EM16 - DISCOVER TUFI PACKAGE FOR INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS
4 nights ex-Port Moresby (2 nights Tufi Dive Resort, 2 nights village guest house)
Monday departures only.
The Tufi district of Oro Province is famous for its Nordic-type fjords. The breathtaking topography is dominated by some 25 fjords which penetrate deep into the coastal landscape. Many of the fjords feature sheer basalt cliffs. There are numerous white sandy beaches perfect for swimming, and pristine fringing reefs offer excellent snorkelling. The water clarity is stunning and scuba diving is a major attraction for visitors to the area. The world’s largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing, can be found in most sweet potato gardens in the Tufi area.
The people of the Tufi area have a rich cultural heritage that is nurtured and treasured. One of the most memorable experiences for visitors is witnessing a sing-sing featuring bare-chested dancers with intricate facial tattoos, adorned with traditional tapa (bark) cloth and spectacular coloured feather headdresses.
Village people in the Tufi district are experienced at hosting visitors in village guest houses for hiking, fishing and skindiving experiences. Hiking of moderate difficulty can be enjoyed in the Tufi area at a leisurely pace.
Typical daily activities at village guest houses in the Tufi area include swimming, snorkelling, line fishing or spear-fishing, exploring the fjords and mangrove labyrinths by paddling outrigger canoes, or relaxing in the shade on the beach. A map of the Tufi area can be found on our website Tufi page.
Tufi Dive Resort is a small, boutique dive resort that offers a range of aquatic activities including scuba diving (if you have your scuba ticket), snorkelling, fishing and kayaking, as well as hiking, village tours and bird-watching.
This 4 night itinerary can commence any Monday morning and can also be extended by an extra 3 nights to the following Monday if desired (scheduled flights to Tufi only operate on Mondays and Fridays although there are occasional charter flights on Wednesdays).
Tour cost includes all airfares, accommodation, meals, transfers, guides and village-based activities (except where stated). BYO snorkelling gear. Additional activities at Tufi Dive Resort (diving, organised fishing trips, organised village trips etc) are pay-as-you-go.
PACKAGE COST:
Group of 1 |
Group of 2 |
Group of 3 |
Group of 4+ |
USD$ 1501 |
USD$ 1097 |
USD$ 1142 |
USD$ 1097
|
AUD$ 1745 |
AUD$ 1275 |
AUD$ 1327 |
AUD$ 1275 |
Upgrade to deluxe bungalow at Tufi Dive Resort – add 5% of package price person.
Downgrade to backpacker dorm at Tufi Dive Resort – deduct 5% of package price per person.
Single supplement – applies to both resort and village guest house: add 5% of package price person (after upgrade/downgrade, if applicable).
PACKAGE INCLUSIONS (STANDARD 4 NIGHT PACKAGE):
- Airfares Port Moresby-Tufi-Port Moresby Two nights standard accommodation and main meals at Tufi Dive Resort (twin share basis) (includes extra breakfast for Monday morning arrivals) Two nights village guest house accommodation including local-style food, daily guide, access to beaches and reefs, use of outrigger canoe, village sing-sing performance if available Return water transfers between Tufi and the village guest house using either paddle canoe or motor boat depending on distance, weather, time factor etc
(Ecotourism Melanesia’s discretion)
- Tropical first aid kit (on request – loan basis)
EXCLUSIONS:
- Additional motorised dinghy hire for excursions
- Activities ex-Tufi Dive Resort
- Snacks and bar drinks at Tufi Dive Resort
- Excess baggage charges
Optional extension: 3 extra nights Friday, Saturday, Sunday – fly out Monday morning. Includes 2 extra nights at a second village guest house, 1 extra night Tufi Dive Resort. AUD$470 USD$370 per person.
Extended itinerary: Monday, Tuesday, Sunday nights at Tufi Dive Resort. Wednesday, Thursday nights at village 1. Friday, Saturday nights at village 2.
ITINERARY:
|
 A view of Tufi harbour from Tufi Dive Resort
Freshwater swimming pool
|
DAY 1:Monday PORT MORESBY / TUFI DIVE RESORT
0430 Check in at Port Moresby airport.
0600 Depart Port Moresby on Airlines PNG scheduled flight to Tufi
0700 Arrive Tufi airfield, Tufi Dive Resort staff will meet you on arrival. Short walk from the airfield to the resort.
0730 Have breakfast at Tufi Dive Resort.
0830 Full day scuba diving, snorkelling or other activities ex-Tufi Dive Resort. If you are a diver, you should be able to fit in two boat dives today and possibly a night dive. Scheduled morning and afternoon boat dive trips operate every day; snorkellers can also tag along to some of the dive sites if there are suitable shallow water reefs. There is also a very good house reef just near the wharf, suitable for both diving and snorkelling. If you are not an aquatic person, you may prefer to take a stroll around the Tufi government “station”, meeting the locals and soaking up the laid back rural town atmosphere. There are about 50 houses, a couple of little shops and a few provincial government offices. Only the resort has electricity. You can also spend the day hiking around the spur (rim) of the main Tufi Fjord, passing through local villages, or just relaxing at the resort which has a fully stocked bar and plenty of comfortable chairs with panoramic views and wickedly refreshing sea breezes. There is also a small freshwater swimming pool and a great little library of books and videos.
