Walindi Plantation Resort

We spent one of the best holidays of our lives in Walindi Plantation Resort. Waking up and falling asleep to the sounds of birds singing, taking a kayak at sunset and admiring the extraordinary beauty of the corals, relaxing on a sun lounger while the children splash in the pool - all this is priceless. We sincerely thank the team for their hospitality, impeccable service and interesting excursions in the surrounding area. We recommend this beautiful resort from the bottom of our hearts!

I stayed here for three days solo snorkeling, and then joined a small bird tour group for three more days. Bungalows were great; beautiful gardens with gorgeous bird wing butterflies and a beautiful view. Bungalows were very well sealed, so didn't need mosquito net when sleeping. Not air-conditioned, but robust ceiling fans kept me cool for sleeping. Food was good. Snorkeling was good and they accommodated me as a solo snorkeler. But I can't say the staff was enthusiastic about my snorkeling. The captain of one boat asked me why I didn't dive – distinctly implying that he wished that I were a diver instead. They were not interested in what I wanted to see or planning an itinerary, but just gave a few options of where to go each day. They said there was a house reef, but I had to pester them to even put out a ladder for it. I was impressed with the house reef though – saw a lot of stuff I didn't see further offshore. But the big liveaboards docked in the same area, so it wasn't really possible to snorkel on the house reef once they arrived. Boat staff seemed friendly, but not reliable. On one combination bird/snorkeling outing, they forgot to bring defogger or a fresh water tank to soak cameras, etc. On another outing, I said I wanted to eat lunch at an island, but then once I got out there I was told they hadn't brung lunch and were returning at 1 PM. They also just let novices jump in the water without giving them any instructions about not stepping on the reef, etc. But I did otherwise feel safe in the water with the staff. The reefs all look good, and water visibility was excellent except near shore or islands. though there are signs of bleaching. I didn't see a lot of big stuff and no sharks. There was one huge Napoleon Wrasse and a pod of false killer whales (misidentified by the captain as melonhead whales) which I saw from the boat. But the highlights for me were smaller stuff – several species of shrimp gobies, a *****ed coral blenny (which is only found in this area and the Solomon Islands), a cool Phyllidia nudibranch I found, reef squid, loads of gorgeous reef fish, etc. Definitely worth a visit, but getting there can be an adventure. The national airline was not at all reliable when I was there; unexpected flight cancellations are routine. Security in Papua New Guinea is always a concern – though I felt safe enough at the resort.

Walindi is truly enchanting, a realm of boundless beauty nestled in its incredible diving spots! Picture this: Joel's Reef in Kimbe, an underwater wonderland where I experienced one of the most exhilarating dives of my life. But it wasn't just the vibrant marine life that left me spellbound; it was the warmth and kindness radiating from every staff member. What sets diving at Walindi apart is its pristine reefs and an unmatched sense of serenity. Imagine being the sole boat at a dive site, immersing yourself in the depths surrounded only by nature's splendor. It's as if you've discovered your own private paradise.

Great place, amazing good and perfect service. Loved staying here. Air Niugini delays resulted in us missing our first night here which was a bad start to our holiday but could not fault Walindi. Really appreciated the daily laundry service. We were diving every day and the diving is great. The travel time on the boats to get to the sites could be improved by faster boats as a few hours each day were gobbled up in travel to and from sites.

Perfection, the resort and dive services are second to none, food was great and the accommodation was superb and even though I wasn't feeling 100% and unable to do all the dives it was still a fabulous holiday. It's been over twenty years since I visited last time and standard and quality is amazing. Thanx for making our holiday so memorable.

We traveled fir the snorkeling and scuba, and also hiked to see the volcano-all we’re absolutely wonderful experiences!! Combine that with a great friendly staff, comfortable rooms and great food options and we were thoroughly impressed!! Well worth the time it takes to get there-the reefs are so much better than the GBR reefs!

Everything was and everyone were WONDERFUL The staff were amazing, helpful warm and friendly The resort grounds were beautiful Breakfast and dinner were included Breakfast choices were great Dinner buffet had great variety The chef catered well for gluten, dairy and other allergies Bungalow was spacious Bed was very comfortable Potable tap water V good pressure hot/cold showers Laundry was included!! Good variety of excursions

Wow wow wow what an outstanding resort. The accommodation is great. The staff are amazing and are on first name terms with every guest. Fabulous food Relax by the pool or activities can be arranged for you, trek a volcano, visit a local village and schools.

If you’re thinking about travelling to PNG as a solo female travel do it and stay at Walindi! I am beyond grateful I stumbled across Walindi while I was googling places to stay in PNG. Not only did I feel incredibly safe but I ended up meeting so many incredible people at the Walindi resort which made my stay even more special. It really felt like a community where I felt truly present just enjoying life! Walindi offered so many great activities as well like scuba diving, hiking to an active volcano and relaxing in some hot springs afterwards which just added to the experience. Ema was also super responsive and even helped prepare a document which I needed for my visa because it turned out you could no longer apply for a visa on arrival despite Google saying you could which I greatly appreciated. After travelling to a few other places afterwards, her responsiveness was one of a kind and is just what I needed to feel even more safe travelling to such an exotic country. Thank you so much Ema and the Walindi team for making this trip so magical! Cristina xx