PNG or Maldives land or liveaboard

[silent running]

That sounded like a great trip! Are you saying that walindi was as good as the live aoard?

Who did you use to book your vacation? We are coming from Ohio.
If you could only do one extra stop, which would you recommend?

dmorus FWIW, I've stayed at Walindi twice and passed through the area on the Golden Dawn liveaboard twice. Walindi is located on the shore of a very large bay and has generally flat conditions and very good diving, but not a lot of big stuff, and the boat rides are on the long side. I thought the better diving was farther out, in the Witus and Fathers Reef areas, plenty of critter action-saw my first/only halameda pygmy seahorse there-and there were more sharks and pelagics than in the local Walindi area.

If by extra stop, you mean before getting to Walindi, all PNG flights go through Port Moresby, which also has some very good land based diving worth doing. If you are referring to an international stop, none of the PNG gateway cities have any diving that I would consider worth it, unless you are a hard core wreck enthusiast and you want to dive in Subic Bay, near Manila.

I would not bother with a travel agent for anything but the flights, and choose someone who has regular dealings with Air Niugini especially for the domestic flights as the schedules and prices seem to change without much notice. After getting burned by a tour agent on the boat and hotels for my 2nd trip to PNG-they went bankrupt with lots of people's money-I have dealt directly with the boat or resort owners and not had any problems. AFAIK, all of the liveaboard and resort operators who have been there for any length of time are reputable and have a vested and immediate interest in keeping you happy, especially once you get there. Owner/operators tend to also be more honest in manging your expectations and explaining exactly what you are paying for. -Andy

 

[caymaniac]

That sounded like a great trip! Are you saying that walindi was as good as the live aoard?

Who did you use to book your vacation? We are coming from Ohio.
If you could only do one extra stop, which would you recommend?

I'm saying that Walindi is nearly as good as a liveaboard, you will not have (like Silent Running said) a lot of pelagics. There are however a pod of dolphins that frequents the area. There is very little to do at Walindi other than dive. You can visit (arrange with Max - owner of Walindi) a WWII plane wreck, take atrip to the "hot river", see the firefly trees and take a trip into Kimbe (local town). Diving from Walindi, I would certainly say that I've never been to a resort that has diving at that level, it may not have a lot of pelagics, but we saw sharks, tuna and dolphins not far from the resort itself. You must however be prepared for the remoteness of New Britain.

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

You make me so envious.

 

[dmorus]

Thanks to all of you!

 

[Wayan]

Thank you for the advise> Now, which live-aboard would you recommend?

Depending on what are you are going to Dive - If out of Walindi go for the Stardancer a much larger boat than the FeBrina. Both will do the same sort of itinerary and dives sites so the only real difference is SD has nicer cabins, huge Dive deck. and lots of room onboard make sure you pick the season if you get sea sick some months better than others (June/July/August - windy season) The boat remains at moorings most nights so all get a great sleep. Witus and Fathers reefs are absolutely great, Sometimes (when lucky) you get to snorkel with the dolphins out at fathers.

For me Maldives has good diving as well but now where near what is to offer in PNG

 

[Allison Finch]

I have spent time on both FeBrina and the Stardancer. Both are excellent boats. PNG, for the most part, has calm water. If you try to cross to the Witu Islands, it can get bouncy sometimes. During the winter months, they used to go to New Ireland to avoid the prevailing winds that can make Kimbe Bay less attractive. Now, FeBrina is pioneering the diving on the South Shore of New Britain to avoid those winds. I can't wait to see what is there. Alan Raabe warns that it may tend more toward muck/corals than big pelagics. That's fine with me. I will take muck everytime! Lembeh is still my favorite critter diving.

As for Walindi, I have stayed there waiting to take the FeBrina and Stardancer. It is very nice but pricey. There will never be easier diving than a liveaboard in PNG. Think...even though they seem to be expensive, you are getting lodging, three meals, two hot snacks, up to five dives a day, new spots constantly, on FeBrina you get wine with dinner, laundry, and more for your money. Start adding up all those seperate charges at the land based and you will find liveaboards a better deal. AND NO CARRYING GEAR!!!!