PNG, Solomon Islands or Vanuatu

[Scubanna]

Hi all

I have a very tough decision to make and I'm hoping for some help!

My boyfriend and I will be backpacking around Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and PNG for 6 months From July 2011. We have a dedicated dive budget of 2500 GBP. We're used to roughing it and this dive budget is our only luxury.

As we are traveling to all three countries anyway we don't want to spend all of our dive budget in one place to then find out we should have waited!

We've been very lucky so far and have experienced some of the best dive sites in the world, we've usually had a goal, ie wreck diving, to see hammerheads or manta rays or Pygmy sea horses or beautiful coral gardens etc etc. However on this occasion we don't have a particular must see which makes the decision even harder for us and I understand that this makes it a very tough question for you to answer.

I would therefore like to hear about your personal favourites in this area, from which we can then hopefully begin to do more research!

Thanks
Ann and Dean

 

[thanksforallthefish]

A tough choice.

I have not dived the Solomons, but have not heard a bad report about it, one of the places i want to dive.

Vanuatu ... have dived there many years ago (1992) ... would not bother with diving Villa harbour, nice but nothing great, but The Coolidge on Santo is well worth it but would skip million dollar point, apparently these days you can dive the blue hole on santo that would be an experience, when i went you could only snorkel there. Do not know about any other dive locations there.

New Guinea ...
Madang (Jais Aben Resort now closed) in 2004 and was a little disappointed in the corals, but the fish life was quite good.
Milne Bay (Tawali Resort) 2010 ... loved all the diving there, wanted to see a pygmy sea horse and mimic octopus, saw quite a few pygmy sea horses but no mimic octopus. Both coral and fish life were very good, and the house reef was good also ... mandarin fish, clowns, pipefish as well as swim throughs.

 

[Kevster]

I have only dived Vanuatu. I definately recommend a couple of dives on the Coolidge. The wreck is very impressive. Van not so great for coral /fishlife.
Definately travel to Tanna to see the volcano. It is amazing.
In Solmons i would check out dive munda & Gizo. Diving there seems to be good value.
Diving in PNG seems very expensive and your 2500 GBP will quickly disappear.

 

[packeteer]

I chose Solomons. I was asking myself the same question until a buddy of mine said he was interested in doing the Solomons. plenty of wrecks + reefs, so should be good.

 

[Jeffro_TBS]

I dove Kavieng in PNG last year, and Vanuatu the year before. I have to agree with thanksforallthefish that Port Villa is nothing special, but I highly enjoyed diving the Coolidge in Santo. You can spend a whole week diving the wreck and still have more to see. I especially recommend a night dive on the wreck to see the flashlight fish. Most dives on the Coolidge are 30m-60m, and there's a nice coral area when you're doing your deco.

Kavieng was fine with some nice reefs. We saw sharks, turtles, and a manta ray. Lots of smaller things like nudibranchs to see as well. Still I'd choose Santo over Kavieng.

Haven't dived in the Solomons, but have a trip to Uepi planned in July . Mundi and Gizo also sound good, but the feedback on Uepi sounded a bit better.

 

[Scubanna]

Thanks guys, this is all really helpful....I'm getting very excited!!

I have another question on a different matter that perhaps you can also help me with. My partner and I were qualified with Naui in Thailand around 10 years ago but we never actually received our dive cards.

We've never had a problem diving without them, usually our log books have sufficed. However I keep reading that places are quite strict in the Solomons etc, how true is this, are we going to run into problems? Is it possible 10 years later to get our cards?

We would be devestated not to be able to dive!

 

[Luko]

I'll concur with everyone : Santo is great for the SS Coolidge, some of the most impressive dives I've done but warning it's wreck penetration at 48m deep... you have to like deep dives or at least not to be afraid of the depth!
Nothing to call home about with the fish life in Vanuatu, corals can be good around Moso island and Hat island though (north of Efate : check my Vanuatu gallery on pbase.com). Yasur volcano on Tanna at sunset is a MUST DO in a lifetime, even though there s no diving on Tanna island.

Solomon islands should be great, sitting at the top of my wishlist. I have already listed Uepi and Gizo, if I can go someday.

PNG close 2nd of my wishlist. I am targeting Lissenung (Kavieng) and Madang (Jais Aben which is not closed, according to the information I had last week frome the PNG reps at the International dive show in Paris). Traveling in PNG seems a pain in the neck though and REALLY expensive due to flights always going in and out of Port Moresby.

btw, have you thought about adding Fiji to your Melanesian trip. Fiji is probably close to PNG level in tems of diving and should be the less expensive of the 3 destinations.

 

[thanksforallthefish]

PNG close 2nd of my wishlist. I am targeting Lissenung (Kavieng) and Madang (Jais Aben which is not closed, according to the information I had last week frome the PNG reps at the International dive show in Paris). Traveling in PNG seems a pain in the neck though and REALLY expensive due to flights always going in and out of Port Moresby.

Thanks, yes it seems to have reopened, but not sure if they are conducting any dives yet

Jais Aben Resort

 

[alijtaylor]

Hi, I concur with the view that Port Vila diving doesn't stack up against PNG or Solomons. I have not done the Coolidge yet but on my wish list.

In Solomons Uepi and Bilikiki outstripped the Gizo experience for me. I only did a couple of dives in Madang in PNG but Febrina and Walindi resort were fantastic. You have to work out if they fit your budget. Will they take you without a card - I don't know, contact them first to avoid dissapointment.

I have photos from both PNG and Solomons on my Scubaboard site if you are curious. Have a great time where ever you go.


Alison

 

[Scubanna]

Thanks guys, this is all great info.

Much appreciated