All organised activities at Tufi Dive Resort are on pay-as-you-go basis.
Overnight Tufi Dive Resort (standard bungalow, twin share basis, includes main meals)
|
Tufi Dive Resort water transfer
Kofure village guest house
Bauwame village guest house
Tainabuna village guest house
Garewa beach hut
Jebo village guest house
Siu village guest house
Kofure dancers at Kofure village
Taking a beach walking at Bauwame beach
|
DAY 3: : Wednesday VILLAGE GUEST HOUSE
This morning after breakfast Tufi Dive Resort will transfer you by speed boat to a village guest house where you will spend two nights enjoying the beach, snorkelling the reefs, paddling the fjords and soaking up the village atmosphere.
NOTES ON VILLAGE GUEST HOUSES AROUND TUFI
There are a number of village guest houses that we book for our EM16 packages. In terms of scenery, access to good snorkelling, type of food served, and standard of accommodation they are all much the same. However there are slight variations in their setup and locations which may make one location more suitable than another for your particular group size and interests. Accordingly you are welcome to specify one of the following guest houses or otherwise we will allocate your booking in turn so as to balance the number of bookings allocated to each guest house over time.
Kofure Village Guest House – has small beach in front of guest house, nice lawns, great reefs, beautiful mangrove labyrinths, small family village behind guest house, this is Tufi’s first-established guest house and has enough rooms to cater for school groups, football teams etc. Has running water and some electricity. Can be hot here if no sea breeze.
Bauwame Village Guest House – sturdy guest house on a windy hill with 270 degree panoramic views of the Tufi coastline and Amuian Fjord. No beach in front of guest house but very good snorkelling reef, big fjord to explore, tiny offshore island a short paddle away has beach and palm trees. Small village behind guest house, opportunity to enjoy a sing-sing. 24-hour wind makes it a cool spot. Be prepared to huff and puff for 10 minutes to get up the hill to the guest house.
Tainabuna Village Guest House – located right on a private shady beach with overhanging trees, quiet shallow inlet great for learning how to paddle a canoe. Guest house is quiet and private: has multiple rooms but usually no other guests staying apart from you. No nearby village - owner’s house 5 mins paddle away - so not much opportunity to interact with locals except at the nearby spring where people come to collect drinking water.
Garewa Beach Hut – small beach hut suitable for up to 4 people, quiet and private, no village nearby only the caretaker’s house a discreet distance away. Separate dining hut where meals are served.
Jebo Village Guest House – located in a large village, plenty of interaction with locals (play volleyball, enjoy a sing-sing), stunning beach just 5 mins walk away, good reef, scenic hiking, bird of paradise nesting spot 1 hour walk from guest house. Butterflies galore.
Siu Village Guest House – accommodation in bungalows located on a point overlooking the sea but have to paddle or walk 10 mins to get to nearest beach and snorkelling. Scenic inland hikes. Nice village with several guest houses, friendly people.
At each of these village guest houses, accommodation is in local-style huts or bungalows, or private rooms within a large local-style house. None of these guest houses are built with modern building materials or roofing iron – everything is local-style. Bedding is provided in the form of a mattress with clean sheets and pillow, and a mosquito net. In general, guest house rooms have either a single bed or twin beds. A few have double beds.
Toilets are located in pit latrine outhouses. Bathing takes places either in a nearby stream or in an outdoor bathroom which may have running water from a rainwater tank or may have a 44-gallon drum that is topped up manually by the guesthouse caretaker and you can use a small dish or bowl to scoop water from this drum over yourself.
Meals are local-style and feature seafood, chicken and sometimes pork with generous helpings of fresh local vegetables and fruit. In the evening they usually prepare a “mumu” dinner of freshly caught fish or lobster and other seafoods wrapped in banana leaves with ginger root and coconut milk and baked under hot stones with vegetables.
Breakfast is usually village scones or pancakes with billy tea. Lunch is usually local greens and sweet potato or yam cooked in coconut milk with some fresh fish or lobster, with fruit on the side.
If you are staying in a guest house with a village attached, a traditional sing-sing performance will take place on the night you arrive, to welcome you. This will be a vibrant display of colourful feathers and tapa cloth accompanied by harmonious singing and the beating of hand drums covered with lizard skin. A gratuity for the village people in appreciate of the sing-sing welcome is already included in your package. Usually the gratuity we give is donated to the village church, school or women’s group.
As part of your package, each day the village guest house operator will provide for you:
- 3 main meals
- supplies of tea and coffee with a thermos of hot water on standby
- supplies of cool drinking water and fresh coconut juice
- supplies of bananas, pawpaw, pineapple etc for between meal snacks
- an outrigger canoe for you to paddle yourself around, with or without a guide to assist with paddling
- access to beach for walking and swimming, and reef for snorkelling
- a guide available for hiking, walking around the village etc
- opportunities to accompany village people on routine activities like fishing, gardening etc if you would like to do so.
If you request additional organised activities, such as a fishing expedition that requires a motor boat, a village culture demonstration such as sago making or facial tattooing, you may be asked to pay an extra fee for this because it may require the involvement of people outside the village guest house owner’s family, who will expect a gratuity for their time.
|
