Seven days. Six guests, three instructors. The clearest water in the Pacific — and quite possibly the best week of your year.

This is the full picture of our Niue Ocean Escape: the vibe, who comes, what to expect, where you stay, what it costs, what's included, how to get there, and who's leading it. Take your time — and email Sacha with anything we haven't answered.

Our vibe

Here's the honest version. You need a general level of fitness — but you can tap in or tap out of any activity, any day. This trip can be as action-packed or as cruisy as you like, or that sweet spot right in between.

We're about shared meals and shared water — about the adventure, and the wholesome, belly-laugh kind of fun that only happens when a small group is properly in it together. It's a mixed, rainbow-friendly trip: all genders, all welcome, always.

Who comes on these trips

Honestly? All sorts — and somehow it always just works. We've had 88-year-olds in the water with us, and everyone down from there: mums and daughters, partners, honeymooners, and solo adventurers who arrive as strangers and leave as friends. For whatever reason, we seem to attract exactly the right people. You'll fit right in.

What to expect

Your week, your rhythm. The days are full — whales, depth, dolphins, breathwork, hidden swimming holes, culture and quiet — but nothing is compulsory. Take everything the week offers, or step back for a hammock afternoon and a slow wander to the village. Skip a session to read on the deck; rejoin at dinner. This is an expedition, not a bootcamp — the ocean sets the schedule, and you set your pace.

• Fitness: a general level of fitness and confidence in the water. You do not need a freediving certification — the prerequisite is being a comfortable swimmer.
• Coaching: everything in-water is coached and SSI-aligned, with three instructors for a maximum of six guests — around one coach for every two divers.
• Weather-led: the exact daily plan flexes with the ocean and the whales. That's a feature, not a bug.

Signature experiences

• Swim with humpback whales — two licensed swims in peak migration season, run with Niuean operators, always on the whales' terms.
• Swim with spinner dolphins — a reef-and-dolphin tour along Niue's crystal coast.
• Freedive training & depth — confined and open-water coaching in the clearest water on earth, plus an optional mermaid session.
• Coconut crab (uga) hunt — an evening hunt with locals, then cook and share the catch.
• Bluewater hunting / spearfishing — optional, for the spearos, off the drop-offs.
• Culture & connection — a traditional Niuean feast, an umu, weaving, and a village market night.
• Dark Sky Sanctuary — Niue is one of the world's first Dark Sky nations; the Milky Way here is unforgettable.
• Swimming holes & sea tracks — the island's hidden chasms and reef pools.

Where you'll stay

Home for the week is our own private freedive villa on the clifftops of Namukulu, a quiet village on Niue's sheltered west coast. It isn't a resort — and that's the point. You've got the whole house to your group: a shared kitchen and living space, ocean-facing decks, and gardens with the Pacific through every window.

It's freedive-family style — communal, unpretentious and social. Cook together, review the day's dives on the deck, fall asleep to the surf. Facilities are simple and shared (think dive-house, not five-star). What you trade in resort polish you get back many times over in price — an all-inclusive week of whales, depth and adventure for a fraction of a comparable Pacific resort package.

Rooms & pricing

Three room types share the villa. All prices in NZD, per person, all-inclusive of the expedition (flights not included). A $500 deposit secures your spot; balance due 10 weeks before departure.

Room	Price	Notes
Ocean-View Double — couple	$5,400 pp ($10,800 for two)	The best room in the house, private deck
Ocean-View Double — sole occupancy	$6,200	Paradise and privacy — the whole room to yourself
Bunk Room (shared)	$4,800 pp	The sociable heart of the lodge
Queen (twin share)	$5,800 pp	Now booked

Aussie travellers: NZD pricing means your dollars stretch further — the couples' ocean-view week works out around AU$9,900 for two, all diving and whale swims included. Compare that with Tonga whale-swim packages and you'll see why the smart money's heading to Niue. (AUD figures are a guide — check the live rate on the day.)

What's included

• 7 nights at our private cliff-top villa, Namukulu
• Daily continental breakfast
• 3 dinners — including our traditional Niuean feast night
• 2 licensed humpback whale swim experiences
• 1 spinner dolphin & reef tour
• 4 freediving coaching session
• 3 freediving depth sessions & technique sessions
• Daily breathwork and mobility sessions
• Airport transfers and private transport on island
• Local guidance to Niue's swimming holes and hidden gems

Not included: international flights (Auckland → Niue), travel insurance (mandatory), lunches & remaining dinners (Niue has great local spots, ~NZD $30–60/day), personal spending and gratuities.

Getting there

Niue is reached by air from Auckland — around a 3.5-hour flight across the International Date Line. We meet you at Niue airport (10 minutes from the villa) and handle all transfers and transport once you're on-island.

• Flights: booked separately by you, so you can use points or find the best fare. 
• Travel insurance: mandatory — book it when you book your flights. We can recommend providers.
• Visas: depend on your passport; most short-stay visitors don't need one, but get in touch and we'll confirm for your nationality.

About us

Freedive Aotearoa is a New Zealand freediving school and Pacific expedition crew. We teach people to meet the ocean calmly and confidently — and then we take them somewhere extraordinary to use it. Niue is where it all comes together: warm, clear, wild water, a tiny island of 1,600 people, and a week that turns strangers into a crew.