My partner and I travelled to Tawali in June 2017. The resort met us at the airport with a bus. Since our plane was late arriving there was a logistics issue with the bus being able to make it to the dock and back on time to pick up the next group of passengers. The resort "greeter"finally contacted her boss and they arranged to meet the bus en route to the dock with another vehicle. After leaving Alotau, we got in another vehicle and made our way to the boat. The ride from the airport to the dock takes an hour or so but the scenery makes the time go by quickly. The road at times hugs the coast and then goes deep into the jungle. The boat was at the dock when we arrived and 20 minutes later we arrived at the resort. We were greeted by resort staff and quickly ushered…
Tawali is a first class dive resort located in Milne Bay. The diving is wonderful, particularly the muck diving. We did see the Lacey Scorpionfish and the Epaulette shark, not to mention lots of octopus, pipefish, pigmy frogfish, cuttlefish and nudibranch! Oh, there were so many pigmy seahorses I lost count!!!The food is good for PNG and the staff is very attentive and helpful. We dove with Albert Tom who was excellent. He was a great spotter and a good divemaster who was always checking on his divers. I always felt safe and confident in my dive master. Thank you Albert!!!
Highly recommend this place. Getting there wasn't as tough as others have described here. You need to take a flight from POM, they will wait at the airport with a very well maintained minibus and then you have 1 - 1.3 hours to a speed boat which gets you to the hotel in ~ 15 min. For us it was a smooth ride. The place couldn't have a more perfect setting, isolated and perched on a cliff with a gorgeous house reef at the doorstep. The accomodation is basic but very clean. Wooden bungalows with lovely ocean views. But not luxury by any means. Food, we felt, was sufficiently varied and with healthy choices to suit everyone. And the coral...well thats the best part. Most alive and colourful coral cliff and walls I've seen in a while. We didn't see big fish (no mantas or…
Only underwater was great. The water was clear, the coral reefs were large and beautiful, I met many pretty creatures.However, it was the lowest guide in my diving experience. Guide was dropped into the sea my underwater camera. My camera was not found. Hearty apology from the staff and the person responsible was not. And the guide lost us in the water. We were left in the sea for about 10 minutes. The guide never apologized. He is a very low level guide. We have taken the additional charge of the mystery on my way home. It was probably an owner's instruction. However, the sea here is great. The sea was very beautiful. It is a great diving point for those who have no problem even if the guide is lost. It is not suitable for beginners.
Tawali is in a beautiful location and the surrounding coastline, rainforest and reefs superb. The staff are really friendly but sadly they lack the training to provide the service deserved! Lunches were excellent with an on board meal and picnic lunch on an island being commendable. Dinner and breakfast have disappointed. When the trays empty I had to wait 30 minutes for replenishment! The food itself was generally good although, given the location, I expected more seafood. My room (16) was a long walk from the main dining area and yes, it was clean and well furnished but a place like this deserves an ethnic feel with some cultural input. The bar service is abysmal in such an 'upmarket' resort. The girl, who was lovely, had no idea about the drinks she was serving. Gin and tonic…
Food is expensive - bring your own if you can, but don't expect to find a kettle in your room (or iron or ironing board). Rooms are spartan and beds uncomfortable. Other guests experienced bed bugs. Room lighting is harsh fluorescent. The coral reef diving within 1 minute if the Resort is excellent, and within 30 minutes is world class
It's heaven on the Earth, all staff are very friendly and helpful. A lot of activities which is a must to do!!! Unforgettable time spent there (fishing, snorkeling, diving, scull caves, waterfalls, village walk, bird watch, hot springs or pick nick at the Ireland and much more). It's clean, safe and really very cozy place. Manager is professional and you can feel it!!!
If you're looking for a remote resort with spectacular diving, but don't want to give up your creature comforts like air con, good food and a comfortable bed, this place is for you. Its a bit of a hike to get to after you arrive at Alotau, but that's part of the adventure and when you arrive at the well maintained resort and a cool drink, the bumpy ride in the 4WD is soon forgotten. The dive sites are nearby and excellent quality. Dive masters are mostly attentive and equipment well maintained.Food quality is good and staff attentive. Swimming pool is very warm and a pleasant change after hours in the sea water. All in all this is a pretty special spot.
This place was very mixed for me. The diving was absolutely fantastic. Easy diving, fantastic weather, saw too many things to list. The beds were way to hard. You are on an island so you are at their mercy for food. I think it is more of a sourcing issue than the chef. After the, at best mediocre food and a horrible bed, we would likely go back BUT, we would insist on some things up front and in writing 1) Some sort of blow up mattress to sit on top of the current bed 2) Some agreement on food. There were generally 2 proteins and 2 starches. Beef, chicken or pork plus a fish. Often the food was too spicy, even though we asked for it not to be and the resort was pretty empty. 3) Make get some agreement on being able to order food with pricing also agreed 4) Insist on a…
Thankfully nothing much seems to change too quickly in PNG. And that includes the 50min flight from Port Moresby (Jackson airport) to Alotau (Gurney airport), the 1.5hr bumpy bus ride to the coast, and the 20min speed boat ride to the resort. That's how Tawali has remained a secluded Paradise. We returned to Tawali after 2yrs, and this time I brought a dive buddy to enlighten his view of the underwater world. Once again spectacular diving on reefs, walls, and in the muck; with sightings of a hammerhead shark, leopard shark, reef sharks, turtles, rays, barracuda, octopus, Pygmy seahorses, hairy ghost pipefish, ornate ghost pipefish, harlequin shrimp, nudibranches, and so much more. The Dive Masters (Albert T, Jonah, Nozaki, Alfred, George) really know where to find the amazing…
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