PNG Special - Extreme Expedition

Diving enthusiasts won’t mind spending ALL their vacation days of this ultimate dive trip. The Golden Dawn is a spacious livaboard that promises unbelievable visibility. The pelagics from the Eastern Fields are the stars of this trip. Expect to meet large dog-tooth tuna, schools of yellow fin and blue fin tuna, Spanish mackerel, wahoo, eagle and manta rays, horse-eye jacks and schools of spiraling barracuda.

Discover PNG’s culture at Ambua Lodge. Ambua is surrounded by a pristine mass of interlocking tree tops, shades of green spattered with occasional splashes of color from high altitude orchids and rhododendrons.

The MV Golden Dawn offers some of the finest diving in Papua New Guinea. This 80 ft liveaboard offers a comfortable lounge area with a television and VCR for either watching underwater videos or movies at night. The galley turns out delicious meals for guests and crew, the dining area on the top deck seats 12 passengers. There is plenty of room to stretch out in either the sun or shade in between dives on this compact yet comfortable vessel. She takes just 10 passengers.

The Golden Dawn has 2 twin/double cabins on the Main deck, each with windows and private toilet and shower.

There is 1 double cabin on the lower deck with portholes and private toilet and shower. Also on the lower deck are 1 twin with side by side berths and 1 with bunks. These 2 cabins share a toilet and shower.

All cabins are fully air-conditioned.

Golden Dawn is pioneering dive operations at the spectacular Eastern Fields, a submerged atoll covering over 400 square miles. Most of this reef system is still unexplored, and with the unbelievable visibility and the great variety and number of pelagic life, the Eastern Fields is a dream come true for experienced divers. Expect to meet large dog-tooth tuna, schools of yellow fin and blue fin tuna, spanish mackerel, wahoo, eagle and manta rays, horse-eye jacks and schools of spiraling barracuda.

Grey reef sharks and silver tips are frequently encountered, and the great and scalloped hammerhead sharks will make an appearance regularly. There is plenty of fascinating smaller fare, such as nudibranch and flat worms that have not even been identified yet.

Other itineraries include the Milne Bay and Northern PNG and Wewak.The Golden Dawn is fully equiped to support rebreather divers.

Ambua Lodge offers an inspired mixture of local architecture, spectacular views and modest luxury. It was the recipient of the 1991 Pacific Asia Travel Association`s Pacific Heritage Award which stated that Ambua Lodge is "a superb example of culturally sensitive and ecologically responsible tourism."

The lodge is located at 7,000 feet in the Tari Gap area in the southern highlands, bordering on pristine mid-montane rainforest and in the beginning of the valley grasslands. This location promises the visitor the eternal spring weather and magnificent views of the Tari Valley.

The forest canopy, a dense mass of interlocking tree tops of all shades of green and the occasional bright splash of color, provides a natural setting and an exhilarating climate for venturing along the nature trails.

Cross traditional vine bridges where you will discover secluded waterfalls, view the timid tree kangaroo, and spot high altitude orchids and rhododendrons. Take advantage of the birding in the Tari Gap area where one may chance to observe up to ten species of bird of paradise.

The Huli Wigmen of the Tari Valley have formed a strong bond between themselves and these beautiful birds. Men revere the birds by imitating them in both daily and ceremonial lives, decorating their human hair wigs with the plumage of only the most beautiful birds. Tari is one of the few places left where men and women can be seen wearing traditional dress as part of daily living and men`s wealth is still counted by the number of pigs and wives they possess.

Ambua Lodge features highlands architecture with a main building housing a lounge, bar, dining room, and a cozy center fireplace. Separate are a video room, heated spa, and a sauna. Guests are accommodated in forty individual units set in a sea of local flowers. Each unit features 90-degree picture windows, a modern bath, and electric blankets and continental quilts for the cool highland evenings. The lodge generates electricity from its own mini hydro-electric power plant.