Aqua-Firma always places a special focus on locations which have great terrestrial wilderness and bountiful marine life. Papua New Guinea is a prime candidate with vast areas of both pristine rainforest and coral reef; colourful tribal cultures scattered from high mountains to tropical islands; birds of paradise; volcanoes and more.

A journey to Papua New Guinea cannot possibly feel like ‘doing’ the place. There is so much to explore above and below the water that you will find yourself immersed in a world that time forgot, scratching deep below what feels like an unfathomable surface. No one can possibly say that they know all the corners of Papua New Guinea – it’s simply too difficult to get around.

It is worth quoting a few numbers when describing Papua New Guinea, beginning with Tribal Culture. When we take you into the rainforest, an hour by motor canoe might take you past tribal villages spanning three or four unrelated languages.  Across PNG, there are a total of 848 known languages, spread amongst a modest population of 7 million people. Whilst very much a thing of the past, cannibalism and tribal wars have played a major role in isolating communities and preventing integration. Today, contests are more often settled at a festival where tribes compete for the most elaborate costumes and displays, or take to a patch of grass to play their national sport of rugby league.

Authentic Experiences for Passionate Travellers

Do you yearn for the open road? Or do you prefer leaving logistics in the hands of an expert guide? Offering everything from escorted small-group holidays led by the best guides in the business to leisurely self drives, or how about a perfectly formed short break? We provide maximum choice and flexibility and we’ve been tailor making spectacular holidays for 35 years. We’ll show you hidden gems and take you on unforgettable adventures. We’ll recommend our favourite, tried-and-tested hotels and suggest itineraries and experiences that reveal the magic of a destination – whether you’ve got a few days to spare or several weeks to immerse yourself in a country.

Papua New Guinea Holidays

Mysterious, magnificent, yet rarely visited, Papua New Guinea can seem both irresistibly exotic and impossibly remote. By joining one of our expedition cruises, however, all logistics are taken care of as you set sail on a voyage rich in culture, history and natural beauty.

Both of our cruises begin with a charter flight from Cairns to Madang in northeast PNG. You have a choice of either a pioneering exploration of the 1,126km Sepik (the longest river in New Guinea) or a wider-ranging cruise along the island’s northern coast which culminates with a crossing of the Coral Sea and disembarkation in Cairns.

One of diving’s last frontiers Papua New Guinea plays host to a collection of the world’s finest reef diving regions. Here deep waters run adjacent to the mainland and neighbouring islands which in turn offers excellent chances of pelagic sightings such as sharks and rays. Combine this with pristine coral reefs and vibrant marine life and you have all the ingredients for a premier dive destination.

Kimbe Bay, Witu and Fathers Reef offer exceptional diving in the shape of huge soft corals and barrel sponges, big fish make for regular sightings in the open ocean north east of Kimbe with silvertips and grey reefs not uncommon.

We’ve handpicked a number of preferred operators throughout the region to offer a scope of the finest diving and land based opportunities. Walindi Plantation Resort is located in Kimbe Bay and is run in conjunction with FeBrina Liveaboard allowing easy access to local sites of New Britain and also the more remote regions of Witu and Father’s Reef.

Tufi Resort is easily accessed from Port Moresby on the north eastern coastline of the country, this is beautifully located resort is surrounded by inlets and dense tropical rainforest and offers superb diving. For land based we can arrange tours inland to Mt Hagan for authentic culture and beautiful topside vistas.

Noble Caledonia’s raison d’être has from our earliest days been to offer varied cruises on vessels of a certain style and size. Such small ships allow us to create itineraries and an onboard ambience that is conducive to exploring the world and learning of its wonders in the company of like-minded travellers.  It is our view that the best way to achieve this ideal is to limit the number of passengers to such a size that allows the camaraderie to grow between passengers thereby creating a warm and friendly atmosphere onboard. Small numbers onboard also allow the crew and staff to provide a more personal and caring service, something which is not feasible on larger vessels.

The company’s success has been built on providing an informative yet relaxed atmosphere onboard combined with a true spirit of adventure. Amongst the wealth of information on this site you will not find a seemingly endless series of similar itineraries, but many one-off voyages that can transport you to the most interesting and often little known places where only small ships can venture.

We aim to offer many types of trips from expedition cruising, small ship cruising, cruises under sail and river cruising. Every year we re-invent our long list of trips keeping some of the most popular but always offering something new.  In addition to our first love which is small ships, we also offer journeys by private plane, private train and escorted worldwide tours.

Each year our horizons widen and we hope whilst exploring our website you will find ample evidence of why Noble Caledonia is the world’s leading small ship cruising expert. Whether you join one of the trips close to home in the Hebrides or in far flung Papua New Guinea you will be assured of a warm welcome onboard and a team of knowledgeable expedition staff and guest speakers that will make your journey an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Original Diving Papua New Guinea

Original Diving are a team of committed divers, marine biologists and travellers dedicated to creating the best luxury diving holidays around the world. They create tailor-made itineraries that perfectly suit their clients’ needs, using their expert knowledge of destinations.

As one of the few countries left in the world that can still be regarded as ‘off-the-beaten-track’, Papua New Guinea boasts some truly world-class diving in unspoilt waters, with the added benefit of there being virtually no one else there. And it’s not just the underwater world that is unspoilt, in land there is plenty to be discovered, be it learning more about the country’s fascinating culture or enjoying the abundant bird and other wildlife.

