Tawali Leisure & Dive Resort

Dive resort · Papua New Guinea · Milne Bay · Official Website

Tawali from the air — bungalows on the forested headland and boats at the wharf

Milne Bay from above, forested shores and reef

The resort seen across the turquoise fringing reef

Booking by Tour Leader Club

4 room types · over 60 sites within an hour, typically 10–40 minutes away dive sites · house reef

Tawali stands on a forested headland in Milne Bay, at the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea. There is no road at all: guests arrive by boat across the bay, forty-five minutes from Alotau. Thirty acres of rainforest, hardwood bungalows along the ridge, a dive shop, a pool and a wharf — all linked by timber boardwalk. The resort has been taking divers since 1994.

There are twenty-two rooms and there will never be more. Timber, louvres, sea breeze and quiet; every bungalow has a verandah facing the water. The most private is the Ocean Villa, set apart above the sea with a hammock deck and panoramic views of the bay.

Underwater it is the Coral Triangle at its best: more than sixty sites within an hour, sheer walls, hard coral gardens, WWII wrecks and the only underwater post box in Papua New Guinea. Average visibility is forty metres, there are over five hundred species of hard and soft coral, and the water is diveable all twelve months. Most sites are ten to forty minutes from the wharf.

Lauadi — Dinah’s Beach — is the resort’s particular pride: muck diving was born here in the 1980s. Black sand, seagrass and rubble hide the strangest creatures in the Coral Triangle: nudibranchs, frogfish, ghost pipefish, the mimic octopus. In 2026 an expedition photographed 167 nudibranch species in Milne Bay in six days.

Above the water the pace stays slow: kayaks in hidden inlets, the walk to a skull cave, village sing-sings, the Deidei hot springs, a dawn hike for birds of paradise, and deep-water fishing. Every stay includes all meals and the transfer to and from Alotau.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country: Papua New Guinea
Location: Milne Bay
Nearest airport: Alotau (GUR), 55 minutes by air from Port Moresby
Transfer: 45 minutes by boat from Alotau, included in every stay
House reef: Yes — house reef right off the wharf
Dive sites: over 60 sites within an hour, typically 10–40 minutes away
Dive centre: On-site dive shop, PADI courses up to Divemaster
Nitrox: Available, along with full rental gear
Rooms: 22 rooms in four categories
Internet: Almost no mobile signal or internet — that is part of the point
Languages: English

At the resort

Thirty acres of rainforest headland

Pool between forest and sea

Main lodge with restaurant and lounge

Dive shop and wharf on site

Timber boardwalks linking everything

Conference room with AV setup

Verandah over the water at every bungalow

Private wharf for the resort boats

Cooking built on local produce and seafood

Diving

Over 60 sites within an hour's boat ride

Typically 10–40 minutes from the wharf

Sheer walls and hard coral gardens

Muck diving at Lauadi, also called Dinah's Beach

WWII wrecks, ships and aircraft

The only underwater post box in Papua New Guinea

Over 500 species of hard and soft coral

Average visibility 40 metres

Diveable all year round

House reef off the wharf

Nitrox and full rental gear

Private guides on request

PADI courses from Open Water to Divemaster

Facilities for camera gear

Lauadi is considered the birthplace of muck diving: black sand, seagrass and rubble, and in them nudibranchs, frogfish, ghost pipefish and the mimic octopus. Paradise Magazine ranks these sites first in the country. Non-divers are welcome too — snorkeling, kayaks and the shore are open to everyone, and you can learn to dive on site.

Dining

All meals included in every stay

Cooking built on local produce and seafood

Dinner on the lodge verandah

Snacks on the boat with dive packages

Tea and coffee through the day

A stay at Tawali is always full board — breakfast, lunch and dinner come with every rate, as do the Alotau transfers. Diving, tours and excursions are added on top.

Beyond diving

Snorkeling the house reef straight from the beach

Kayaking hidden inlets

Dawn birdwatching — hornbills and parrots

Skull cave and waterfall swim

Waguhuhu village and a sing-sing

Deidei hot springs

Boiboiwaga Island picnic and East Cape

Deep-water sport fishing

Island hopping to sandbars

Hammock, book, breeze

Rooms

Villa above the water

from K2,000 per night

View: Panoramic Milne Bay

Beds: King bed

The most private accommodation at the resort, set apart from the rest above the water. The verandah wraps the whole building, with a hammock and a panorama of the bay. Air conditioning, a generous bathroom, and the water in view from anywhere in the room.

Wraparound verandah Hammock deck over the bay Air conditioning Set apart from the other bungalows

Bungalow in the canopy

from K1,000 per night

View: Forest and sea

Beds: Twin queen beds

Spacious hardwood bungalows lifted into the tree canopy. Air conditioning, a TV and a shaded private balcony looking out over the forest and the water. This is the category the resort builds all of its packages around.

