Lissenung Island Resort

Located a 20-minute boat ride from Kavieng – the capital of the New Ireland Province, Lissenung Island is a small, private island with tall palm trees and framed by white sandy beaches. Situated only 2 degrees south of the Equator, its part of the Coral Triangle and home to some of the highest coral, fish and invertebrate diversity in the world. Established in 1996 by Dietmar Amon, an Austrian dive enthusiast who is still the owner and director to this day, the resort’s four bungalows and other buildings remain the only developments upon the island. Children are only permitted over the age of 12, and the maximum occupancy of 16 guests means that personal service and a relaxed atmosphere is guaranteed. The small size of the resort emphasises its philosophy and desire to acquaint guests with the local community and traditional way of life.

All buildings are built in the traditional style, with hardwood floors and spacious verandas in each room. The eight rooms are in four duplex bungalows, dotted around the island to offer privacy and tranquillity. Accommodation is basic but comfortable. In keeping with the resort’s eco-tourism objective, half of the roof of each bungalow is corrugated iron, in order to collect rainwater which is fed into a tank and used as the resort’s water course. Using local building materials and labour, the developments are eco-friendly and blend beautifully with the island’s lush vegetation.

The main house, or ‘haus win’ is the hub of the resort, where drinks and meals are served. Featuring comfortable chairs on a sandy floor, local artwork and a large communal table for meals, it is perfectly in keeping with the traditional and natural feel of the resort.  A daily-changing menu offers a seafood/fish and a chicken/meat option for lunch & dinner. Guests simply tick their day’s choices before heading out for diving, and the food will be plated individually. Just about all options can be turned into a vegetarian or even vegan version, and almost all of the ingredients used are purchased fresh from local fishermen and farmers.

As the majority of guests come here for the diving, the resort has a fabulous dive set up featuring three dive boats, several highly experienced dive guides and a fully equipped dive shop. In close proximity to the island are around 40 wonderful dive sites to choose from. Additionally, due to the small occupancy of the island diving programmes can easily be tailored to suit individual desires, should the conditions allow for it. Daily boat trips to the outer reefs, drop offs and wrecks with a maximum of three dives per day are offered. The day usually starts at 8.30am with 2 morning boat dives and guests return to the island for lunch. In the afternoon, you can go out for a third boat dive, relax on the island or take a shore dive on the fabulous house reef. Night dives are also available upon the house reef. PADI and speciality dive courses can be arranged for new divers.

As well as diving, Lissenung island offers great surfing opportunities for keen surfers. A special agreement with reef owners means the resort’s guests are able to surf any break at any time, and have exclusive access to the sell in this area. Unlike the dive centre, the island cannot offer any surf equipment or instruction, so guests wishing to experience the tropical reef surfing must bring their own equipment.