Solomon Islands

Travel guide of Solomon Islands

Amazing and still undiscovered, romantic and wild setting at the same time, far from the industrial world, but still full of modern history. Solomon Islands are a destination for visitors with open heart, adventure seekers, history and nature lovers ready to discover its beauties and multicultural people with strong traditions. A divers' paradise, coral reefs and rich marine life combined with ship and plane wrecks of the World War II. Eco-friendly destination, do not look for big modern resorts, you are welcome to enjoy more traditional accommodation styles.

Useful information

Land, geography

• the second largest archipelago of the region comprising of 992 islands in the South Pacific
• islands range from big mountainous islands to tiny coral atolls
• 28.530 km² / 17.728 square miles or 17.700 km² / 11.000 square miles of land
• the capital Honiara is located on Guadalcanal island

Climate & Weather

• average temperature 29°C / 84°F, summer weather all year long
• dry climate from late May till October, event. to early December
• wet season is not monsoonal with extended periods of very heavy rainfall, instead poor weather usually blows through quickly
• cyclones are not common, but could occur in the wet season
• annual average rainfall around 2520mm, but it varies between the islands
• in Honiara about 100mm fall per month in dry season and 300mm per month in wet season
• in Santa Cruz about 280mm monthly average in dry season and 420mm monthly average in wet season

Travel season

• main travel season from May through October - December, being a dry season
• wet season is not really a monsoon season, only the amount of rainfall is significantly higher than in the dry season; therefore it is possible to visit Solomon Islands in this time as well

Government

• the capital is Honiara at Guadalcanal island
• country divided into 9 provinces: Guadalcanal, Central, Western, Isabel, Choiseul, Malaita, Rennell & Bellona, Makira & Ulawa, Temotu
• constitutional monarchy - Governor General (in place as the British Queen) and Prime Minister as a head of democratically elected government

Time zone

• UTC/GMT +11
• no Daylight Saving Time used

Currency, payments

• Solomon Island Dollar (SBD)
• 1 SBD = approx 0,12 USD (2020)
• 3 main commercial banks - ANZ Banking Group, Bank of South Pacific (BSP), Pan Oceanic Bank and Bred Bank
• ATM machines at few places in Honiara
• some hotels and resorts accept American Express, MasterCard and Visa credit cards
• currency exchange possible in all commercial banks, at Honiara International airport by Solomon Post and Solomon Islands Terminal Services; most hotels and resorts exchange Australian and US dollars
• Western union agencies in all BSP branches, main Post office, Number 1 Currency in Honiara
• smaller facilities, guest houses etc. accept cash only
• traditional currency is Malaita's shell money, still in circulation and available as souvenirs as well

Fly to Solomon Islands, airlines

• only 3 hours from Brisbane, Australia
• domestic airline: Solomon Airlines
• international airlines operating Solomons (2019): Solomon Airlines, Air Vanuatu, Air Niugini, Air Pacific
• Honiara International Airport, domestic terminal adjacent to the international
• direct flights (as of 2019) to: Brisbane (Australia, 4x weekly by Solomon), Nadi (Fiji, 4x weekly by Solomon), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea, 3x weekly by Air Niugini), Port Vila, Espirito Santo (Vanuatu)
• most of Sols islands have airstrips and are serviced by Solomon Airlines

Transport

• Solomon Airlines operates domestic flights to most of Solomons Islands
• taxis, public buses, car rentals for tripa around Honiara, but roads lead to only few places
• ferry service from Honiara, most international island ships depart from Point Cruz
• daily fast ferry service Honiara - Auki (Malaita), other provinces operated once / twice a week
• daily motor canoe service operating to Tulagi

Entry requirements

• citizens of the Commonwealth, United States and most European countries do not need visas
• valid passport (min. 6 months validity from planned entry day) and onward ticket required to get visitor's permit for 3 months on arrival
• tourist visas issued for 30 days usually, on arrival
• departure tax 40 SBD collected upon check-in for outbound international passengers starting from 12 years of age
• we will inform you about updated entry requirements for tourist from your country together with our offer

Travelling since 2020

• Travel world changed in 2020 with the worldwide lockdown. Travel conditions are still being updated, airlines releasing new schedules, hotels and destinations applying new arrangements where necessary. As it is hardly possible to keep all relevant information on our websites up to date, we will inform you about current situation at the time of your request and of your journey.
• If the destination you choose is not yet accessible for travellers from your country, we will recommend a similar available option.

