Dive Review of
Lissenung Island Resort in
Papua New Guinea/Kavieng

Cozumel, Bonaire, Fiji, Indonesia, Jamaica

Dive Conditions

[Unspecified]  

Water in rinse tank at dive shop was tinged yellow and was unmarked --
other divers were using to rinse other equipment; No flat tables at
appropriate height.  There was an outlet strip in the room but need to
supply your own adaptors.    

Overall Rating

Lori Brown, Chris Green, and Justin Brown Green

Lissenung Island Resort, Kavieng, Papua New Guinea

	A small resort, a long way from anywhere.  The diving is great. Within the
first few minutes of our first dive (Peter’s Patch) we spotted a solitary
hammer head shark.  It was curious and came within 20 feet of us.  Peter’s
Patch is an L shaped ridge and when you reach the hinge, you are staring
out into the blue.  I watched in awe as my husband swam in an unending
stream of jacks as a river of red tooth triggers fluttered around.  At
Albatross Crossing we spotted several large sharks.  We scanned the sea
fans for pygmy sea horse.  At Baudisson Bay, there is a very steep wall. 
Off the wall, we spotted shark, turtles, and a large bump nose parrot
jetting down the wall.  There was also a startling variety of  nudibranchs
on the wall.  At Lemus Island, we saw several large crocodile fish, one of
them just laying in the sand near some rubble in about 15 feet of water.
	There are several worthwhile wrecks nearby.  A Korean fishing boat was
rather bare of coral but covered with a large group of hawkfish.  The
Stubborn Hellion site is a silty, mucky dive in about 45 feet of water with
a B25 Mitchell bomber that had been shot down by Japanese.  This wreck was
covered with coral and all sorts of critters.   
	We had heard of the legendary currents at Lissenung but actually rarely
experienced them.  There was only one dive (at Bermuda Reef) where the
current was ripping.  A few divers had hooks and hung off the reef to watch
passing sharks.  Others, like me, clung to dead coral, and inched along on
the reef.  
	Because of the strong currents (which rarely materialized) we also made a
nearly daily afternoon dive at Ral Island (about 40 feet) so that our newly
certified son, age 12, could dive with us.  The dive starts out in the sand
and ends up on a patchy coral area.  There was a bright yellow frog fish, a
black frog fish, and a red frog fish.  I also spotted the largest pipe fish
I’ve ever seen – I’m not sure what it was but it was grassy green and about
14 inches long!  We also saw razor fish, puffer fish, upside down
jellyfish, and plenty of nudibranchs at this site. 
	The on-land experience was less pleasing.  The quarters were large but
sparsely furnished.  Mosquito nets were provided for the beds on either
side of the room.  Therein lay the problem.  The single ceiling fan was
located in the middle of the room, the mosquito nets, which were required
because of the malaria in the area,  were stifling.  The poorly placed fan
provided no relief from the sweltering heat at night.  And speaking of
relief, the bathroom facilities, was a fair hike from the room.  Invariably
the bathroom was filled with mosquitoes, and whether or not the facilities
(both toilet and cold water shower) were working seemed to be about 50:50. 
It’s a bit frustrating at 2 a.m. to trek through the dark to the bathroom
and then not be able to flush or to soap up after a dive only to have the
shower, such as it is, reduce to a dripping trickle.  
	Meals were served restaurant style and the floral arrangements on the
tables changed daily and were stunning.  The food was good (lobster, shrimp
creole, crab, fresh fish, etc) but very plain and there was nothing to
choose from for our finicky 12 year old.  Other than meals, there were no
snacks left out and the one time we requested something extra (my son had
been feeling quite queasy at breakfast time but was hungry at 11:30), I was
told we would have to wait – for toast as it were, since they were busy in
the kitchen getting lunch ready.  Not exactly the response I was expecting.

	While the diving was great, the accommodations were less than perfect.  We
spent ten days there – if I had it to do again, I wouldn’t want to miss the
great diving there but I’d be inclined to stay for a shorter time.      
  

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