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After spending a week hopping through the Highlands (*coming soon*) or 10-days traveling up the Sepik River to see some of the most remote tribal communities in the world, no one can possibly blame you for craving a little laid-back island adventure. That’s exactly what Manus, New Ireland, and New Britain have to offer.
I visited New Ireland during my month-long exploration of PNG and certainly got a taste of island life. But it wasn’t all the beachy paradise I was hoping for. Papua New Guinea is the kind of place that throws curveballs, and even on the islands, it’s bound to throw a little bit of a wrench in your well-laid plans.
Here’s everything you need to know about New Ireland and how to plan your trip.
Where is New Ireland, Papua New Guinea
New Ireland is a long, skinny finger of land just north of (slightly) more popular New Britain, touching the Bismarck Sea. New Hanover is a collection of scattered, smaller islands on the north end of New Ireland, known to be a diver’s paradise, that is best accessed via New Ireland itself.
There’s only one airport, in the northern city of Kavieng, and to book a flight, read my guide on domestic departures. In fact, all trips center around Kavieng. The island as a whole is fairly flat, with one road snaking down the coastline on each side, and a spine of jungly mountains separating them in the center.
Why Should You Visit New Ireland, PNG
Because you’re looking for an island escape within Papua New Guinea. Maybe you’re a diver, or you like to surf. Perhaps you want to bicycle the length of the island (this is apparently something you can do, and quite easily, I might add). Or you heard about the Kono Shark Callers and really want to see this ancient tradition in action.
There are lots of reasons to WANT to visit New Ireland.
I did not find New Ireland to be portrayed perfectly online, though. It is nowhere near the best snorkeling or diving in the world. Or more specifically, it IS near it; you’ll find it in Raja Ampat, I’m certain. But here in Papua New Guinea, decades of mining, agricultural runoff, and climate change have wreaked havoc. Beaches are all owned by someone, so you’ll pay to enter wherever you go. And the shark callers are wonderful, but you can only visit and experience the practice if you’re a man. So, it’s not a perfect island paradise. But there are beaches and plenty of interesting things to do during your stay.
How Long Do I Need to Visit New Ireland?
This is entirely dependent on two factors. Are you planning on traveling on a budget and independently? And are you going to want some actual “island” time for diving, swimming, snorkeling, etc? Because if the answer to either of those questions is yes, you’re probably going to want at least 7 days.
You could buzz through New Ireland’s sights with a car and driver in only 4-5 days, but it won’t allow for any water excursions, and it’s going to cost a pretty penny due to car rental costs, which clock in at a whopping $250 per day. 800 Kina for a car rental is considered a good deal in Papua New Guinea. If that sounds crazy to you (it did to me too), read my blog post on the cost of travel in Papua New Guinea.
But there are other ways to get around and see the island. For starters, New Ireland is super flat, and the eastern Highway is entirely paved, which makes for a perfect excuse to travel by bicycle.
Or, more popularly, you can join the locals in the bed of a truck or PMV bus on a slow and uncomfortable journey as the locals do. It’s only about 20 kina ($4) per ride. Just don’t expect them to leave on any predictable timetable or deviate from the main roadway. It’s kinda like hitchhiking but with a less comfortable bus.
All that being said, the choice is really yours—but if I had less than 4 days, I wouldn’t bother making the domestic trip to New Ireland.
Logistics of Visiting New Ireland
As I’ve already mentioned, to reach New Ireland you’ll fly into Kavieng (probably from Port Moresby) and from there you *could* go directly to your island escape. In fact, I would recommend it. Most lodges offer free pick-up from the airport, and Kavieng itself is really nothing to see. There’s no dramatically different vibe than other places in Papua New Guinea. If you do stay in town, I recommend keeping it simple with Kavieng Niu Lodge.
There are a few small locally run guesthouses in some of the villages here, but we had a poor experience there. The hotels are more straightforward pricing-wise.
Our Poor Experience: The guesthouse was great, and the hosts were lovely, but after telling us the rooms were $20 (an absolute steal in Papua New Guinea), they provided a HUGE dinner, breakfast buffet, and gathered the village for a sing-sing-like performance (none of which we asked for) and proceeded to charge us $300 for it. Making our “budget-rooms” suddenly more expensive than the island lodges. Be sure you are clear what you are paying for in PNG.
I wrote a full breakdown on the cost of travel in Papua New Guinea that includes New Ireland here.
Getting Around New Ireland
If you’re interested in exploring the mainland of New Ireland, you will have to choose between PMV and renting a car. PMV is only a couple of dollars a ride typically (but it will be in the bed of a truck), while car rentals are a whopping $250 per day. Ridiculous in my opinion. But traveling via PMV to Belifu Canyon might pose a little of a challenge. The rest are pretty straightforward as they are strung along the Boluminski Highway.
All perfectly possible, but if you plan to go this route, you’ll need to make sure you have given yourself plenty of time.
A Quick Itinerary Overview: 5 Best Things to Do in New Ireland
Here are the top five things we did while in New Ireland.
- Visit the Shark Callers of New Ireland
- Diving/Snorkeling at Lissenung Island Resort
- Feed the Giant Laraibina River Eels
- Walk Through (and Swim in) Belifu Canyon
- Witness Malagan Mask Carving by the Master Carvers
If you’re interested in all the things to do in Papua New Guinea, to start planning your perfect trip, I’ve got a blog post.
Here’s a little more in-depth information about each of the iconic New Ireland attractions.
