Things to Do in Solomon Islands

About Solomon Islands

The air changes the instant the Twin Otter's door opens at Honiara—salt, frangipani, and the faint diesel note of the port mixing with wood-smoke drifting up from the Tenaru River valley. This isn't the South Pacific you think you know. In the Central Market, women from Weather Coast villages sell reef fish still twitching beside pyramids of betel nut stained lipstick-red, while Chinese-Solomon shopkeepers from Chinatown's Mendana Avenue shout prices in Pijin over the tinny echo of reggae from a Nokia taxi stereo. Out on the coral causeway to Bonegi Beach, rusted landing craft from 1942 lie half-submerged beside glass-clear water where a single snorkel might reveal a Zero fighter's wing or a dugout canoe hunting turtle. The logistics are real: domestic flights run on island time and a basic double anywhere outside Honiara starts around 650 SBD ($85) with cold-water-only showers. But then you reach Marovo Lagoon—so blue it looks backlit—and realize you're sharing sunset with exactly three other humans, none of them tourists. That's when you understand why people sell apartments in Sydney to spend rainy seasons here.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Solomon Airlines is the only game in town—flights to Gizo depart Honiara's Henderson Field at 7:30 AM sharp for 1,200 SBD ($158) one-way, and they leave without you. Taxis from the airport quote 100 SBD ($13) but locals pay 50 SBD—negotiate before you load bags. In Honiara, the 12-seater buses painted with Bible verses run Point Cruz to White River for 5 SBD (65¢) and stop anywhere you wave. For outer islands, book the MV Iola back to Honiara at least three days ahead—it's 200 SBD ($26) deck class with mat space and coconuts for sale from every passenger.

Money: Cash is king—ATMs at BSP and ANZ on Mendana Avenue spit out Solomon dollars with a 20 SBD ($2.60) fee and daily limits of 1,500 SBD ($197). Markets and village stays are cash only; resorts take card but add 3%. Exchange AUD at Honiara's duty-free shop for better rates than banks. Pro tip: carry small bills—village canteens often can't break 50 SBD notes, and you'll need exact change for the betel nut ladies outside Central Market.

Cultural Respect: Kastom villages require permission—approach through the village spokesman (usually the oldest man under the mango tree) with a small gift: 20 SBD ($2.60) or a bag of rice works. Remove hats and sunglasses, and never walk through someone's cooking area. Sunday is church day—even Honiara's Central Market runs skeletal until after 10 AM service. When offered betel nut, accept and chew once then discreetly spit—it's the equivalent of sharing a beer. The head is sacred—don't pat children's hair no matter how adorable they are.

Food Safety: Eat where the market's flies aren't—Central Market's fish section at 7 AM is freshest, skip anything sitting in afternoon sun. Reef fish can carry ciguatera; locals avoid big predators like barracuda. Bottled water everywhere—village wells look clear but harbor parasites. Street stalls in Honiara's Chinatown serve kokoda (raw fish in lime) that's been marinated enough to be safe, but the lamb-flaps (fried belly) at 15 SBD ($1.95) are safer for delicate stomachs. Bring Imodium—medical evacuation to Australia runs $50,000 if you get seriously sick.

When to Visit

April through October is the sweet spot—skies clear after the November-March monsoon and temperatures hover at 28-30°C (82-86°F) with trade winds that keep mosquitoes down. May brings the driest weather and the lowest accommodation rates: Honiara's mid-range hotels drop 30% from peak season, averaging 400 SBD ($52) instead of 600 SBD ($78). June sees the Lagoon Festival in Gizo—outrigger canoe races and kastom dancing that most visitors never witness because they're afraid of the wet season that just ended. July and August are peak Australian winter escape months—expect 40% higher flight prices and resorts that actually fill up. September is the insider's choice: whale watching around Marovo Lagoon when humpbacks migrate through, and village stays that cost 100 SBD ($13) per night because it's technically shoulder season. October starts the humidity climb but rewards with mango season—stalls along the Auki Road sell string bags of Kensington Pride for 20 SBD ($2.60). November through March is the reality check: 300mm monthly rainfall, flights cancelled by cyclones, and the kind of humidity that grows mold on your passport. But it's also when you might have entire reefs to yourself, and village homestays drop to 60 SBD ($7.80) because locals are happy for any company that isn't waterlogged.