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General Information
 The Solomon Islands
archipelago is scattered in the
southwestern Pacific, east of Papua
New Guinea. The group comprises
most of the Solomon Islands (those
in the northwest are part of Papua
New Guinea), the Ontong Java Islands,
Rennell Island and the Santa Cruz
Islands, which lie further to the
east. The capital, Honiara, is situated
on Guadalcanal Island, which also
has the highest mountain, Mount
Makarakombu, at 8028ft (2447m).
Guadalcanal, Malaita, Choiseul,
New Georgia, San Cristobal and Santa
Isabel are the main islands.
 There are 87 different
languages and a wide variety of
different traditions. The Solomons
have over 350,000 people most of
whom live in small villages. These
beautiful islands were the scene
of ferocious fighting during World
War 2 and relics of that horrible
event litter the sites of conflict.
Guadalcanal is where some of the
most vicious fighting took place,
but today is peaceful and beautiful.
Honiara, the capital, has about
35,000 people. It was built after
the war near the American base whose
quonset huts still occupy the peninsula.
The Solomon Islands are a newly
discovered Mecca for scuba divers,
with hundreds of islands and coral
reefs, many of which have never
seen a diver. The enormous variety
and numbers of marine species, along
with sunken WW II ships and aircraft,
have made this region one of the
world's top dive locations. Some
of the sites can be dived from the
shore, while many others are reached
from well-appointed live-aboard
vessels operating in the islands.
The 82-85F (28-30C ) water temperatures,
along with stable weather patterns
contribute to excellent diving all
year round.
Getting
There
Air Travel
The international airport, Henderson,
is 11 km (7 mi) east of Honiara. It
is small, but has car rental and foreign
exchange facilities. The lack of direct
flights to the Solomons contributes
to the trickle of tourists, however
regular flights depart from Brisbane,
Australia (three flights a week) and
a handful of South Pacific neighbours.
Round-the-World travellers from Europe,
North America and Asia can pick up
regional passes - check with your
travel agent. There is a US$8.50 airport
tax payable on arrival.
From Australia: Solomon Airlines and
Air Vanuatu operate a joint service
from Brisbane to Honiara three times
a week (Boeing 737).
From Fiji/Vanuatu: There are two flights
a week from Nadi via Port Vila.
From New Zealand: Air New Zealand
and Air Pacific services from Auckland
connect with Solomon Airlines at Nadi.
Flying via Australia is another option.
From Papua New Guinea:Air Niugini
operates from Port Moresby twice a
week (Fokker F28 jet).
Entry Requirements
Commonwealth, US and most EC visitors
do not need visas. Others may obtain
visas through British Consulates.
However a visitors permit not exceeding
three (3) months may be obtained on
arrival in the country after meeting
minimum requirement s of a valid passport
and a return or onward ticket.
Duty Free/Departure Tax
200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco,
2 litres of spirits or equivalent.
Goods in excess of SI$500.00 are dutiable.
Departure Tax is SI$40.00.
Health
Like many other tropical countries,
malaria can be a problem in the Solomon
Islands. Appropriate malarial medication
should be taken and it is wise to
consult your doctor a few weeks before
leaving home. Water is normally safe
in the major resorts, but precautionary
boiling is recommended in other areas.
If in doubt, ask.
Travel
Tips
Getting Around
Island-hopping by air is a great way
to get around. Planes fly at about
2000m (6500 ft), so the views are
great. Solomon Airlines and the smaller
Western Pacific Airlines service over
20 airfields in all provinces. The
flights vary in price from US$10 to
US$100, depending on the distance,
and both airlines have a 16kg (35lbs)
baggage limit.
Sea travel is the mainstay of islander
trade and transport, but can also
be unpredictable; timetables are rare.
In addition to the larger, passenger-oriented
vessels, copra and cargo boats nearly
always have room for passengers. Shipping
fares vary, so shop around. Car rentals
are available in Honiara, but obviosly
it is not well suited to travel between
islands. Taxi hire is a better option
for a short stay. In Honiara you'll
also find minibusses.
Getting to Uepi Island
From Honiara, visitors to Uepi travel
by light plane (70 minute flight)
to Seghe on the south east tip of
New Georgia. Visitors should be prepared
for the fact that Seghe is a small
grass airstrip with only a few private
houses on the edge of the strip.
On arrival at Seghe, visitors will
be transported approximately 12 km
across the lagoon in open 22 foot
outboard engine powered canoes - standard
transport in the area. Be prepared
for the chance of getting a little
wet from spray on the way to the island!
Travel Tips
Climate
Tropical, with average daytime temperatures
around 29 degrees and high humidity.
Evenings may be as cool as 19 degrees.
There are no defined seasons but November
to May are wetter months and squalls
and cyclones may occur.
Language
There are 87 indigenous languages
including Melanesian Pidgin English
which is used predominantly. English
is used and understood throughout
the Solomon Islands.
Dress
Informal light attire is appropriate
for both day and evening wear. Pack
a sweater for the occasional cool
evening. Bikini's and swimming briefs
should be confined to resort pool
areas.
Time
11 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
Electricity
240 volts. Available to Honiara and
other major resort areas.
Currency/Banking
The standard unit of currency is the
Solomon Islands Dollar. Westpac, ANZ
and the National Bank of the Solomon
Islands (NBSI) open Monday to Friday
9:00am to 3:00pm, and offer the best
exchange rates. There are ATM's available
at several locations in Honiara. Credit
cards and travellers cheques are not
usually accepted beyond the main resort
areas. NBSI offers full banking services
throughout most parts of the country.
Telecommunication
24 hour international telephone, fax,
telex and telegram service is available
through Telekom from Honiara, provincial
centers and all major hotels and resorts.
There is also an internet cafe in
the NPF Plaza, Mendana Avenue, Honiara.
Observing Customs
The people of the Solomon Island have
a rich culture which observes many
traditional "kastoms" which
vary from province to province. Please
ask about appropriate behaviour and
always ask permission before taking
pictures of people or places.
Tipping
As with much of Melanesia and Polynesia,
tipping is not on the agenda. Tipping
imposes an obligation that the receiver
must return, so a smile and a 'thank
you' are sufficient recompense for
services rendered. Bargaining, too,
should be avoided, however it's becomming
more common now to ask for a 'second
price' on handicrafts. Inflated prices
in rural areas are usually due to
isolation: people just don't know
what the going price is for services.
Sometimes food will be accepted as
payment.
Other Activities
Other than diving and snorkeling,
there's bushwalking, canoeing, mountain
and volcano climbing, swimming, surfing,
fishing, shell-collecting, bird-watching,
caving and mountain biking.
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