Duty Free

• 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco, and /or 2 litres of spirit or equivalent
• other dutiable goods should not exceed 1500 SBD for gifts or 3000 SBD for personal items

Electricity

• standard electricity 220-240 volts, Australian 3-pin style plug
• for 110 volts ask or buy a converter
• for other international plugs it is recommended to bring an adapter

Internet, signal coverage

• modern telephone network
• wifi cards can be purchased and major hotels have wifi hotspots
• sim cards for mobile phones and internet use available
• Solomon Telekom and BeMobile have roaming arrangements with a number of phone providers
• Solomon Telekom and Our Telekom offers public telecard payphones around Honiara and major provincial centres
• major hotels in Honiara offer international direct dialing telephones in rooms
• fax and internet services available

Population

• approx. 550.000 inhabitants
• melt of Melanesians (about 95%), Polynesians and Micronesians, some Chinese and European communities
• mostly welcoming people open to visitors, but not in all parts of the nation, so check before venturing into some of the hinterland areas with local guides

Language

• official language is English
• common language is Solomon Islands Pidgin
• local dialects, approx. 87 indigenous languages including Melanesian Pidgin English
• Halo Oloketa! (Hello)

Religion

• predominance of Christianity (about 90%), but traditional practices are followed mainly in the hinterland of the major islands

Health

• Malaria medication and prevention recommended, pack some with you
• insect repellent and sleeping under a mosquito net is highly recommended
• the main public hospital is in Honiara, smaller ambulances in major provincial centres
• local tap water should be boiled before drinking; bottled water is available in shops throughout the islands
• up to date immunisations are recommended but not complimentary to enter

Dress

• beachwear and bikini accepted in hotels and resorts, not accepted while visiting villages or shopping
• light cottonwear recommended, casual clothing, comfortable footwear, light sweater might be handy for rare cooler nights

Nature

• the main islands are of volcanic origin, covered with dense tropical rainforests, fast flowing rivers, streams
• home to 4.500 plant species and 173 bird species including many endemic to the Solomons, like Megapode bird
• unique islands of Rennell and Bellona, separated from the rest of Solomon Islands by a submarine trench, with many endemic species
• endemic saltwater sea snake krait

Ecology

• great unspoilt eco-tourism destination, little tourists have been to Solomon Islands yet
• Solomon Islands are also facing ecological challenges. Due to rising ocean level a provincial capital Choiseul, which is less than 2m above sea level is being moved; short term prevention measures are being taken to prevent damages or tsunamis, but also a new town on adjacent land is being built to move the city's population = a model to be used for other nations in the Pacific. (To have an idea, sea level near Solomon Islands has risen by about 8mm per year since 1993.)

Culture & Traditions

• surviving primitive culture, age-old customs, rituals and taboos
• melt of 3 major cultures - Melanesian, Polynesian and Micronesian - results in rich and diverse arts and customs
• panpipe music - bamboo tubes of different sizes bound together and blown into to play sounds
• strong clan and family ties, Wantok system - part of Melanesian culture; Wantok meaning people of the same language group (one talk) who are blood relatives and support each other
• kastom - pidgin term for custom refers to traditional beliefs and land ownership

Crafts

• ebony hardwood carved in traditional patterns, inlaid with pearls
• finely woven baskets
• shells crafted in multiple ways including famous shell jewelry and intricate shell money
• Malaita's shell money can be bought as souvenirs and are still in circulation as traditional money
• Solwata (in Pidgin, meaning Solt Water) - people living on man-made artificial islands around Langalanga and Lau Lagoons in Malaita province, possible to experience for visitors also, staying in a cultural village

History

• first ancient people possibly arrived to Solomons some 25-30.000 BC
• Solomon Islands were settled some 4000-5000 years ago by voyagers from Southeast Asia according to archaelogists
• Melanesian hunters settled in the larger islands
• Polynesian seafarers settled later on the smaller islands and atolls in the North and East
• Alvaro de Mendana, Spanish explorer, discovered the islands in 1568 and named them the Isles of Solomon
• by 1900 all of the islands became a British protectorate, today they are part of the Commonwealth
• on 7 July 1978 the Solomon Islands gained independence from Britain

