times and can recommend either the Febrina or Star Dancer dive operations. We are doing the Star Dancer (I think that's the right Dancer) in Nov 07. The airline we use from Houston is Continental. We fly Continental to Guam and then Continental Micronesia to Cairns. From Cairns to Port Moresby and then on to where you decide to dive. If diving on the Dancer or the Febrina you will fly to Hoskins Airport usually. Check out their websites.

You should check out Rob van der Loos' boat in Milne Bay, the Chertan. Not part of or affiliated with any of the fleet operations, virtual or otherwise. Milne Bay is one of the most spectacular places I've ever dived - biodiversity is off the charts, and Rob knows it very well. Also a nice guy, and a very good u/w photographer himself. I've done two trips with Rob in Milne Bay, and I'm itching to do another.

The operations that mreid mentions are also very good, though I haven't been on them myself. This is a different area, both the Febrina and Star Dancer usually operate between Kimbe Bay and Rabaul.

Frogfish

David,

PNG is a big place with a bigger diversity in diving options.

Follow this link to the PNG dive association , it lists all of the diving operators in the region and would be a great starting point.

http://www.pngdive.com

This map show's the general area and location of the various airports and oeprators.

Robert's recommendation of Chertan is pretty hard to fault for a photo specific trip.

I have done several trips on the Golden Dawn and the Febrina and can recommend either very highly. The Golden Dawn has KISS rebreathers on board ( training is available ).

For land based diving Walindi is excellent.

The diving in at Loloata should not be overlooked - many folks use it as stopover on the way in or out of the country.

Cheers

If you will be in the Milne Bay area - I have been on Paradise Sport, Golden Dawn and Chertan (many times). If you are after a 5 star boat go with Paradise Sport. While Chertan is not 5 star (shared bathroom) it is certainly the most photographer friendly of all the boats and Rob knows the area better than anyone, he is also now associated with Tawali Resort for land based diving at Milne Bay.

In Kimbe Bay I have been on Star Dancer and stayed at Walindi.

In Madang - Jais arbon Resort.

In Port Moresby - Loloata Island ( if you have time to kill between flights this is an excellent location).

If you end up going on Chertan ask Rob to take you to the Manta/Macro site_- mantas 20 feet from the stern and the most amazing macro critters 20 feet from the bow.

Your post has reminded me to go back real soon

regards

ron

Don't know if it helps, but a friend of mine was just on Febrina a few weeks ago and was a bit disappointed. She said the food was great but that boat really needs to go in soon for an overhaul . . .

If you end up going on Chertan ask Rob to take you to the Manta/Macro site_- mantas 20 feet from the stern and the most amazing macro critters 20 feet from the bow.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jeez! Talk about a tough choice as to which lens to take down!!!!

FWIW, I'll second the endorsement of Chertan (especially for macro photography), Loloata as a layover place (world class diving in and of itself, and a great place to spend a few days diving -- or waiting for luggage to catch up -- at the beginning of a trip before going on to your ultimate destination), and Kimbe Bay aboard Febrina or Star Dancer. You shouldn't be disappointed diving ANY of those areas!

Don't know if it helps, but a friend of mine was just on Febrina a few weeks ago and was a bit disappointed.  She said the food was great but that boat really needs to go in soon for an overhaul . . .

I'll leave it at that...

Hi David,

I've been on the Star Dancer there and I was very happy with that.

Generally the Star Dancer is in the Northern part of New Britain, but from January to March, she is in the Southern part of NB, because of the heavy rain in the North. The advantage of that boat is that all the DM are locals and they know everything and see everything.

If you are interested, you can read the article I've recently written on my travel.

http://www.braunstein.co.il/articles.asp?id=10

Have fun,

Michel

Here's another endorsement for Rob on the Chertan... Rob is just super, and knows where everything is. The boat may not be as comfy as some, but there's no one else I'd rather dive with there!

And the manta cleaning station dive is terrific. Mantas swooping overhead, and I'm distracted by an allied cowrie on a fan right next to me! Generally I do one wide and one macro dive there.

I had a great time on the Star Dancer last July. The one thing I would have liked to have seen would be Mantas, or a Whale Shark, but what I did see was terrific. Plenty of sharks including Silver Tips, schools of Jacks and Barracuda, plenty of cuttle fish and then there was the coral, the most pristine fields of different speicies and plenty tropical fish...more than I could keep track of.

We did a number of different kinds of dives, light muck, current, night dives every night, bommies, pinnacles with plenty of soft corals in a variety of colors.

For a photography devoted trip in Milne, choose Chertan or Golden Dawn and forget Paradise Sport.... too crowded.

Chheers

matetes

Well we went with Paradise Sport. Since you get to dive when you want on your own profile I had no problem in it being "too crowded". In fact they have a Solo Program which I did so when my wife didn't feel like putting in a 5th or 6th dive I could just jump in. Here is our trip report and slide show.

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11372

Slide Show

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewshow.h...l=2498992&alb=0

Hi,

I plan to stay in Papua New Guinea a few weeks after a liveaboard this year…

Can anyone recommend a land tour operator or travel agency in PNG?

My primary interests are the Mt. Hagen and Goroka festivals, birds, wildlife, etc.

Any other tips, or not to be missed places?

Thank you,

Marcelo Krause

Try to go in August to see the Mt. Hagen festival. I also went to Bensbach, Kawarari, and Ambua Lodge/Tari.

http://echeng.com/travel/papuanewguinea/

The land portion of my trip was much more interesting than the underwater part.