Solomon Islands travel and visitor guide with hotel, airport, airline and vacation information. Compare Solomon Islands vacation packages, hotels and cruise deals. Nine beautiful provinces make up the Solomon Islands. Each is totally unique and genuine, simple hospitality takes the place of 5 star resorts. The people place natural beauty ahead of man made attractions. Visitors should be mindful that facilities are limited in some places as travel becomes more distant from Honiara and the provincial main centers and towns.
The main port of entry into the Solomon Islands is at Henderson International Airport (Airport Code: HIR) on the island of Guadalcanal. Situated approximately 15 minutes drive from the airport is the capital, Honiara. You can get to the provinces via Solomon Airlines or Lalae Charters. Airlines serving the Solomon Islands include American, United, Air New Zealand and Quantas. Visit our Airports & Airline section for more information.
The Solomon Islands is third largest archipelago in the South Pacific, comprising 992 islands ranging from large landmasses with rugged mountains and virgin forests, to low lying coral atolls. They are scattered in a double chain of islands covering 1.35 million sq km of sea and extend for 1.667k, in a south-easterly direction from Papua New Guinea. The country's capital, Honiara, is situated on the north-west coast on the island of Guadalcanal.
Melanesians, Polynesians, Asians, Micronesians and the odd Westerner all call the Solomons home, imbuing the islands with a variety of islander traditions unrivaled in the Pacific. With ancient customs still widely practiced in thousands of small villages, local life is an often-unexpected bonus for visitors.
Guadalcanal, where the country's capital Honiara is located, is the largest island in the Solomons group. Honiara is the Solomons melting pot, where people from all over the country come to work, take their holidays, or just to shop.
The Western province is an essential stop. The combination of pristine lagoons, prime dive sites and lush forests have immense appeal to visitors. The lagoons are a visual delight from the air and the combination of dark greens, white strips and light and dark blues is breathtaking. Often colloquially called "The West" the Western Province which has now become the country's hub for tourism, was formerly the largest administrative area in the Solomons with it's people describing themselves as westerners. Western Province boasts the largest salt water lagoon in the world, Marovo Lagoon. Up to 16 resorts and eco-lodges are based there including the beautiful Uepi Island Resort.
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.
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. Visit the Official Solomon Islands Tourism Site for more information.
Passport, Visa & Embassy Information
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. Visit our Immigration section for more information.
The Solomon Islands mission to the United Nations is located at 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 (tel: 212-599-6192/93; fax: 212-661-8925).
American Embassy Port Moresby is located on Douglas Street, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, P.O. Box 1492, Port Moresby (tel: (675) 321-1455; fax: (675) 321-3423).
Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad, are on the Internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries.
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register their travel via the State Department’s travel registration web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or at the Consular section of the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country by filling out a short form and sending in a copy of their passports. This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.
