Set on a limestone headland 25 metres above the ocean, surrounded by fishing villages and backed by lush jungle in a secluded area of Milne Bay, Tawali is accessible only by boat. Nina Karnikowski explores.

Credit: Tawali Dive Resort

The Tawali Dive Resort was built by local craftsmen, with carved totem poles and woodwork featuring throughout, and guest bungalows are connected by covered walkways, making it feel like a true jungle retreat.

Something special

The focus here is scuba diving, being on the doorstep of some of Papua New Guinea’s best dive sites. Explore the well-known muck diving sites at Lawadi and Observation Point, the many nearby World War 2 wreck dive sites and Giants@Home, one of the most reliable places in PNG to see and interact with manta rays near Samarai Island. Visibility is optimal during the wet season, from June through to August.

Don’t miss

A trip to the Milne Bay skull cave, an underground cavern filled with the skulls of ancestors. A powerful experience.

Details

From PGK385 a night; see tawali.com.

This is an extract of the story ‘Three of a kind’, which was first published in the May-June edition of Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.