Tufi Resort

Tufi Resort is a small, personalised boutique resort for divers who want the water to be the main event without spending every non-diving hour in a departure lounge. The setting does much of the talking: the resort sits above Tufi Harbour with wide views over the sea, fjords and mountains.

You will be understood in English, as the hotel team speaks English. That matters in a remote place, particularly when you are arranging flights, boat outings or a day away from the resort.

The mood can be as active or as slow as you choose. Diving, village visits and adventure tours sit alongside a pool, a terrace and a proper place to eat, so the day does not have to end when the wetsuit comes off.

The resort is in Tufi, in Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, perched on a cliff-top terrace above Tufi Harbour. It is on the coast, with jungle and mountain scenery around the fjords rather than a built-up resort strip.

Port Moresby is 250 miles to the west, and the Kokoda Trail is 80 miles away. This is a remote base, not a place you reach by hiring a car and following the signs after lunch.

Tufi Airport is roughly 250 metres from the resort, around a three-minute walk. Airport transfers are available, which is useful when your luggage includes rather more than a pair of flip-flops.

The choice is straightforward: the Deluxe Bungalow gives you more room to spread out and can accommodate three people, while the double rooms suit two guests travelling together. For a couple, the Deluxe Room is the natural step up from the Standard Double Room; for three, the bungalow is the one to look at first.

Every room option has air conditioning, an en-suite bathroom and mosquito nets. The bungalows and deluxe rooms also have sea-facing verandahs, giving you somewhere to sit with a drink and watch the light change over the water instead of retreating straight indoors.

There is 24-hour electricity and hot water, which are particularly welcome in a remote diving destination. A kettle, fan, WiFi and daily housekeeping cover the useful basics, while room service and laundry are available when the practical jobs refuse to disappear by themselves.

This is full board, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Breakfast is a buffet built around fresh seasonal fruit, bread and pastries baked on site, cereals, yoghurt, tea, local coffee and juice; vegetarian and gluten-free choices are available.

Lunch is prepared daily by the local chefs, using produce from the mainland and the surrounding fjords. Reef fish and seafood have a strong place on the menu, alongside meat, chicken and local specialities, so the food is not reduced to a single safe option for visitors.

Dinner is usually a changing three-course menu. There is one restaurant, in an air-conditioned dining room, plus a bar and the option of a barbecue on the terrace with wine and cold beer. Breakfast can also be brought to your room, and packed lunches are available for days spent away from the dining room.

The outdoor pool looks down over the fjord, with sun loungers and beach chairs nearby. A hot tub adds a warmer way to sit still, while the garden, sun terrace, picnic area and outdoor fireplace give you several places to pass an hour without being asked to make a decision.

On the water, you can take a canoe or go kayaking, snorkelling, fishing or windsurfing. Walking, hiking, birdwatching and boat excursions open up the coastline and surrounding country, with cultural tours taking you towards local villages and traditional activities.

The resort can also arrange experiences involving cooking, weaving and cultural performances, as well as village-style accommodation packages and hosted tours. Back at the property, billiards, table tennis, darts, board games, live music and televised sport are available for the sort of afternoon when your legs have already made their position clear.

Tufi is reached by air, and scheduled flights are limited to selected days. Flights are operated by Tropicair, with private check-in at the airline's private terminal; the resort handles airline bookings directly rather than through Booking.com. Airport transfers to and from the Tufi airstrip are available, and the airstrip is only a short walk away.

Check-in runs from 08:00 to 19:00, while check-out is available from 06:00 to 15:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, although cash is the accepted payment method. Guests under 18 must check in with a parent or official guardian.

Children of any age are welcome. Cots can be requested for children aged up to five, subject to the accommodation option, while extra beds are not available. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel, and the practical support includes luggage storage, currency exchange, laundry, a minimarket, packed lunches and an infirmary on site.