Papua, Indon; Papua New Guinea house reef snorkeling?

[mariaon2]

I am currently traveling in N Zealand and heading for Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya. My ideal dive spot is the one where I can dive a few days and lounge on the beach with a house reef snorkel every morning and again every afternoon for endless days. (I was totally spoiled in western Indon and Malaysia, places that I stayed weeks/months as much for the diving as the daily, meandering snorkeling.
I am on a budget, both money and energy-wise.
Can people recommend villages and budget accomm in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya that might fit the bill?

 

[AlMitch]

See this thread for some info. One of the comments has a link to a website for the home stays in Raja Ampat. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/indonesia/465045-raja-ampat-homestays.html

 

[Wingy]

To be totally honest you will have an extremely hard time finding anything budget in Papua New Guinea. West Papua (aka Irian Jaya aka West Papua) there are a few homestays. Papua New Guinea different kettle of fish - for your own security you will need to be with either Walindi Plantation, Kavieng Ventures, MV Febrina, Tufi or Tawali. There are a couple of others but the words budget and PNG do not go together. Papua New Guinea - Dive Papua New Guinea (PNG) - Scuba Dive PNG, Dive Adventures

If you are posting from PNG you will know how expensive it is and why you cannot camp on the beach or do a homestay and shore dive yourself.

 

[Centrals]

Totally agree. Budget and PNG do not come together.
You will think again about lounging on the beach etc etc if you had read safety warning in PNG.
I had spent several wks travelling on the main island and everyone told me to stay indoor at night!!! The country is very interesting but you have to prepare to pay.
There was one very cheap place to stay at Wewak but it is on the hill miles away from the sea-shore.
Diving in Madang was good.

 

[mariaon2]

This Scubaboard th'ng is like a genie in a bottle! A sea water filled, bottle, of course. (Many thanks AlMitch, Wingy (horizontal bubbles...cute trick!), and Centrals.) So, based on your excellent advice, I adjusted my travel plans. Air ticket into Port Moresby is in hand... see / scuba the absolute highlights, onto Wewak for more of the same on the other side of the border.
Given the wealth of knowledge you compatriots have, can you add any color on the following?
1) I want to check out the Stone Age before it succumbs to modernity. (I have been among several tribals, the headhunters of Borneo and lived in an Indonesian village before.) Hagan? Sepik R? Irian Jaya? General suggestions welcome for good places for 'Stone Age' villages (without tourist 'shows', please.
2) Since one can't go without experiencing the world class diving here, what are the locations/sites NOT to be missed? (Large species, colorful species and shallow dives are higher on my list than wreck dives.) Since transport (eg. lots of connecting flights) and lodges are expensive, are there close seconds - for the sake of budget?
3) My quest for dive spots where I can snorkel every morning and afternoon from a house reef continues. From Irian Jaya, I will be leisurely heading to Timor Leste and the eastern half of the Indon archipelago. Have you stumbled upon any such paradises? (If not, the western half of Indon?)
Cheers!

 

[Wingy]

I would suggest you dive Milne Bay region..direct flight to Alotoa from Moresby. Not just muck diving but ..everything! and there is a land based op there (cant remember the name sorry).

Things that will take you back to the stone age....ASK if anyone will take you to burial caves - but ask the dive op you are with to organise it, unfortunately you cant trust anyone in PNG unless you are paying them directly.
Trobriand Islands are magnificent....seeing someone pay for a wife with a pig is an awesome experience.
I believe there is an American guy living on the Sepik who does offer budget ''homestay'' but not sure of how to contact him.
Sepik..awesome, have only flown over it but WOW big big river!
Kokoda trail...again, you will have to pay for guards and make sure your guards and porters are ok....recently some aussie trekkers and their porters and guides were attacked with one guide killed from memory.

Again, sorry but you will spend a LOT in PNG but you wont regret it.


Timor.....ahh, I believe there is now a dive op there. I dived there in the 1990s while sailing through the area but was limited to locals pointing out where 'fish' were and had only a hookah set up onboard so I believe I probably missed the best bits - ditto Raja which was Irian Jaya then.

Have you thought about Alor? depending on timing..at times of the year the island is undiveable due to currents. Bangka in Sulawesi before the chinese mine moves in? Cubadak in Sumatra? Rote island is kicking off as a diving destination for those who want remote and no crowds.

There ARE no tourist shows in PNG - the country is not set up for tourists.......please please understand this is not a borneo headhunters tour stay in a longhouse overnight type place. Even the zoo had to be opened for us (i was there with a large companys CEO hence the VIP treatment) because the place is too bloody dangerous for tourists unless you have private security agents with you. There are NO shows, NO scenic areas you can go to by yourself and you cannot take PMVs (public transport). Do a LOT of reading up on what you are getting in for BEFORE you arrive in Moresby. This is not a country where you see what it was like 40,000 years ago, this is a country that IS 40,000 years ago.

I wish you the best but I wish you fully understand the reality of being in PNG

 

[Centrals]

1. There were no roads lead out from Port Moresby, I had to fly. Could be wrong nowadays?
2. Goroka Show is the most famous. Wrong timing so missed that.
3. Road linking Goroka and Mt. Hagan. The Higland region is DRY so the van I was travelling was stopped for search!!!
4. Mt. Wilhelm is interesting.
5. You need to employ guide if you want to get off the beaten track.
6. Sepik River is very very good but getting there is pain in the arse!!! Long bus journey on rotten road. Eating alive by huge mossie on river cruise even under the mid-day sun. Who said mosquito only come out at dusk!
7. A good travel guide is esential.
8. Have fun!