The Tufi coastline of Oro Province is famous for its Nordic-type fjords and crystal clear waters. Tufi is an emerging trekking, diving and birdwatching destination which, combined with family-owned village guest houses makes for a true eco-travel experience.
GETTING
THERE: Tufi airfield is one hour's flying time east of Port
Moresby. There are three flights per week from Port Moresby to
Tufi, and one flight per week from Tufi to 
Popondetta
and Tufi to Alotau in Milne Bay Province. On arrival at Tufi airfield,
guests are met by their hosts and walk through tiny Tufi township
to the wharf for a short ride by small boat to the villages of
Kofure, Siu, Orotoaba and Jebo where the main village guest houses
are located. Click here for a map
showing the Tufi coastline. Tufi
Dive Resort is walking distance from the airfield.
The villages of Kofure, Siu and Jebo are located on the seaside and Orotoaba village is half a kilometre inland from the beach, perched on a ridge with spectacular views of the fjords. There is no regular transport and all bookings must be pre-arranged.
GENERAL
INFORMATION:
The
Tufi district 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 offering excellent snorkelling. There is no logging in the
Tufi area and the coastline is free from pollutants. The water
clarity is excellent and scuba diving is a major attraction for
visitors. 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 custom dance where the bare breasted
dancers dress in traditional tapa (bark) cloth and wear great
feather headdresses. Teams of dancers parade and dance throughout
the night.
There is a small dive resort located near Tufi township and for
many years this was the only accommodation available. More recently
a number of village guest houses and homestays have opened up
to give local villagers an opportunity to participate in ecotourism.
The people of the Tufi district have fought long and hard to keep
logging companies out of their forests and are looking to tread-softly
ecotourism to provide alternative economic benefits.
ACCOMMODATION:
In
recent times a number of village guest houses and homestays have
opened up in the Tufi area, in addition to the boutique accommodation
available at Tufi Dive Resort. In the villages, guests are accommodated
in village-style bungalows built with local materials. There is
no electricity or telephone in the villages, only at Tufi Dive
Resort.
Typically,
a village guest house is a large bush-material bunaglow with four
or more guest rooms. While staying at a village guest house you
may share your village experience with other travellers who are
booked in at the same time. On the other hand, village stays or
homestays usually consist of one small guest bungalow with one
or two rooms, and only accommodate one guest party at a time,
making for a more intimate cultural exchange with the host family
that runs the homestay.
Village
guest houses and village homestays provide very basic but adequate
accommodation. You will sleep on a clean bed either on a raised
bed frame or laid out on a beautifully woven mat on the floor,
protected by an insect net. The room will have a table and chair
and somewhere to hang your towel and clothes. While
some villages have piped water, others rely on water carried from
a nearby stream. Guests can bathe in the stream or scoop water
over themselves in a private outdoor bathroom. Alternatively,
paddle to the nearest fjord waterfall and stand under Nature's
shower.
Guest toilets at village stays are private pit latrines discreetly
located a short distance from the bungalow. Water is also
available in containers outside the guest bungalow for washing
hands and brushing teeth. Toilet paper, soap etc is provided,
or BYO favourite brand.
Siu
Village Stay is a homestay about 30 minutes boat ride from
Tufi wharf, situated on a grassy point right on the water's edge,
about 300 metres from the rest of the village (only 8 houses).
There is a living reef right in front of the homestay and guests
may snorkel to their heart's content. From Siu you can explore
the Utukwaf Fjord by outrigger canoe, paddle to a beautifully
gushing waterfall and explore mangrove labyrinths.
Orotoaba
Village Stay enjoys 360 degree views of the fjordland coastline.
Surrounded by grassy slopes and coconut palms, the village is
an easy walk to light rainforest brimming with birds and butterflies.
in a breezy location with excellent views of the coastline. At
Orotoaba there are two guest huts each having 3 twin rooms. For
larger groups, extra huts are built before the arrival of the
group. There is a separate hut where meals are served on tapa
cloth mats. Situated about 250 metres above sea level, Orotoaba
is mosquito free but insect bednets are provided for peace of
mind.
Jebo
Village Stay is located in Jebo Village, a short distance
from Jebo Beach, 20 minutes south of Tufi by motor boat. A well-built
guest bungalow with good views and opportunities to observe villagers
going about their daily business.
Jebo
Beach Bungalow is the "beach hut" option which suits
those who like to spend a lot of time in the water swimming and snorkelling.
The hut has a sandy floor and the toilet and freshwater bathing facilities
are inland from the beach. Jebo Beach Bunaglow is best suited to those
who don't mind the wind blowing sand into everything, and the occasional
hermit crab nibbling on the toes at night !
Kofure
Village Guest House is
walking distance from Tufi airfield although it is more fun to paddle
a canoe around the point. There are four guest rooms and an open-air
dining room by the beach.
MEALS:
Meals
at village stays around Tufi are cooked in the traditional way. Seafood
including reef fish is always on the menu and the local specialty is
freshly caught crayfish (lobster) cooked in a variety of ways such as
boiled in coconut milk, barbequed and 
curried.
Meals always feature local vegetables and seasonal fruits including
sweet potatoes, yams (similar to a stringy potato), ripe bananas, juicy
pineapples, and local oranges. Meals are prepared over an open fire,
often using the traditional Oro claypots. Guests will be fed, fed and
fed some more. Your favourite food items can be brought with you from
Port Moresby if required, your hosts will not be offended... especially
if you share!
ACTIVITIES:
1. Guests are free to wander around the village guest house area and
nearby village, including beachwalking.
2. Unlimited swimming and snorkelling on the live reef off the beach
near the village. Scuba diving facilities are available at nearby
Tufi Dive Resort.
3. 
Fishing:
go spearfishing with the village boys or let them take you in a paddle
canoe to throw a line and bottom-fish for coral trout and red emperor.
At night, accompany the boys as they paddle out to catch reef fish
and dive for crayfish. Lay down in the canoe and gaze at millions
of stars as you listen to the boys sing traditional songs while they
paddle. (If possible bring two-dozen D-size batteries with you for
the divers' torches). Fishing excursions by motor boat, day or night,
are described by those-who-know as "very rewarding".
4. Night trips by paddle canoe to turtle beaches to observe adult
turtles nesting or young turtles sleeping
5. Gardening: accompany village people on trips to the gardens to
see how they cultivate their traditional vegetables
6. Guided hikes. Guides can accompany you on a choice of half-day,
full day or 2-3 day walks. See our Tufi
Trekking tour itinerary.
7.
Birdwatching: observe coastal and seabird colonies from a canoe or
hike into the bush to see colonies of Bird of Paradise. Hornbills
abound in the high trees on either side of the fjords and there are
many varieties of birds in the low, medium and high foliage. Birds
of Paradise can be viewed near Orotoaba.
8. Hear village elders recount the legends of Tufi, translated by
your hosts (priceless, but free).
9. Take
a day trip around the fjords by motor boat - great views of waterfalls.
10. Take a day trip to Wanigela and Uiaku villages: see potters at
Wanigela moulding clay pots and firing them on the beach (most of
the claypots used in villages in the Tufi district are made at Wanigela)
and Uiaku people beating, cutting and painting tapa cloth made from
the bark of the mulberry tree (most of the province's tapa cloth is
made by the Maisin people at Uiaku)
MORE
INFORMATION:
Read our general booking information
Find general information about Oro Province
See a map of the Tufi area
See a map of the Oro Province
See
our Tufi Trekking package tour itinerary - 7 nights
See
our Discover Tufi package tour itinerary - 5 nights
See our Tufi Weekender package tour itinerary - 3 nights
