Papua New Guinea, PNG in Oceania is ideal for a liveaboard. New Guinea, the world's second largest island and here are many more islands in Melanesia. The capital is Port Moresby.

The country has 840 known spoken languages. This makes PNG the most linguistically diverse country in the world, with 12% of the world's total spoken languages. The population lives mainly in rural areas. Only 14% live in actual urban centers. Continuing traditional societies and lifestyles are explicitly protected by the Papua New Guinean constitution.

Mountains and deep valleys cover over 70% of the country. Plains and swamps cover the rest. There are four major islands: Bougainville, Manus, New Britain and New Ireland, and over 600 smaller islands.

Mount Wilhelm is 4,509 meters and the highest mountain and the Sepik River is the longest on the entire island and is approximately 1100 km long.

Papua New Guinea is home to about 5% of all known living species in the world, of which perhaps a third are endemic. Papua New Guinea has the third largest contiguous rainforest area in the world.

How much does a liveaboard to Papua New Guinea, PNG cost?

A diving trip to Papua New Guinea, PNG with liveaboard should cost from 80 - 120,000 SEK, but it depends on a number of different factors. You can read more about why here on our page.It is difficult to answer generally about how much it costs for a package with flights, transfers, accommodation and diving, possible domestic flights, overnight stays, etc. Contact us at Scuba Travel for a free proposal and you will receive more detailed information. 

When is the best time to go to Papua New Guinea, PNG?

The best time to dive in Papua New Guinea, PNG is generally from May to November during the dry season. This is when you will typically have calm seas and good visibility. However, conditions can vary depending on the region. Specific regions are typically best at different times. This also means that you can go to Papua New Guinea all year round.
The Bismarck Archipelago with Kavieng and Kimbe Bay is normally best from May to November, while the Milne Bay area and the southern parts around Port Moresby are best from November to January. September normally has many mantas.
The Coral Sea towards Australia is known for its abundance of sharks and is normally best from December to April, but unfortunately it is very rare to see tours there these days.

o Dry season, May – November
o Rainy season, December – March
o Transition month, April

What can I see when diving in Papua New Guinea?

It is probably almost easier to list what you will not see in Papua New Guinea, PNG. It is incredibly rich in marine life and there are lots of corals and cnidarians, invertebrates such as nudibranchs, flatworms, squids, crustaceans, echinoderms and much more. Larger and smaller species such as hammerhead sharks, wobbegongs, silvertip sharks, reef sharks, tiger sharks, epaulette sharks and many more. Over 130 species of shark have been documented including rare species such as sawfish and river sharks. Strange ghost pipefish, rhinopia scorpionfish, frogfish, strange wrasses and much more. New species are discovered here annually and the list of species is long. Marine mammals can also be seen here sometimes, dolphins, killer whales and various whales.

Where is the best diving in Papua New Guinea, PNG?

The “best” diving in Papua New Guinea, PNG depends a lot on your interests. Milne Bay in the eastern part is known for its macro and muck diving where you will experience many strange animals. Kimbe Bay in New Britain is a paradise for photographers with various corals and marine life. Kavieng in New Ireland offers encounters with large pelagic fish and strong currents.
Other top spots include Rabaul for its WWII wreck diving and Tufi for its unique fjord diving combining reef, macro/muck and sometimes pelagic species. There are many other spots but they are rarely or never visited by liveaboarders in principle.

When and where are liveaboards and safaris available in Papua New Guinea, PNG?

Liveaboarding in PNG is surprisingly few in number considering the size of the country, but they are all very good. Liveaboarding is normally offered all year round but in different parts of the country. A normal liveaboard and safari here runs between 8 and up to 14/16 nights in some cases. It depends on the destination and time of year. For those of you who want to go on a liveaboard in Papua New Guinea or to another destination or are thinking about land-based diving in Papua New Guinea, contact us with your wishes and concerns on tel: 0301-22100.

Extra nights on site

You will need extra nights in place before you go on a liveaboard in Papua New Guinea. Flights from Scandinavia do not always match flights and you will need double tickets plus domestic tickets in PNG.
On the one hand, you should guard against delays and problems with luggage or connections that make these nights in place necessary. On the other hand, it is nice to catch up with the time change after a long trip. If you need to fly domestically in PNG, count on a few nights there too. On the way home, it is normally possible to fly directly the same day, but even there it can be nice to have an extra night.