Excursions / must see

Remains of World War II

• the islands faced some of the fiercest battles of World War II
• tours of historical sights and memorials offered by local guides
• American War Memorial at Skyline Ridge, Japanese War Memorial at Mt. Austin, Guadalcanal Memorial...
• Vilu War Museum - collection including a wreckage of the Battle of Guadalcanal
• so called Kennedy Island - in 1943 J.F.Kennedy shipwrecked after Japanese attack at this tiny island in Solomons archipelago with his crew and was later rescued by 2 locals
• many underwater wrecks of WWII are a great attraction for divers

Head hunting sites

• a bit shivery sites of skull collections
• memory of prehistoric times when it was a symbol binding the living and the dead, related to achieving and maintaining power and authority, exhibited as trophy skulls
• headhunting was also practiced in more recent times in the nineteenth century, mainly by the people of Roviana who from 1860s to 1900s raided in the New Georgia area and surrounding islands; some villages were decimated in this time, a single ride could obtain even 90 heads
• to be found in Roviana Lagoon (Western Province)

Shopping, souvenirs

• specific local culture provides a wide choice of original souvenirs which can be purchased at Solomon Islands
• popular black ebony or brown streaked hardwood works like figureheads, bowls, coffee-tables...
• woven pandanus baskets and trays
• finely crafted shell money and shell jewelry from Malaita's Province
• best place to buy at Honiara Market

Sports, activities

• top diving destination, non-divers can enjoy snorkeling nearby the shores and experience the variety of underwater life
• good conditions for surfing, paddling and kayaking on the sea but also rafting on the rivers on bigger islands
• popular sports and game fishing

Diving

• one of the top diving destinations in the world (voted no. 6 in 2019 at Dive Travel Awards)
• shallow and deep coral gardens, drop-offs, ledges and gutters
• reefs with some of the most colorful fish, rays and turtles, sharks, mantas, Hammerheads
• many ship and plane wrecks around the islands - remains of World War II
• best dive sites localted in the Western province
• diving for all experience levels
• dive tours available also in combination with living on board
• Dive Festival at the beginning of October including cultural experiences, seminars, competitions

Fishing

• the islands are renowned for big game, reef, wreck, beach and estuary fishing
• variety for sports fisherman like Spanish mackerel, wahoo, dog-tooth tuna, giant trevally, red bass, coral trouts...
• variety for game fishermen like Pacific sailfish, blue, black and striped marlin, yellow fin tuna
• river fishing - mangrove jack, estuary cods, brassy trevally, spot tail bass
• fishing trips and boat charters available

Hiking

• inviting hiking paradise - dense rainforests with waterfalls and welcoming local villages
• recommended hikes: heathen villages of Malaita Province, the rainforests of the West, volcanic Savo Island

Food, cuisine

• fish and seafood are the most important ingredients of local cuisine
• yellow or blue fin tuna, crayfish, crabs, usually freshly caught from the sea
• plentiful of fresh vegetables
• typical motu style of cooking - kumara, taro, fish, pork or seafood baked on hot stones
• most hotels offer local cuisine but also some international like Japanese, Thai and Italian
• popular local beer Solbrew

Special tourism

Accessible Tourism

• for visitors facing any challenges or disabilities we are ready to provide the best available options of transport, accommodation and services following their individual requirements
• let us know your special needs, we are happy to assist in creating a great holiday package fit for you

Events

• Annual Trade and Cultural Show - in Honiara in July, goes together with the Independence Day celebrations, showcase of different cultures of the Solomon Islands
• Vaka Tepe Festival of the Sea - held usually in May, connected with the annual Brisbane - Gizo yacht race; yachts escorted by a fleet of Tomoko, Solomon Islands' traditional war canoes
• Anniversary of the Pacific War, annual celebrations rememering 7 August 1942 when Allied forces landed on Guadalcanal island and a battle started which changed the result of the Pacific War, special tours in the footsteps of soldiers, sailors, airmen and mariners organized, accompanying the event
• Lagoon Festival - in November in Roviana lagoon of the Western Province, home of tomokos, traditional war canoes; locals and visitors search for the biggest fish, join together at fireplace, bamboo bands playing music inviting to dance
• Dive Festival in October combining diving with cultural experiences, seminars, competitions

Accommodation

• from standard hotels to budget guesthouses and Eco-lodges
• in Honiara, the capital, variety of tourist hotels (3 major hotels of 3* category) and backpackers
• Western Province offers a choice of resorts, budget accommodations and even village stays
• other provinces offer budget accommodations and village stays - perfect for authentic tours and adventure seekers
• traditional sago-palm bungalows typical for Solomon Islands as village accommodations
• for divers a Live-a-Board option is available offering full accommodation and diving