The experts at Original Diving have extensively researched both the coastal and inland areas of Papua New Guinea in search of the very best accommodation, top dive sites and other must-visit spots to allow them to create fantastic bespoke diving itineraries.

The nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea, second largest island in the world, as well as many other Pacific islands, some of a considerable size such as New Britain and New Ireland, and many much smaller islands and atolls.

The most linguistically diverse country on earth, PNG has more than 850 mutually unintelligible, indigenous languages reflecting at least as many different traditional tribal societies. This astonishing cultural variety has given rise to many different forms of expression, including art, carving, dance, singing, music and flamboyant costumes and hairstyles. The colourful cultural heritage is celebrated annually at numerous large regional festivals and sing-sings, including Goroka and Mt Hagen and lesser-known Tumbuna and Kundu.

Habitats range from dense tropical rainforest to savannah and wetland plains, volcanic mountains to white sand beaches and coral reefs. The forests are home to many rare species of marsupial such as tree kangaroo, insects including the Queen Alexandra birdwing (the world’s largest butterfly) and birds such as the cassowary. However, PNG is best known for Sir Richard Attenborough’s favourites: the brilliantly coloured birds of paradise, with 38 of the 43 known species found there.

Papua New Guinea is truly one of the world’s last travel frontiers. Nature and humanity unite in a heady mix of sights and sounds, and many parts of the country remain blissfully unaffected by the ever-advancing ways of the western world. However, PNG is definitely up and coming (it received the Most Emergent Destination award from Wanderlust Magazine in 2014) and, now that Reef & Rainforest can put together tours at reasonable cost, there should be many more visitors, so go now while it’s still authentic and unspoilt.

The country’s ancient cultures still thrive and age-old traditions are still practised – visitors can attend fire-dancing ceremonies and interact with the masked mud-men of Goroka – while remnants of more recent historic events still litter some of the towns and jungles; Japanese war relics are still present in New Britain province from the second world war.

Visitors can find themselves heading to the Highlands to discover the country’s incredible birdlife, before experiencing first hand the culture and traditional lives of the indigenous Huli Wigmen, with vibrantly-painted faces and extravagant headdresses. The explosive Mt Tavurvur – an impressive stratovolcano on the coast of New Britain – is a ‘must see’ when exploring the country’s eastern islands and active travellers seeking a challenge can opt to tackle part of the gruelling Kokoda Trail through rugged landscapes to retrace the steps of wartime POWs.

The video above, courtesy of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority, offers a glimpse into the annual Sepik River Crocodile & Arts fetival, a cultural celebration held by the traditional communities of the Sepik River area, in which the freshwater crocodile is revered. Speak to Stef about joining our brand new group tour which attends this event in 2019, and learn about the beliefs and legends that surround this animal.

Lying just south of the equator and bordering Indonesia, Papua New Guinea is situated just 160km north of Australia and is part of a great arc of mountains stretching from Asia in to the South Pacific. The unique topography and prolific marine life make this an enticing country for tourists from all over the world. This fascinating land boasts more than 600 islands with magnificent scenery and beautiful coral atolls.

An experience in Papua New Guinea is truly an unforgettable one. The sublime natural beauty is simply indescribable; from rugged mountains and tropical rainforests to large wetlands and a stunning coastline. Its unique variety of wildlife includes of marsupials and birds, including the Raggiana bird-of-paradise (the national symbol) and several species of tree kangaroos. Untouched coral reefs compete with spectacular World War II wrecks for the attention of divers, and the hiking is out of this world.

Diving…

Papua New Guinea famously has a reputation for being one of the best diving destinations in the Pacific. Boasting spectacular dive sites with crystal-clear warm water, the coast of Papua New Guinea has also been nicknamed as the ‘underwater photographer’s paradise’. With potential sightings of hammerhead and whale sharks, dolphins, pilot whales, turtles and sea snakes as well as a wealth of macro opportunities in the variety of much dives available, it’s very easy to see why.

The vibrantly colourful coral atolls, walls, sea grass beds and barrier reefs provide the perfect setting for enjoyable and relaxing dives amongst the plethora of mesmerising marine life. The remoteness of these dive sites accounts for their pristine condition, with new marine species still being discovered.

Wrecks divers will be thrilled at the phenomenal wreck diving opportunities available. Dive in to history and explore the fantastic range of dive sites on a variety of World War II aircrafts, ships and submarines.

Vanimo Surf Lodge is a new surf resort near Lido Village in Vanimo, West Sepik (Sandaun) Province.

The accommodation rooms are beachfront traditional hut style with some stylish finishes.

Surfing Season in Vanimo is from November to April.  Great surfing spots near the Vanimo Surf Lodge include Lido, Waromo, Yako and Log Point.

For further information and bookings, email: dave@vanimosurflodge.com or call +61 411 823 500

Red Rock Bar & Grill is a nationally owned bar in Port Moresby.

Located at Dogura, along 6 Mile and Magi Highway, Red Rock Bar & Grill offers guests amazing views of Bootless Bay and Jacksons Airport as they enjoy the bar’s fully stocked beverages and tasty menu.

Parking and 24-hour security are available.

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Saturday – 12 pm to 2 am
Sunday – 12 pm to 12 am

For further information, call: +675 7228-0528