Travel Guide Tufi

Tufi, at 1 hour of Port Moresby aircraft, is often nicknamed «Papua New Guinea's best kept secret». A great site, Tufi depends on the province of Oro, whose chief is Popondetta. Very poor in infrastructure, isolated, this province remains difficult to visit and its centers of interest, probably many, are still cataloging, although the beauty of its landscapes is recognized. Popondetta itself does not have great interest and will eventually be only a passing point for those who try to climb up or down the coast between Lae and Alotau. Tufi, on the other hand, has opened up for a few years to a very profitable eco-tourism in the region. This tiny government station, east of Popondetta, is located at the tip of a peninsula born from the lava of a volcano; it has formed five fjords, which are flowing into the sea as fingers with one hand. The result is splendid bays with turquoise water dominated by hills covered with dense tropical vegetation where traditional villages spread between heights and beaches. With this impression at the end of the world, the region currently has no source of income. Many describe this region as one of the last borders of our planet. Even fishing can only be a livelihood, because how can we sell its fish when there is no means of communication with the outside world? So people live here like their grandparents, agriculture and fishing, hunting and gathering. The swing canoe is the most common mode of transportation. The telephone has also appeared in recent years, but the telephone network does not follow yet.Tufi itself consists only of a grass field and two or three basic stores located along the only street… A small wharf allows local villagers to come to sell their fish or vegetables, hoping to win two or three kinas for their sentence. What to buy a little salt, oil and soap. For medical care, you have to go to Popondetta, several hours of motor boat (very expensive), to find a hospital that most of the time is missing everything. In recent years, the success of sea cucumbers, exported at great expense to China, is beginning to provide fishermen with annual income. On the other hand, there is still a long way to go from intensive fishing and therefore pollution; Underwater life flourishes here in all its splendor and diversity. Linda Honey, an American married to an Australian from a long-standing family in Papua, is involved. Coming here on a business trip, she had an immediate blow to the region. She was able to convince her husband and other partners to buy a piece of land where a small hotel was located. Today, the Tufi Resort offers a complete experience of what the archipelago can offer in a magnificent environment with respect for the environment and local populations. Since then, the Honey family has created its diving center, installed a new store for the population and exports the artisanal fishing product from nearby villages. It has also set up in these villages a set of guesthouses that allow curious travelers and more authenticity than comfort to discover the region at a lower cost.Relatively rare to be noted, there is practically no security problem in Tufi. Villagers are used to tourists and are particularly welcoming. Here, no problem of customary law, but it's better to report to the hotel when we go to the adventure.