Backpacking the Solomon Islands independently is very doable, but it takes more planning and money than Southeast Asia or Fiji, because transport is irregular and there is no hostel circuit.
Most travelers fly into
Honiara, then use domestic flights (around SBD 1,500 to 2,800, about US$180 to 330 one-way) to
Gizo,
Munda or Seghe for
Marovo Lagoon. Simple guesthouses and village eco-lodges cost roughly SBD 250 to 600 (US$30 to 70) a night, often with meals. Book lodges ahead by phone or email so someone meets your boat, carry cash in Solomon dollars outside Honiara and Gizo, and always ask before swimming or landing on a beach, since nearly all land is under customary ownership.
Ten days is the practical minimum for the Solomon Islands, enough for Honiara plus two areas of the Western Province; two weeks lets you add Tulagi and outer islands without rushing.
With
5 days, stick to
Gizo and
Munda (2 nights each), reached by a 1 to 1.5-hour flight from Honiara. In
10 days, add Honiara’s WWII sites (2 nights),
Marovo Lagoon (3 nights) and
Tetepare Island (2 nights). With
15 days, include the
Ngella Islands by ferry and day trips from Gizo to Simbo and Kolombangara. Build in at least one buffer day, because domestic flights to smaller strips run only a few times a week and weather cancels boats.
Yes, almost nobody drives in the Solomon Islands; travel runs on domestic flights, ferries and small motorboats, with roads limited mostly to Guadalcanal and Malaita.
In
Honiara, minibuses cost around SBD 3 to 5 a ride and taxis SBD 30 to 80 across town. The passenger ferry to
Tulagi takes about 2 hours and to
Auki on Malaita 3 to 5 hours depending on the vessel. Solomon Airlines connects Honiara with
Gizo,
Munda and Seghe in about an hour. Out west, banana boats do the work: Gizo to Munda takes around 3 hours, and chartered trips cost roughly SBD 500 to 2,500 depending on distance and fuel prices, so share boats when you can.
The must-visits in the Solomon Islands are the WWII sites around Honiara and the lagoons of the Western Province, especially Gizo, Munda and Marovo Lagoon.
Near
Honiara, snorkel the beached Japanese transports at
Bonegi, 20 minutes west by road, and visit the memorial on Skyline Ridge. From
Gizo, it is a 20 to 30-minute boat ride to
Kennedy Island, where JFK’s PT-109 crew swam in 1943.
Munda is the base for
Skull Island in Roviana Lagoon and a 1.5 to 2-hour boat to uninhabited
Tetepare Island. Finish at
Marovo Lagoon and
Uepi Island, an hour’s flight from Honiara to Seghe, for wall diving on the outer reef.
If time is tight in the Solomon Islands, skip Rennell Island, the Arnavon Islands and the climb of Mount Popomanaseu, which each eat several days for one experience.
Rennell Island and
Lake Tegano depend on infrequent flights, so a visit can easily stretch to 4 or 5 days. The
Arnavon Islands need an expensive boat charter and conservation permission.
Mount Popomanaseu, Guadalcanal’s highest peak, is a multi-day guided expedition through roadless jungle. Closer to the capital, Honiara itself needs only 1 to 2 nights. Put the saved days into
Gizo,
Munda and
Marovo Lagoon, which deliver the reefs and WWII history most travelers come for.
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