Madang: how good is it?

Hi all

I'm backpacking through PNG as well as Indonesia and the Philippines next year.

I'm going to be going to Madang - how good is the diving there, really?

I am planning on going to Kavieng for a week first and if the diving is that much better up and around there (Cheaper too?) I don't mind spend the week that I was going to spend in Madang up there.

Please advise!

Cheers

Adam

Better in what way? Madang has very pretty coral reefs and walls, and the pelagic life at Planet Rock can be prolific when dived at the right time. However many times it's not safe to dive due to strong currents.

Kavieng has more WWII plane wrecks and certain sites in current are better for pelagics like silver tip sharks since they do feeding here. I'm sorry I can't tell you which is cheaper to dive since my prices were quite a while ago.

I like Madang for the colors and variety of fish, but Kavieng has the channels (thus a few more sites with thick fish life)and plane wrecks. Nusa Resort, Malagan Hotel and Lissenung are the 3 places I'm familiar with in Kavieng. All of them can reach the marquee sites. Dorian of Scubaventures (Nusa) knows more of the plane wrecks since my buddy and I went there for that.
Madang, I only dived on a liveaboard and at the Jas Aben. I did stay at the Madang resort but did not dive with the ops there.
If you really have too much time, do the trek from Goroka to Madang and then dive there. Just hire a guide because the security can be a bit iffy. Good luck and safe travels!

Better in what way? Madang has very pretty coral reefs and walls, and the pelagic life at Planet Rock can be prolific when dived at the right time. However many times it's not safe to dive due to strong currents.

Kavieng has more WWII plane wrecks and certain sites in current are better for pelagics like silver tip sharks since they do feeding here. I'm sorry I can't tell you which is cheaper to dive since my prices were quite a while ago.

I like Madang for the colors and variety of fish, but Kavieng has the channels (thus a few more sites with thick fish life)and plane wrecks. Nusa Resort, Malagan Hotel and Lissenung are the 3 places I'm familiar with in Kavieng. All of them can reach the marquee sites. Dorian of Scubaventures (Nusa) knows more of the plane wrecks since my buddy and I went there for that.

Madang, I only dived on a liveaboard and at the Jas Aben. I did stay at the Madang resort but did not dive with the ops there.

If you really have too much time, do the trek from Goroka to Madang and then dive there. Just hire a guide because the security can be a bit iffy. Good luck and safe travels!

Out of the two Kavieng would be my pick. As mentioned Planet rock in Madang is a fair dive, there is also the wreck of a B25. But Kavieng has a wider variety of wreck and reefs