Things to Do in Solomon Islands in January
January weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
January Weather in Solomon Islands
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
87°F (30°C)
High Temp
73°F (23°C)
Low Temp
10.9 inches (277 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Heavy rainfall expected, carry rain gear daily
Is January Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + Marlin and sailfish peak in January - the deep water off Gizo drops to 29°C (84°F) and the bite is ridiculous from 5 AM to 9 AM
- + Water clarity hits 30 m (98 ft) visibility on calm days, turning the coral gardens around Munda into an aquarium you can snorkel
- + Villages on Malaita hold post-harvest dances that tourists almost never see - you'll hear bamboo panpipes echoing across the mangroves at dusk
- + Accommodation on Savo Island (the volcano you can walk up in 90 minutes) drops to half the July rate and you'll have the hot springs to yourself
Considerations
- − Afternoon thunderstorms build fast over Iron Bottom Sound - boat transfers to Tulagi or the Florida Islands get cancelled with 30 minutes notice
- − The Henderson Field runway in Honiara floods during king tides. Flights delay until water recedes, usually 2-3 hours
- − Mosquito numbers increase after rain - dusk anywhere near coconut plantations means 90% DEET or you'll donate blood to the cause
Best Activities in January
Top things to do during your visit
WWII Wreck Diving Tours
January's calm morning seas make the Japanese transport ships off Bonegi Beach accessible even to open-water certified divers. The Hirokawa Maru sits in 16 m (52 ft) of water, her bridge at snorkel depth, and morning light shafts through the hull where groupers now school. Afternoon thermoclines stir up sediment, so operators run two-tank trips leaving Honiara at 6:30 AM.
Booking Tip: Book the day you arrive - weather windows close fast. Insist on operators who carry oxygen and VHF radios. Many don't.
Skull Island Custom Village Visits
The artificial islands off Vonaville in Western Province are reachable only by 25 HP banana boat, and January's high water lets you glide over the reef without grounding. The shrine keeper at Laulasi will unwrap pickled skulls from the head-hunting days while his wife scrapes dry coconut to make the ceremonial pudding you taste afterward.
Booking Tip: Arrange through your Munda or Gizo guesthouse the night before - skippers need to buy petrol in advance and tide charts dictate departure times.
Savo Volcano Night Tours
After 6 PM in January the volcano steams in the cooling air - you walk 40 minutes up a root-ladder trail through banyan forest to where the ground is warm under your bare feet. The guide cracks open geothermally cooked eggs in fissures that smell faintly of sulfur, and on clear nights the Milky Way reflects in the crater lake below.
Booking Tip: Go with locals who bring garden taro to roast in the vents - tour operators based in Honiara skip this bit and charge more.
Langa Langa Lagoon Shell-Money Workshops
The artificial islands built from coral rubble north of Auki are hot in January sun. But inside thatched houses it's cool enough to file tiny shells into the red disk beads used as bride price. You file, they roast, you string - and the clack-clack of tools hasn't changed since the beads were currency for porpoise-teeth.
Booking Tip: Arrive before 10 AM when women start the day's work; afternoons are for cooking and you won't be invited in.
Marovo Lagoon Kayak Camping
Double kayaks let you camp on uninhabited motus inside the world's largest saltwater lagoon. January's south-east trades are light, so paddling 6 km (3.7 miles) to Karovo Island is manageable even for beginners, and the sandflies vanish at sunset when the breeze picks up. Night brings bioluminescence that lights your paddle strokes neon blue.
Booking Tip: Operators in Seghe supply tents and rain tarps - insist on both because squalls roll in fast.
Where to Stay in Solomon Islands in January
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for January travellers.
January Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early January
Honiara Yacht Club Fishing Competition
The first Saturday of January sees 30 trailer boats line up at the Point Cruz breakwater at 4 AM. Even if you don't fish, the weigh-in at 2 PM is theatre - 100 kg (220 lb) marlin hoisted while the crowd drinks Solbrew and bets on the biggest wahoo.
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View Solomon Islands Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
The Tuesday flight Honiara-Gizo continues to Mono Island if there are more than 8 passengers - ask at check-in and you can surf Titiana's left-hand break with no one out
Village chiefs expect a stick of tobacco or 500 ml rice, not cash, for permission to photograph custom dances - buy both at the market before you leave town
Internet is fastest 6 AM to 8 AM when the undersea cable isn't overheating - upload photos then before clouds build
Tulagi's Chinese shop sells cold South Pacific Lager for half the Honiara price because the fridge runs off the old naval generator that never stops
The best reef for snorkelling isn't on the maps - ask at Agnes Gateway Hotel for 'the Japanese garden' and tip the boat boy who takes you
Avoid These Mistakes
Assuming credit cards work outside Honiara - bring cash for everything west of the Russell Islands
Booking return domestic flights with less than 24 hours buffer - January weather delays cascade and you will miss international connections
Wearing boardshorts into village churches - knees must be covered, and a towel wrapped counts as clothes, not respect
Trying to see six islands in ten days - inter-island boats cancel for weather and you'll spend half the holiday waiting at wharfs
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