Alphonse Island Lodge
At Tufi, you will feel like you are millions of miles away from everything. Located in Oro Province just 80 miles east of Kokoda, Tufi Resort is only accessible by sea and air. A 50 minute flight from the capital of Port Moresby, will land you in this very unique and pristine region of PNG. A personalized boutique resort, Tufi is a hidden oasis perched atop a breath-taking fjord with 180 degree panoramic views of the sea, fjords and mountains.
The main building which incorporates the reception, gift shop, library, restaurant and alfresco bar, is a marvel of local design. There’s also a BBQ dining area as well in-ground pool with views of the fjord below. You may dine on a selection of local seafood, vegetables and tropical fruits in the resort dining room or enjoy a BBQ grill on the Fjord Terrace accompanied by a wide selection of wines and ice-cold beer.
The majority of reefs in the region remain unexplored and it will be some time before the full diversity of the Tufi reefs are known. The resort focuses on reef and muck diving and all diving is carried out under the guidance of 5-Star PADI dive professionals. At Tufi, expect to dive the fjords, discover the unique macro world and check out the WW2 PT boat wrecks. Day or night, there’s a wide variety of gobie, nudibranchs, Mandarin Fish, Ghost Pipe Fish, Pigmy Seahorse and a plethora of other fascinating creatures to get to know. A wonderful array of sponge and shelf corals line the walls of the tropical rainforest fiords making this a truly different dive environment. Besides amazing diving, resort activities include fishing, bush and nature walks, snorkeling, canoeing, traditional outrigger safaris, kayaking, trekking, bird watching, beach BBQ and great cultural interaction in the village, where you can experience many activities like sago-making, net and spear works, tapa printing, face and body tattooing.
Tufi is a stress-free environment where the locals are warm and friendly. This is an ideal place to relax, recharge and feel totally invigorated. This is the base for the Solomons/PNG Master which makes Tufi the perfect place to stay befor or after a dive cruise.
Rooms + Bungalows
The resort offers deluxe rooms, plus standard and deluxe bungalows. The deluxe bungalows have polished timber floors and the walls are lined with traditional woven materials. All the creature comforts are available, including insect screens, 24-hour electricity, air-conditioning, hot water, ensuite bathrooms, bar fridge, coffee and tea making facilities. Most bungalows have verandas overlooking the Coral Sea or Tufi fjord. Standard Bungalows are smaller but also offer air-conditioning, screens and fans, ensuite facilities and limited private balconies. The resort may also arrange a village guest room stay if you are feeling adventurous. Good news for single travelers. The resort has converted a standard room into a dorm-style room with 4 single beds.
Standard Room
Deluxe Room
Guesthouse Experience
The village eco-guest houses are a great way to experience the culture and traditional way of life. Explore with the local fishermen, go snorkeling and catch a fresh lobster for dinner and help the village people prepare your meal, the traditional way. Observe the time-honored ways of sago making, face and body tattooing, canoe construction, string bag and rope and fish net weaving. Experience their colorful dancing and their spellbound rituals. Be mesmerized by their colorful plumed head dress and their tapa cloth designs. Listen to the stories told by the elders that have been the Tufi cultural foundation for centuries. Mix and live with the friendliest people in the South Pacific.
Tufi Resort is set in a very unique and pristine region of PNG for the adventure traveller. With its clear waters, lowlands and highlands, this region offers diversity encompassing soft and hard adventure activities dependent upon fitness levels.
Trek for 3 to 5 days to the twin peaks of Mt. Trafalgar and Mt. Britannia in virgin rainforest, or experience treks in closer proximity to the resort. Experience this untouched pristine environment, which has an abundant variety of unique flora and fauna. Live in the wild under sago roofs, wash in cascading ice-cold waterfalls and explore the rainforests. Test yourself …
Tufi is the paddler’s paradise. Take a traditional outrigger safari expedition to explore the coastline from 1 to 7 days, or sea kayak down the coast, through the fjords over large coral outcrops and shelves to sandy cays, into deep fjords to take in the surrounding rainforests. Birds of Paradise, flocks of Horn Bills, Eclectic Parrots, rare Black Palm Cockatoos and numerous species of Lorikeets flourish in the treetops and fjord cliff tops.
