Tufi Resort — Hotel in New Guinea

We stayed over a weekend at Tufi as "local tourists" just needing to get away from the city hustle. Not being a great flyer, I actually didn't mind the flights to and from Port Moresby. The Tropic Air pilots were really good and we flew over on a twin-engine. The PNG Civil Aviation Safety Authority only allow small planes into the airstrip so Air Niugini don't fly there any more.||We're not divers so can't speak on those how good that is but can say there were a small group of four Americans who did 4 dives per day while we were there and seemed to enjoy themselves. They also offer introductory diving for the beginners and my wife and I are tempted to try that out next time (we weren't brave enough this time around).||We did the fjord cruise and waterfall visit which were both good. We went on these alone with 2x local crew so it felt more private/personal and quite enjoyable. We went in the morning but the crew advised that it is more enjoyable in the afternoon when more birds are out. ||In the afternoon we visited Suicide Lookout which overs a good photo opportunity of the fjords. 5mins away is a butterfly farm where we were able to see a Queen Alexandria butterfly. Disappointingly the only one there when we visited but apparently more visit later in the afternoon evening if you're willing to wait. Both locations you hardly have to walk anywhere or exert any real energy.||On Sunday we relaxed in the morning and just before lunch were brought over to Komoa Beach (3mins away) for a Sunday barbeque by the beach. Loved the food and the beach was nice and clean. Opportunity here for snorkeling, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and hobie sailbot.||New management seem to have taken on constructive criticism from previous reviews as there have been notable improvements:|* The resident kokomo is now caged.|* The resort has an improved relationship with the various surrounding villages (as mentioned by local staff)|* Costs of the various cruises, dives etc... are displayed in several areas around the main building|* There was a singsing group that visited and performed on Sunday evening but we weren't charged for this|* They do make it clear during the small induction on arrival that there is continental breakfast and if you want anything extra, you would pay extra||Some points that might be helpful to those that may want to visit:|* Meals are the same for everyone although if you have dietary requirements, you can make these known to the resort staff on arrival. Breakfast is continental breakfast. Best available coffee is ground coffee. Dinner is 3-course and was our favourite. Generally the food is pretty good and we enjoyed it.|* There is no need to bring cash there, in fact it is discouraged. Everything you need to purchased can be charged to your room, including purchasing artifacts etc... from locals outside the resort. |* There is a small bar, snooker table, table-tennis table, and dart board. There's also a small collection of reading books. |* WIFI is unlimited and only available in the main/central building. Purposely not made available in the rooms.|* The only mobile network there is Digicel although it too is spotty. |* If I had to recommend a room type, I'd probably go with the Bungalow as it offers more privacy. The Deluxe also good but the verandah faces the front(or back?) gate where locals market artifacts etc... just outside.|* Deluxe room was basic but adequate. Has a ceiling fan and air-conditioning, fridge and electric jug, no study desk.|* Staff will bring along water, young coconut(kulau), and towels on any trip you take (Eg. fjord cruise, Komoa beach) so you don't need to worry yourself taking any of this along.|* There is a small pool, not permanently built, but enough for a quick dip||The area is pretty remote and is only reachable by air or boat. So you have to lower your expectations a bit and not expect a 5-star setup. Some things are rustic but didn't really bother us. Overall we really enjoyed our stay. We were able to switch off of work for a couple of days and refresh our minds. The staff were quite friendly and very attentive. The management have that place running like a well-oiled machine I must say which we really enjoyed and elevated our experience. As soon as we returned from a cruise, the pick-up car was already there to bring us back to the resort. As soon as we returned to the resort, reception staff were already waiting to pass on our room keys like clockwork. As soon as you get off the plane, your baggage is brought for you from the airport (5mins away) directly to your room. The check-in counter is within the resort itself so when you're leaving, you leave your baggage outside your room while you just check-in yourself and hand luggage. Everything else is taken care of. A really good place to relax and be...