Visit the Shark Callers of New Ireland
This is probably the most niche, interesting attraction on New Ireland as a whole.
Essentially, in the small village of Kono and Kontu, a local tribe on the west coast of New Ireland still practices the ancient tradition of “shark calling” to survive. Using rattles and a symphony of chants, they lure sharks to their canoes while on the Bismarck Sea and catch them practically by hand with a specialized noose. Not only is this practice old, but it’s also steeped in ritual.
- Women are not allowed. Which means this is really only an attraction that men can witness.
- No eating for three days before the hunt. (Them, not you)
- No associating with women for 3 days before the hunt. (You will be asked to sleep apart for the night before)
- The fishermen will sleep on the beach for the three days before.
The region of Kontu is remote, faces challenging conditions for farming, and relies almost entirely on the ocean to survive. Sharks, fish, etc. While it was unfortunate to drive all the way to the village and then find out that women were not allowed to partake in these activities, I totally understand their unbending traditions. In order to preserve the culture, we shouldn’t ask that it change for tourism.
You should contact the tourism department at nita.kavieng@gmail.com or info@newirelandtourism.org (WhatsApp: +675 7484 5612 or +675 984 2441) to plan a visit. They have two beachfront huts that you can stay in during your time with the shark callers. While it’s rustic, you are right on the water.
It can feel weird contacting a tourism board for basic travel. But in PNG this is often how it is done as there is so little tourism at all in the country’s more remote places.
Go Diving/Snorkeling at Lissenung Island Resort
If you’re here for the snorkeling, diving, and general beach merriment, you’re going to want to book a stay at one of the private island resorts.
The mainland of New Ireland has okay beaches, but nothing compared to the smaller islands. Private island doesn’t mean super luxury or anything, just that all the islands are small enough that there is typically only one hotel on each.
I stayed at Lissenung Island Resort. The island is small, with soft yellow sand, and super comfortable bungalows. Quite possibly the nicest place I stayed in all of Papua New Guinea. It’s renowned as the best dive resort in the area and also is a haven for traveling sea turtles (there are no more cuscus on the island as of 2026, however). You can snorkel the house reef with ease, and you’ll likely see plenty of small reef sharks each day. As it’s only about 20 min from the airport (land + sea), you could not find an easier escape than this one.
It’s not the only place near Kavieng to have an island escape though. Be sure to check out these options depending on your budget and whether or not you plan on diving…
- My number one choice would actually be Nusa Island Retreat (as a non-diver). For roughly the same price, you get a bigger island with more options for activities. It’s also very close to Kavieng Airport.
- For more budget-friendly options, you can book online at Masipai Guesthouse or check out Tsoilik Lagoon Guesthouse in New Hanover and Clem’s Place
Feed the Giant River Eels of Laraibina
About halfway down the Boluminski Highway is a small town called Laraibina. There’s a family here who has been feeding and caring for the giant freshwater eels that live in this stream for generations. The woman today lets you purchase a can of tuna for about $5 (or better yet, bring your own), and she feeds these giant eels so you can see them in all their slimy glory.
I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but it was pretty impressive. These eels were born here and return to their birthplace to have their own babies. It’s an odd attraction for sure and maybe not worth going out of your way for (unless you’re an eel enthusiast), but if you’re headed down to the shark callers, it’s on the way.
Swim in Belifu Canyon
Unlike all the other attractions on this list, Belifu Canyon is on the west coast of New Ireland. This means you’ll have to make a journey to get here. But from Kavieng, it’s not all that far away. They are building the road as we speak, so it’s bound to get more accessible as time goes on.
Once you arrive in Belifu Village, you’ll pay the owner of the land about 20 kina (this could change) to walk through the forest and climb down the volcanic rocks cliffside. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the road to the canyon. Definitely wear your swimsuit so that you can take a swim through, and be sure to visit during low(ish) tide; otherwise, it will be harder to reach.
Witness the Craftsmanship of the Malagan Mask Carvers
These masks are a true testament of Malagan culture. There are three mask masters.
- Michael Homerang (Madina Village)
- Ben Sisia (Libba Village)
- Fabian Paino (Langenia Village, Konos)
Not only can you visit them and watch them carve, but you can purchase some of the masks from them if you so choose. The best way to arrange a visit (other than just showing up in the village and asking around) is to contact the New Ireland tourism department directly at nita.kavieng@gmail.com or info@newirelandtourism.org (WhatsApp: +675 7484 5612 or +675 984 2441)
Would I Choose New Ireland Again?
I enjoyed New Ireland, and I think there are merits to each of Papua New Guinea’s island destinations. When I chose New Ireland, I selected it because I was craving something remote, somewhere I couldn’t find an abundance of information about on the web. There are few tours here, very little at all in fact, outside of the dive resorts, so I assumed it would be the least touristy of my options and therefore the best choice.
In hindsight, Papua New Guinea is pretty far from any semblance of mass tourism. So that doesn’t matter all that much. What actually matters is what kind of island escape you want. New Ireland and the Hanover Islands are popular spots for divers. New Britain offers a lot more in terms of diverse attractions (as well as diving and snorkeling), and Manus has the added benefit of wildlife. I would forgo worrying about “touristy” and rather look at the Papua New Guinea itineraries I laid out to decide what attractions most interest you.
All of Papua New Guinea sits within the Coral Triangle, which means each island will have equally great snorkeling, beaches, and a tropical vibe. I would personally prioritize New Britain or Manus next time, but that could just be because I have already visited New Ireland.
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