Things to Do in Solomon Islands

About Solomon Islands

The twin-prop from Nadi drops so low over Guadalcanal you can already spot what makes this place singular: unbroken jungle slamming into a coastline that falls straight onto reef visible from altitude. Honiara hugs the island's northern shore—Point Cruz harbor carries that diesel-and-salt stink every Pacific port town wears, while Honiara Central Market bursts with women who rode overnight ferries from Malaita to sell taro, betel nut, and reef fish still shining from morning lines. Grab a plate of grilled fish with cassava at the market stalls—30 SBD ($3.50)—smoky from charcoal, needing nothing but lime. Iron Bottom Sound, the channel between Guadalcanal and the Florida Islands named for the sixty-odd WWII warships rusting sixty feet down, ranks among the Pacific's most extraordinary dive sites. Drop beneath the surface into water warm as a bath and drift past Japanese Zeros with instrument gauges still intact, soft coral blooming from cockpit rims, your own bubbles the only sound. Out in the Western Province, the Marovo Lagoon—the world's largest saltwater lagoon, ringed by lowland rainforest where villages still carve wooden shields in old patterns—needs a flight to Munda plus a boat transfer, and demands at minimum three days to see properly. Here's the honest complexity: Solomon Islands isn't logistically straightforward. Roads on most islands stay rough, ferries run on island time, and accommodation in Honiara starts around 380 SBD per night ($45) for something clean. But the reef systems, the WWII history you can walk on jungle trails near Bloody Ridge, and the near-total absence of tourist infrastructure make this feel like the Pacific of forty years ago—which is either the selling point or the warning, depending entirely on your travel style.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Solomon Airlines links Honiara to Munda, Gizo, Auki, and about twelve outer airstrips. One-way fares run 1,800–2,400 SBD ($210–280) on legs like Honiara to Gizo. Add buffer days to every inter-island plan—delays are so routine that missing a connection isn't bad luck, it's math. On Guadalcanal, PMV trucks—open-sided public rigs—cover routes for 5–20 SBD ($0.60–2.35). They're how most locals move. The MV Fair Glory ferry sails Honiara to Auki on Malaita three times a week; deck passage costs around 200 SBD ($23.50) for a six-hour ride that's functional, not plush. For shorter island hops, hire a boat and driver locally. Deals get done faster than waiting on timetables that may never show.

Money: 8.5 SBD to the USD — that's your baseline. Honiara's ATMs work — ANZ and BSP branches near Point Cruz rarely fail. Beyond the capital? Cash only. Village guesthouses, outer island lodges, small restaurants — none take cards. Heading to Gizo, Marovo Lagoon, or anywhere in the Western Province? Bring far more SBD than you think. The nearest working ATM might require a flight. Skip the airport exchange — Honiara bank branches give slightly better rates. Stock up on 10 and 20 SBD notes. Markets, PMV fares, roadside stalls — they want exact change. Large notes trigger immediate scowls.

Cultural Respect: Kastom — the traditional framework of rights, land ownership, and community obligations that governs village life across the islands — is law. Not folklore. It is how property works and how permission functions. Before entering a village, walking through what looks like unclaimed land, or swimming at an isolated beach, ask the nearest person first. The answer is almost always yes — but not asking is a genuine offense that can sour an encounter fast. Dress modestly outside dive resorts: women's shoulders and knees covered in villages, men in shirts. If someone offers you betel nut (buai) to chew, accepting and sitting with them is a direct invitation into a real conversation. Photography requires asking first — a smile and a gesture toward your camera works reliably in most places.

Food Safety: SteriPen or bottled water—no exceptions—in Honiara. Outside the capital, treat every drop. That settled, the food at Honiara's Central Market is as fresh as Pacific seafood gets. The morning fish section takes overnight catches straight from the boats. Grilled reef fish, barramundi, and crayfish over charcoal at the waterfront stalls—this is how you eat here. The flesh stays firm, clean-tasting; you know it was swimming hours ago. Skip raw shellfish from harbor areas near the capital. The Chinese-run restaurants along Mendana Avenue—solid fried rice, noodle dishes, nothing fancy—have fed the expat and NGO crowd for decades without much incident. Decent endorsement.

When to Visit

May through October—that is your window. The dry season delivers Solomon Islands at its most reliable: 26–29°C (79–84°F) days, nights that rarely dip below 22°C (72°F). Light clothing all day, every day. Hiking Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal? Still warm, but not torture. Diving peaks July and August. Iron Bottom Sound and Marovo Lagoon hit 25–30 metres visibility on clear days. Seas flatten. Boat transfers to outer islands run on schedule—no mid-itinerary cancellations. November through April flips the script. Afternoon thunderstorms can hammer for hours. Cyclone risk climbs December through March. Roads on outer islands wash out fast. Cyclone Harold in April 2020 proved the point—damage was real, widespread. Yet wet-season rain often arrives in sharp, local bursts. Mornings can be glassy. Honiara dive lodges and guesthouses slash rates 20–30% to fill beds. Flights from Brisbane or Nadi drop November through February. April and May hit the sweet spot. Dry season starts, reefs glow with wet-season nutrients, prices spot't spiked. October mirrors this at the back end. Peak season (July–August) punishes wallets. Honiara hotels charge 30–40% more than November. Dive packages follow: guided two-dive boat days with gear at top operators cost 1,800–2,200 SBD ($210–260). Budget travelers win in May or late September. Dry weather holds, shoulder-season rates still apply. Families, listen up. Medical care outside Honiara is thin. National Referral Hospital handles serious cases in the capital, but outer islands have almost nothing. No Fiji-style medevac network exists here. Solo divers and couples? Any dry-season month works. Crowds never materialize. Serious wreck divers targeting Iron Bottom Sound should lock in July or August and book early. Honiara has maybe four good operators. They fill fast. Second choice here can mean second-rate.