The Solomon Islands are a large group of islands nestled in the Pacific Ocean. The islands which form this countryare Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Malaita, new Georgia, San Cristobal, and Santa Isabel; and there are administrative zones like Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, and Western.
The Solomon Islands offer memorable holidays in a land which is culturally rich and has a wide diversity in its culture and traditions. It is understandable as here you will find Melanesians, Polynesians, Asians, Micronesians, and also some people from Western countries. Tourists find this aspect of the islands truly fascinating. You should remember one thing that vacations here are quite different from those in other countries. Here a string of events led to quite a hardship to common people and the islands saw civil unrest as well, but after the troops arriving from Australian, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and other Pacific Nations, law and order have been restored here and it is now safe to travel here.
The Solomon Islands are the best destination for scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing. You may not find luxury resorts here, but this difference adds to the charm of the place, as here lies the distinct feature of the Solomon Islands.
Popular destinations of the Solomon Islands include:
- San Cristobal
- Santa Isabel
- Santa Cruz Islands
- Guadalcanal
- Honiara
- New Georgia
- Malaita
- Polynesian Outliers
- Savo
- Tavanipupu Island
- The Wilderness Lodge
Solomon Islands Travel Map
‘
How to Reach Solomon Islands
The name Solomon Islands refers to a large group of islands in the Pacific Ocean, but the islands in the southern part of the island chain are an official country called the Solomon Islands. Due to the magnificent natural beauty and a plethora of exciting, adventurous activities, the Solomon Islands have attained huge popularity among travelers from all parts of the world. Though there are options for reaching the Solomon Islands, but it has comparatively few transport options for the tourists who are keen on visiting the Solomon Islands.
The most popular as well as a convenient mode of reaching Solomon Islands is by availing international flights. Some of the eminent options for traveling to the Solomon Islands include the following:
- From Australia:
The travelers can avail flights as Solomon Airlines and Qantas operate a joint service from Brisbane to Honiara three times a week and also provide direct service from Sydney every weekend. - From Fiji or Vanuatu:
The travelers can opt for international flights operated by Solomon Airlines, which offers two flights a week from Nadi via Port Vila on Tuesdays and Sundays. - From New Zealand:
Air New Zealand and Air Pacific provide flights from Auckland and then connect with Solomon Airlines at Nadi or the visitors can fly through Australia. - From Papua New Guinea: Solomon Airlines, and Air Niugini operate a joint service from Port Moresby on Wednesdays and Sundays
Another exciting, but less frequently opted choice is arriving by sea and cruise ships are available, though traveling by waterways takes more time. So, plan your next trip to the Solomon Islands and enjoy a fantastic trip with your near and dear ones.
Getting around Solomon Islands
Getting around the Solomon Islands is easy with the following choices: by air, sea, and road according to their convenience and preference.
The domestic flights operated by the Solomon Airlines fly from the Henderson Field to most of the main islands and towns in the Solomon Islands. The national airline of Solomon Islands, Solomon Airlines provides domestic scheduled and charter services and thus the tourists can comfortably get around the Solomon Islands. For the convenience of the travelers, there is the scheme of the Discover Solomons Pass, which is a domestic air pass that allows the traveler to avail eight domestic flights within the Solomon Islands over a period of 30 days. You may also choose to travel in the Solomon Islands by bus or cars. Road travel is convenient in the Solomon Islands as there are more than 1,300 kilometers of roads throughout the islands.
Though the roads are not in excellent condition, but the travelers can opt for it if they want to travel by buses, taxis, or cars. The bus services in the Solomon Islands are limited and taxi services are only available in Auki and Honiara. In case of getting into taxi, it is necessary to settle on the taxi fares as otherwise the visitors may get cheated by the taxi drivers. If someone wants to opt for car rental, then he or she has to do so through the hotels as this is the prevailing procedure of car rental in the Solomon Islands.
For those travelers who want to travel by ships, they can opt for any of the large and small ships and include Malaita, Ramos, Western Province, and Ysabel and they provide the best means of traveling between islands. Both the government and private operators provide ships for getting around in the Solomon Islands and some of the Christian missions even have their own fleets and if you want to enjoy a cruise trip, then you have to opt for World Discoverer.
Things to do in Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands are a spectacular place on the earth. They are considered as the perfect retreat for the holiday goers and the plethora of options for enjoyment in Solomon Islands makes it unanimously appealing to tourists of all age groups. The night clubs, bars, and dancing pubs, and exhilarating nightlife in the Solomon Islands immediately catches you in its fervor.
Though the capital of Solomon Islands, Honiara is a quiet town, but the major hotels have their own charm and they provide everything from theme nights to cultural dances and trying out the luck at the Honiara Casino. Some of the popular nighttime attractions in the Solomon Islands include clubs with live musical performances, occasional film show, and snooker and darts. These clubs also offer temporary membership to the visitors, but the most fascinating nightlife attraction in the Solomon Islands is the night barbeques and it is highly recommended that the visitors while touring in Solomon Islands must participate in any of these fantastic night barbeques.
Other magnificent option for fun in Solomon Islands include a dazzling array of adventure sports, and if you have the untamed spirit within you, then you will simply love participating in the outdoor sports while touring in the Solomon islands. Since the Solomon Islands comprises of more than 900 volcanic islands, therefore water sports are immensely popular. It is not advisable to swim in the sea around Honiara, as it is not safe due to presence of sharks. There is abundant scope for diving and snorkeling in the clear blue tropical waters around the Solomon Islands. Most of the best land-based diving sites are situated in the Western Province or near the islands of Gizo and New Georgia. Munda, on the Roviana Lagoon and Uepi Island on the north side of New Georgia, which is just across the famous Marovo Lagoon are the premier dive sites in the Solomon Islands. All the eminent diving resorts in Solomon Islands provide a complete range of diving facilities and usually have resident dive instructors. The visitors who love to spend some quiet time by the waterside can try out fishing in the Solomon Islands.
Entertainment in Solomon Islands also includes a 9-hole golf course outside Honiara where the visitors who love to play golf can play it and the local tourist agents can make arrangements for it and similarly, arrangements can also be made for playing tennis at the Supreme Club. Eco tourism is gaining widespread popularity in the Solomon Islands and Solomon Islands is full of exotic orchids, ferns, palms, and butterflies and there are more than 70 species of reptiles in the Solomon islands. The shoppers may love to purchase mother-of-pearl items, walking sticks, carved and inlaid wood, copper murals, conch shells, and exceptional varieties of cowrie and New Georgia in the western district is renowned for carved fish, turtles and birds, and carvings in ebony, inlaid with shell are also exclusive.
PT20150721
