Walindi Plantation Resort, established in 1983, is an intimate dive resort situated on the shores of Kimbe Bay on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. Celebrating over 25 years of operation, the resort is world famous for its quality of diving, international award-winning photography and warm hospitality. The resort’s guest book reads like a Who’s Who in the world of Sport Diving and Underwater Photography and the resort has been voted to have the “best diving from a resort anywhere in the world” by reader surveys.
Walindi Resort offers 12 traditional style, self-contained bungalows spread along the beachfront, and 8 Plantation House Rooms, all surrounded by rainforest gardens. Bungalow facilities include ensuite bathrooms, ceiling fans, large windows to catch the tropical breezes, kitchenette with tea and coffee making facilities, and private verandas overlooking the beach and gardens. Plantation House Rooms are in blocks of 4 rooms, slightly smaller than the bungalows and with all the same facilities, except each block of four rooms share one verandah.
The central resort area is the social hub of Walindi and includes the tropical and airy reception and dining room, lounge and bar area, swimming pool, sundeck, boutique and a comprehensive library with computers for guest internet connection. Wireless internet is available in the main resort area.
Personalised attention in an informal atmosphere is the essence of the Walindi Plantation Resort experience. Relaxing surroundings and friendly staff welcome you with a smile and genuine hospitality …. you will feel at home the moment you arrive.
With only 12 bungalows and eight Plantation House rooms, crowds and queues are not something you will find at Walindi. Accommodation is spread along the beach front, nestled in tropical rainforest gardens, ensuring privacy and seclusion when you want it. The central resort area, just a short stroll from your accommodation, is the social hub of Walindi. Meal times are a social gathering of guests and staff alike, a chance to share your individual experiences of the day.
The central resort area is the hub of all resort activity, consisting of a reception lobby, Casuarina Restaurant and Planter’s Bar, air-conditioned lounge and library with internet facilities for guest use, the Blue Taro Boutique, a swimming pool, sun deck and administration offices.
Casuarina Restaurant:
The restaurant offers three meals daily (included in the tariff) and fare is Western and Asian style, delicious and plentiful, featuring local seafoods, fruits and vegetables. The beef served is produced on neighbouring Numundo Plantation.
Meals are at set times … Special dietary requests will be accommodated wherever possible, just let the Manageress know of your needs.
Coffee and Tea:
Complimentary tea and freshly ground coffee are available at all times in the dining room. Coffee and tea making facilities are also available in the rooms.
Planter’s Bar:
The bar is fully stocked with mixed drinks, beers, a selection of wine, softdrinks, bottled water and snacks, and is open for most of the day. Please note that bar beverages are not included in the tariff.
Lounge and library:
The library/lounge is air-conditioned, with comfortable seating and an extensive reference library, encompassing marine life, underwater photography, local terrestrial life and history information. A small fiction sectionis also housed. Television viewing is available. Please ask the hostess if you would like to view a selection of movies or documentaries on DVD.
Catering to a small number of guests at the resort means you receive undivided attention, yet the freedom to feel every dive has been made for you alone. Good company, great food, friendly staff and a relaxed atmosphere provide a perfect backdrop while you enjoy the delights of Kimbe Bay diving.
Walindi is famous worldwide for its scuba diving and snorkelling. Over 900 species of fish and 420 species of coral at last count can be found within Kimbe Bay itself – that is over half the total world species of hard corals in one Bay, a truly remarkable statistic. Photographically spectacular, underwater images taken in the bay have consistently won the most prestigious underwater photography competitions in the world, including the Festival Mondial de L’Image Sous-Marine, Antibes, France.
Walindi Dive is the resort dive centre, and our staff strive to go the extra mile to ensure a comfortable dive experience. Your gear awaits you at the jetty, and will be stripped down and cleaned at the end of each diving day, while you relax and enjoy your vacation time. Three purpose built dive boats transport you to a diverse range of sites, most within 45 minutes of the resort. Diving operates every day on a 2 or 3 dive per day basis. Dive equipment is available for hire, along with nitrox.
With in excess of thirty dive sites to choose from, whatever your diving pleasure, be it the absorbing intricacies of macro diving or the explosion of colour on our coral reefs, you will be spoilt for choice.
Kimbe Bay Reefs – Otto’s Reef
This large reef, being isolated from any other reef or land mass, is entirely different to any other Walindi dive sites.
On days when the current is creating eddies on the point, schools of barracuda, trevally, sea perch, fusilier, unicorn fish and surgeon fish mix with a variety of shark species, including, on occasion, scalloped hammerhead, and tuna, resulting in plenty of exciting action.
Along the wall south of the point are numerous ledges, overhangs and small caves, adorned with hanging sponges and coral life. The area has a rich growth of many kinds of sponges as well as black coral, reef clams and ascidians. Within this encrusting community you can find spider crabs, gobies and sponge-eating dorid nudibranchs. The top of the reef supports a beautiful garden of hard corals that make a wonderful after dive snorkel.
Other Walindi Plantation Resort activities are bird watching, visit and swim in thermal springs, viewing WWII wrecks, Kimbe town tour, rainforest walks, village visits and oil palm industry excursions.