Shaded private balcony Air conditioning TV Twin queen beds The category used in the resort's packages

Twin-share standard room

from K800 per night

View: Garden

Beds: Two double beds

A bright room with two double beds, offered to divers and groups. An ensuite, fan cooling rather than air conditioning, and windows onto the garden. A few steps from the dive shop.

Two double beds Ensuite bathroom Fan cooled Steps from the dive shop

Standard room

from K600 per night

View: Resort grounds

Beds: One double bed

The simplest and most affordable room: a double bed, polished timber floors, a quiet corner desk and an ensuite. Closest of all to the main lodge.

Double bed Ensuite bathroom Fan cooled Corner desk Closest to the main lodge

Rates

Accommodation, per night

Category	Per night
Ocean Villa	from K2,000
Deluxe Bungalow	from K1,000
Double Standard	from K800
Single Standard	from K600

Prices in kina (PGK), the currency of Papua New Guinea. The resort quotes them as "from". Every stay includes all meals and the return transfer from Alotau.

Dive packages, April 2026 – March 2027

Package	Price
7 nights, 15 tank dives — pay for 5 nights	US$2,900
12 nights, 30 tank dives — pay for 9 nights	US$5,430
Single supplement, 12 nights	US$540

Per person in US dollars, bungalow twin share. Includes accommodation, all meals, the dives with tanks and weights, and return airport transfers. On group bookings seven paying guests bring an eighth free. The first package is valid for stays until 31 March 2027.

Dive packages, April 2027 – March 2028

Package	Price
7 nights, 15 tank dives	US$3,200
Single supplement, 7 nights	US$325
12 nights, 30 tank dives	US$6,020
Single supplement, 12 nights	US$600

The same conditions as the previous season: twin-share bungalow, full board, snacks on the boat, tanks and weights, transfers. Both packages carry the seven-paying-plus-one-free group offer.

Without diving

Package	Price
Tawali Resort Experience, per person	US$1,800

A package for guests who come for the island rather than the tanks. Includes a twin-share bungalow, all meals, return airport transfers, house reef snorkeling, a rainforest hike and a coastal village walk. It carries the seven-paying-plus-one-free group offer too.

Journeys across Papua New Guinea

Journey	Twin share	Single
Milne Bay snorkelling escape, 6 nights	AUD 1,600	AUD 2,100
Reef, rainforest and culture — the classic Tawali, 6 nights	AUD 1,800	AUD 2,200
Port Moresby and Tawali diving, 6 nights, 8 tanks	AUD 3,000	AUD 3,600
Port Moresby and Tawali, 8 nights	AUD 2,900	AUD 3,500
Cultural discovery, 8 nights	AUD 2,700	AUD 3,300
Nature retreat with a scenic flight, 8 nights	AUD 2,900	AUD 3,600
Snorkel journey with a scenic flight, 8 nights	AUD 3,250	AUD 3,850
Scenic flight and Tawali, 8 nights	AUD 3,300	AUD 4,000
Kokoda Track flight and Tawali, 8 nights	AUD 4,400	AUD 5,000

The resort's multi-day itineraries, in Australian dollars per person twin share, with single occupancy alongside. Everything is arranged end to end — domestic flights, transfers, meals and guided excursions. One complimentary place for every ten paying guests.

Conferences and workshops

Package	Double occupancy	Single occupancy
3 nights, conference	PGK 710	PGK 860
4 nights, conference	PGK 700	PGK 850
6 nights, workshop	PGK 700	PGK 850

Prices in kina per delegate, minimum ten delegates. The packages include the airport meet-and-greet in Alotau, return boat transfers, full-board accommodation, a conference room with AV setup, tea breaks, and excursions on the longer programmes.

PADI courses

Course	Duration
Open Water Diver	3 days
Advanced Open Water Diver	2 days
Rescue Diver	2–3 days
Emergency First Response	1 day
Refresher for certified divers	2–3 hours
Discover Scuba Diving	one session

Courses are run by PADI professionals on the house reef and the dive sites of Milne Bay. The resort does not publish prices — it confirms them along with dates once you apply. Every course includes learning materials, equipment, theory with the exam and the certification card.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best time: Year-round, with the best visibility from April to December
Visibility: 40 metres on average

Milne Bay is diveable all twelve months and the water stays warm year round. Visibility is usually at its best from April to December — the same window the resort builds its seasonal packages around, which run from April through to March of the following year.

Getting there

Fly internationally into Port Moresby (POM), then take the domestic flight to Alotau (GUR) — about 55 minutes, daily.

From there the road ends: the resort is reached only by water. The boat crosses Milne Bay in 45 minutes and ties up at Tawali’s own wharf. The resort arranges every transfer from the moment you land in Alotau, and they are already included in the cost of your stay.

The resort’s multi-day journeys also cover the return Port Moresby – Alotau flight and nights in the capital either side. Bookings are confirmed by hand: the dive team separately confirms course dates and availability.