This is a beautiful gem over as well as under water. We spent 17 days in the resort during Nov/Dec 2023, maybe a new long term record? and we really enjoyed every single minute. Tufi is an amazing place. The resort is only accessible by air, with a short 1 hour flight from Port Moresby. The landing strip is right behind the resort, and the resort staff will be waiting to escort you to the resort and to your accommodation. No worry, they will take care of everything. The place is absolutely safe. The picturesque landscape around cape Nelson with its many fjords covered with dense rainforest is astonishing, and settling down at our bungalow for the first time we were greeted on our terrace with one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Tufi fjord and Mt. Trafalgar. |We read many conflicting reviews before we adjourned and we’re completely positive surprised. The new management in charge since Jan 2023, Luth and his wife Anna, run the place in a very professional and dedicated manner, with a clear focus on their guests well-being. Certainly don’t expect a 5 star luxury accommodation in such a remote place, where everything needs to be flown in, but the rooms do have everything you need and are nice, clean and cool. Everything is in good and working order. The lounge, bar and terrace are beautiful places to relax and meet. The food is good and plenty, with a 2 course meal at lunch and a 3 course meal at dinner.|During our 17 days the crew managed not to repeat a single meal! In particular we loved the fresh fish, the Tuna sashimi from the days catch and the grilled and baked lobster. For sure I also liked the pasta after diving, which was prepared to my order. Mangos grow on the premises and will drop every day from the trees. Use it for drinks or dessert, the bar will prepare it for you. Best sweet and juicy pineapple cut same day or fresh coconut from the local market or the local villagers. |If you need anything just ask Barbara in the Back office, she keeps everything running or Beverly, Jessie, Evelyn at the restaurant or bar. The hospitality is great, the staff friendly and very helpful and caring. In case you are interested in the local villages, some of the history ask Evelyn at the bar, she is a source of wisdom and such a friendly joy. |If you like, we certainly recommend it, ask Luth to arrange some land tours for you to the surrounding villages, lookouts, waterfalls, a fjord cruise or a cultural experience with some of the native tribes. You will be dazzled by the friendliness of the local people the landscape and the experience.|I did 2 weeks of scuba and underwater photography and very much enjoyed diving with Monty and T.J. Both experienced dive masters from a nearby village, who know the area for more than 20 years inside out. The dive staff Curtis, Stoney, Alex and Benson are very attentive and supportive, taking care about you and your equipment. Lonnie the dive manager will make sure everything is according to your needs and adapt the dive schedule and sites to your individual needs. The dive operation are also run in a very professional way, there are 4 well maintained dive boats of different size, with the large 800 hp powered Prowler boat as their latest addition. Each day starts with detailed equipment checks and briefings before every dive trip. Well done and much appreciated.|Diving is versatile from critters in the muck, to diving in the Fjords and the many outside coral reefs. The hard coral structures are massive and reach to the very deep, unfortunately they were recently hit by global warming with coral bleaching leaving them dead and damaged. Nevertheless looking at the left coral structures this is still impressive and I could imagine how beautiful it must have been before. While the reefs are starting slowly to recover there is still abundant fish life, never seen so many clouds of different fish before, which also attracts the bigger pelagics. The water shimmers in all shades from turquoise to all kinds of blue, it is cristal clear with an amazing underwater visibility. |In particular I enjoyed our day trip to cape Vogel to perform the deep dive on the B17 “Black Jack” which resides now for 80 years on the sandy sea bed. An unforgettable trip and experience, and very professionally prepared by Lonnie and his crew. I felt safe at all point in time on this extrodinary trip.|Overall Tufi was an amazing experience and we had a great time above, below and at the water, kayaking or at the beach BBQ. So sad to leave and looking forward to be back some time soon. All 5 stars to the resort, the dive operations and the whole team, everyone, they clearly made the difference. Thank you Luth and Anna. |Best regards Robert & Jacqueline |PS: The rowdy hornbill bird mentioned in previous reviews is gone, no more worries in...

This place doesn’t deserve its 4.5 Trip Advisor rating. At best it’s average, and by international standards poor value for money. ||We stayed here for a week with friends after a month of diving at three other locations around PNG. Tufi was by far the worst run place we stayed - and the diving the most disappointing. ||We understand the current managers will finish up early in 2023, so offer some constructive advice to the new management team:||1. Get rid of the bird. The novelty of a resident Hornbill is drastically outweighed by the annoyance and anxiety it causes the guests, who are near-constantly subjected to its pecking and harassment. The local staff appear as frustrated with the bird as the guests, but seem unable to do anything about it because of its privileged position in the pecking order at the resort (apologies for the droll pun).||2. Either sack the dive team or appoint a manager who understands what it takes to deliver a diving operation at an international standard. Currently it’s well below that (see photo in of the emergency oxygen bottle). Their sullenness and lack of motivation/organization might have something to do with the palpable tension between the local dive team staff and the expat managers. ||3. Urgently improve the relationship between the resort and the local community, which is currently poor. We spoke to a community leader who blamed the expat management team for the current tension between locals and the resort. It is untenable for a remote resort in PNG to operate without the support of the local community. While we appreciate that there have been serious security incidents in recent times, armed guards and locked gates are unlikely to be the answer in the long term. ||4. Urgently improve the food. As a resort that operates on a “fully inclusive” basis, guests expect a good standard of food and beverage. It currently falls well short of an acceptable international standard. The continental breakfast (which included undrinkable coffee, barely edible “fried rice” and soggy bread) is manifestly inadequate, and it’s rich to ask guests to pay extra for an omelet or scrambled eggs. It’s even worse when the expat managers sit down to a bespoke hot breakfast in front of the guests. At the very least turn down temp on the bar fridge so the beer isn’t tepid! ||A final piece of advice to travelers contemplating visiting Tufi - DON’T. You’re much better off going to Walindi (West New Britain Province). The diving is much better (awesome big schools of pelagic fish) and the dive operation is world class. The food and accommodation is also vastly superior to Tufi. Overall it is much better value and more professionally run...