Major Tourist Attractions In Solomon Islands

Guadalcanal Province & Honiara
The largest island in the Solomons and home to the national capital of Honiara, with its picturesque sea port. There is good diving in Iron Bottom Sound, and military relics dating back to WWII.

Western Province
The country's largest province boasts sparkling lagoons, prime dive sites, dense forests, ancient skull caves and the world's largest lagoon - Marovo. Gizo is the capital and a major dive centre.

Malaita Province
This culturally diverse area has 15 tribal languages and dialect groups, and is known for its 'artificial' islands built on boulders heaped on top of sandbars. Auki is the capital.

Temotu Province
The Solomon's most easterly point, this remote province includes the sandy atolls of the Reef Islands, the volcanic islands of the Santa Cruz and the Duff Islands. Lata is the capital.

Makira Province
Sometimes called the Eastern Solomons, this small group is well known for its preservation of ancient traditions and its skilled dancers and craftspeople. Kirakira is the capital.

Central Province
Comprising the Savo, Russells and Nggela islands, this province offers copra plantations, caves, thermal springs and diving. The capital is Tulagi.

Isabel Province
Visit the eco tourist villages near the capital of Buala, the stilt villages of Kia and the rare turtle nesting grounds in the Arnavon Islands. Buala is the capital.

Rennell (Mu Nggava) & Bellona (Mu Ngiki) Province
With their soaring cliffs, these islands are known for their ancient burial places, caves, temples and Polynesian traditions. On Rennell, the South Pacific's largest lake, Te Nggano, is a haven for birdlife. Tingoa is the capital.

Choiseul (Lauru)
This area offers attractive villages, plantations, cascading waterfalls, rivers, ancient carved stone burial chambers (Ndolos) and deserted sandy beaches. Choiseul Bay is the provincial headquarters.

Historic Battle Sites
Fierce fighting took place in the Solomons during WWII. The bloody Guadalcanal Campaign saw the loss of 38,000 lives and today, local guides offer tours to visit military relics and learn about their history.

Diving
One of the world's leading dive destinations, the Solomons offer a host of marine environments including, reef, wreck, lagoon, night and beach dives. Underwater visibility is good to about 30m and water temperatures are some of the warmest in the world. There are six independent operators and a wide range of courses are available. The main dive centres are Honiara (Guadalcanal Province), Gizo and Munda (Western Province). Divers can see schools of barracuda, trevally and lion fish, as well as giant clams, hammerhead sharks and the rare whale shark. WWII wrecks include a Japanese freighter, Douglas Dive Bomber, Corsair and Nell Bomber. Uepi Island in the Western province is famous for its coral walls which drop down hundreds of kilometres.

Boating
The beautiful and sheltered waterways are ideal for yachting, cruising, sea kayaking and canoeing. Locals still use the sea as a highway between their villages and towns, particularly in the remote Temotu Province.

Surfing
Good surfing sites include Pailongge on Ghizo, Poro on Santa Isabel and Tawarogha on Makira. There is also surf at Beaufort Bay in south Guadalcanal. Surfers should ask permission at the local village first.

Fishing
New Georgia waters offer sailfish, marlin, shark, tuna, barracuda and wahoo. Charter boats are available. If you're fishing over a reef or river, ask permission first. Take care in coastal rivers and swamps where there are saltwater crocodiles.

Volcanoes
Among the best-known volcanoes are Kolombangara Island in Western Province, a conical volcano with a crater rim 1,770m high, and Tinakula in Temotu Province, the country's most active volcano. Climbing Kolombangara is a two-day walk, but the summit enjoys wonderful views over Western Province.

Culture
Villagers refer to traditional ways and beliefs as Kastom, and these may vary from island to island. In the Malaita Province, ancestor worshipping is observed by the Kwaio tribe, and the ancient tradition of shark calling is also practised. Some of the more remote areas still use shell and feather money as a currency.

Handcrafts
Traditional crafts include pottery, bukaware weaving, banana fibre baskets, hats and mats, shell jewellery and ebony carvings. The fine carvings are often inlaid with nautilus or trocchus shell.

Birdwatching
Birdlife on the Solomon Islands is diverse with about 223 species including 16 species of white-eyes, rails, honeyeaters, fantails and thrushes. The most unusual bird is the megapode or incubator. This fascinating bird lays its large eggs in the warm volcanic sands of the thermal areas. The eggs hatch after about 40 days and the chicks are quickly able to fly short distances after digging themselves out.

Other Activities
There are plenty of options including island picnics, birdwatching, cultural tours, cycling, flightseeing, nature tours, guided bushwalks, cultural feasts and crocodile spotting.