Lissenung Island Resort

Lissenung Island Resort is located a 20 minute boat ride away from Kavieng. The resort, which was started in early 1996, is all there is on the island. There are only 4 bungalows with a total of 7 rooms, accommodating a maximum of 14 guests. Other than a handful of local staff, you won't see another soul. You can easily circumnavigate the entire island in about 10-15 minutes. Deckchairs and a bottle of wine on the beach at sunset time are the perfect way of ending an exciting day of diving.

The main house offers comfortable chairs on a sandy floor and it is here where cold drinks and delicious meals await you. Fresh seafood, such as fish, crabs and crayfish (lobster) feature high on a menu where set meals are served, rather than actually giving out a menu to choose from. Special dietary requirements can be catered for on request. Please advise us of those as early as possible, as food supplies can be a little limited at times.

Many of the ingredients used in our meals come from the local market in Kavieng or are bought from the vendors that either visit our island or come out to meet our dive boats at various dive sites. We buy fresh fruit such as pineapple and bananas as well as all our seafood from these people.

Beer and Wine are available at the resort, but feel free to bring along your own alcoholic beverages. Especially spirits are often unavailable in PNG.

All buildings are built in the traditional style, most of them with thatched roofs and from bamboo woven walls. The local "building materials" are surprisingly strong and withstand even the strongest rainstorms.

Some local artifacts, which are also for sale, complete the picture and give the buildings that great PNG atmosphere

Accommodation

• The bungalows are the only buildings on the island that have a timber floor. All other buildings have sand floors.
• All rooms are fitted with a mosquito net over the bed, a ceiling fan, a large desk and a warderobe. All bungalows also have a big verandah with comfortable chairs to relax in after the diving.
• The beautiful breeze that reaches every corner of the island ensures that no air-conditioning is necessary.
• Four of the rooms have their own ensuite bathroom each, with toilet, basin and shower. For the other three rooms, the share facilities are just a short stroll away.
• Although the water in your shower is not heated, the warm environment (28° Celsius/83F) usually ensures a pleasant water temperature.
• The big desk in front of the window is ideal for photographers, giving them plenty of natural light to work by and ensure that all camera gear is ready for the next dive
• There are also a number of powerpoints in each room, so batteries can be re-charged at all times.
• The rooms are serviced daily and all linen and towels are provided.
• Lissenung Island Resort is a PDAI GO ECO operator and as such, we are committed to minimise diver's impact on the aquatic ecosystem whilst contributing to environmental, economic and cultural conservation.

Surfing

New Ireland is famous for fantastic diving, but the surfing here is pretty good, too! With swells ranging from 2 - 6 or even 8ft, you won't get Hawaii like surf, but it's a lot less crowded, too, as the breaks we go to are not visited by any other surf operator (Ral Island and Senta Pass are the only exceptions). Lissenung Island Resort itself is a small resort, with a maximum of only 14 guests at any given time, so that's the maximum number of surfers you will come across. Special agreements with the resource owners ensure that all breaks can be surfed at any time.

Please ensure that you bring along not only your board(s), but also all necessary accessories and service/repair kits. The sun is very strong up here, so make sure you bring proper sun protection such as lycra shirts, a big hat and at least 30+ sunscreen. Reef shoes may also come in handy.

Here are some of the reef breaks we visit:

Enuk Island
A right-hand breaking wave at the southern end of the reef. This break is best surfed with no wind and glassy conditions, but it is protected somewhat from NE winds if they are not too strong. Best swell direction is NE, but as it is a very shallow reef, it's only surfable on mid to high tide. Easy take-off, but becomes faster down the line and barrels on the inside.

Ral Island
This small island is a swell magnet and the place to head for when everywhere else is flat. It breaks left and right, depending on the swell direction, but the right is usually the better wave. As it is quite open to the elements it's best surfed with glassy conditions, although it is protected from NE winds if they are light. Best swell direction is north. It breaks in deep water, so it's quite safe, evne for reef surfing newcomers.

Nusalomon Island
This is a right hander that breaks on the southern end of the island. The quality of this wave depends greatly on how the sandbar that juts out at the end changes. The wave breaks fairly close to shore in deep water. This can be a very long wave on a big swell. The island itself is beautiful and the boat can pull up behind the sandbar safely. North swell is best, east winds are off-shore, but the break is protected from light NE winds.
There is also a left hander at the north end of the island, but it will only work when all the conditions come together – NNW swell, S - SW winds – as the reef is quite exposed. It’s surfable at all tides. It's surfable at all tides

Bangatan Island
Most of this island has straight, unbroken reef, but there is a right hander in front of the passage between Bangatan and Tagalop Islands. The reef comes into the island a bit more and picks up quite a lot of swell. It’s only surfable at mid to high tide as most of the reef is exposed at low tide. S – SW winds is off-shore, best swell is N - NE.

Tagalop Island (middle)
A fun right hander in front of a small village that is surfable at all tides and breaks close to shore. Best on a northerly swell or larger NNW swell, SE wind off-shore.

Patio Island
The reef juts out on the northern side of the island, providing a nice right hander which picks up on a NE swell. SW winds are off-shore and the wave horse-shoes around the reeef.

Senta Pass
A left hander at the northern end of the island that breaks into the passage. SE wind is off-shore, but it’s protected from light NW winds. If all conditions are right, it can be a very long wave, very fast breaking and tubing inside in sections! The reef is exposed at low tide, so this one is only surfable at mid to high tide.