Located on a volcanic bluff overlooking the clear protected waters of Milne Bay and accessible only by boat, the Tawali Resort offers a unique location in which to relax and enjoy the wonders of Milne Bay diving.

Milne Bay is where diving started in Papua New Guinea! Actually, that's not entirely true, because Bob Halstead, Kevin Baldwin and other members of the Port Moresby Diving Club all started diving in and around Port Moresby. But it was strictly for fun and personal pleasure, and not for the outside world. It was not until Bob designed and built Telita in the 80s and took her to Milne Bay that people around the world realised that Papua New Guinea was somewhere rather special when it came to diving.

Tawali, which in the local language means "reef" is aptly named as it sits atop a beautiful reef teaming with all kinds of life. It is a unique resort built entirely by the local population with no use of power tools with all carvings and woodwork done entirely by hand.

Covered walkways lead away from the main building and observation deck to guest bungalows which are all to a high standard. The five guest buildings are set around the top of a bluff overlooking the bay and forests. Each building houses two rooms or bungalows and even though the rooms share a common wall, they are all completely private even on the individual balconies. It is worth noting that the Tawali Resort is very hilly so not for those who don't like a few steps!

Bungalows are very roomy with a lot of attention to detail. All have individual solar powered hot water and are air conditioned with lovely bathrooms and private decks. At the most Tawali Resort accommodates twenty divers, which makes your holiday a very intimate experience.

The diving in Milne Bay is exceedingly varied - muck diving at Observation Point & Dinah's Beach, one of the world's classic coral structures - Deacon's Reef - drift dives, wreck dives, wall dives, shallow patch reefs and deep oceanic reefs. This really is world-class diving. When not diving you can kayak, hike, go birding… you will not get bored here.

Why We Love It
Image of Tom Barber

The Tawali Resort is home to Deacon's Reef, one of the world's truly great reef systems and a joy to dive. Just this site is worth the trip alone.

Tom, Original Diver

Start creating your tailored trip today

Tom is our 'Tawali Resort' expert and as a seasoned traveller has the inside track on the most memorable adventures.

Image of Tom Barber
Call us on 1-800-652-1972