Beautiful white sandy beaches and scattered coral reef shelves make it one of the most exciting and visibly breath-taking coastlines in Papua New Guinea. Tufi is an exciting destination for the adventurer, offering trekking and exploring, cultural interaction, village overnight stays, outrigger safaris and bird watching.
Snorkeling!
For those interested in snorkeling in PNG, the fjords at Tufi and the magnificent reef systems are perfect for relaxed exploration. With visibility up to 30m most of the year, snorkeling off Tufi is an experience for all.
Dive into the crystal clear waters straight off the Tufi Resort jetty and you can snorkel all the way into the fjords and explore what this site has to offer. The fjords at Tufi are excellent for macro diving with species such as gobies, sea horses, nudibranch, shrimps and clams. Divers’ best see this marine life, but conditions are also ideal for snorkelers. With very little current in the fjords, many sponges and coral species grow prolifically and there are some very large sponges and shelf corals that are not common on the outer reefs. For the more adventurous snorkelers, a trip to Cyclone Reef is an ideal way to spend the day in crystal clear waters. Cyclone Reef has a small coral cay that is surrounded by a pristine atoll. Our snorkeling boat ties up to our permanent buoy where you will be given an expert, guided tour of this magnificent reef, viewing hundreds of different species of colourful fish, beautiful coral and majestic drop-offs.
THE DIVING!!
Tufi’s pristine coral reefs are close to shore. They are easily accessible on our day boat and offer underwater visibility of 30m, with a comfortable temperature that varies from 26 – 29 degree Celsius. Dive depth varies from 3 to 50m; certified divers are welcome to dive to their experience and certification levels. Diving is also possible from the Tufi Wharf and has some excellent muck and macro diving. You may also choose to dive the PT Boat wrecks that lay scattered on the fjord sea bed.
Wrecks!
The Tufi wharf was originally established by the Australian New Guinea Administration based at Tufi prior to WW2 and was expanded and began operations as an advance US navy PT Boat base in December 1942.Conducting operations as far north as the Huon Gulf harassing Japanese shipping supply lines.for several months eventually notching up many successful missions. Soon after the front line became too distant and the base relocated to the Huon Gulf and the base resorted to being a rear support base for the allied forces. There is a large amount of wreckage and debris from the destruction of two PT Boats (PT67 and PT119)and a small Australian freighter on the sea bed just if the wharf. All three vessels exploded during a refueling mishap during the war. Several 50 calibre anti-aircraft machine guns and ammunition scatter the sea floor. One of the highlights of this dive is a perfectly good ol’ Landrover … The secret of how it got to be ‘parked’ there so neatly will be revealed after you complete this dive!
Muck!
The term “muck diving” originated here in PNG. Tufi is regarded at the top muck diving destination in the World! Right at the jetty, in front of the dive shop, a new world awaits the unsuspecting diver. In amongst the rubble of dumped machinery and coca cola bottles from WWII, a wide variety of little critters have made their home.
Every conceivable species of gobie, nudibranch, mandarin fish, ghost pipe, banded pipe and a plethora of other fascinating creatures, offers the diver a mecca for underwater macro photography. All this in less than 10m (32ft) of water! During a night dive the inhabitants of this area are totally transformed and one cannot recognize it as the same dive done during daylight hours.
One of the highlights of this dive is a perfectly good ol’ Landrover. The secret of how it got to be ‘parked’ there so neatly will be revealed after you complete this dive! This is a decompression dive with maximum depth of 45m (147.6ft).
Reefs!
The region is full of pristine reefs teeming with critters just a short boat ride away. The resort wharf will never cease to amaze you. The term ‘muck diving’ was invented here in PNG. Right at the jetty in front of the dive shop complex a new world awaits the unsuspecting diver. In amongst the rubble of a century of dumped garbage, with machinery and coca cola bottles from WW11, a wide variety of little critters have made their home. Every conceivable species of gobie, nudibranch, mandarin fish, ghost pipe fish, banded pipe fish and a plethora of other fascinating creatures offer the diver a mecca for under water macro photography. All this in less than 10m of water! During a night dive the inhabitants of this area are totally changed and one cannot recognize it is the same dive during daylight hours.
