WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, BEFORE YOU GO

1. Transport is slow in the Solomon Islands. Plan for a minimum of 2-4 nights in every location you go to, as delays will happen. You can find dozens of blogs from people who have travelled across the Solomons and only planned a single night in one location, only to not end up making it there. The planes are irregular and subject to issues, and travel by banana boats depends entirely on the tides. Everything takes longer, so be patient, bring a book, and enjoy the journey. 

2. Please do not be an entitled foreigner! I am always horrified at how many foreigners are demanding, impatient, and expect Western-standard service or waiting times when travelling around the Pacific. You're in one of the most remote island nations in the world. There is absolutely no excuse for being angry with a local. 

3. Banana boats and life jackets - very few have life jackets, so consider talking to the Point Cruz Yacht Club about whether you can buy/rent one somewhere. 

4. Banana boat departure times - all banana boats dock at the Point Cruz Yacht Club, but wait times will be long. You may get told that your banana boat is arriving at 8am and they're departing around 10am, only to be left waiting until 5pm. This is very common for two reasons - firstly, they won't drive the boat unless if they're sure it's safe too (on some days, the waves are too big to ride until late afternoon/sunset), and secondly, there may be many other locals getting the supplies their village needs who are travelling on your boat. If there is a foreigner paying for the fuel for the boat to do a trip, several locals from the outer villages will make the most of this opportunity to get into the boat and catch a ride to Honiara. Please don't be mad at this, very few jobs in the Solomon Islands pay cash and fuel is incredibly unattainable for individuals to buy, hence why villages share resources. If someone is catching a ride into Honiara, often they are buying rice or other staple food, selling handicrafts that their women have made, picking up fuel for their own boats if they're run out, getting school supplies, or buying any of the essential things their village needs. Fuel is extremely expensive in Solomon Islands, and everyone supports each other. Bring a book with you to the Yacht Club and be prepared to wait. 

5. Dom't expect Western quality food outside of the resorts - In the Solomons, most locals eat pana/casava/taro (potatoes) and rice for dinner. I love to eat local, and even this is hard to stomach. It's very bland and very starchy. So for foreigners, they'll usually lash out and cook either fish and rice, or tinned meat and rice, maybe with some vegetables or fruit on the side depending on what is possible. If you're a picky eater, bring your own food, or bring extra vegetables from Honiara with you. I recommend travelling with some sauces that keep well in hot weather (such as soy sauce) to add flavouring. But please don't be entitled about your food - plan ahead and show gratitude. I once saw a 1 star review to a village from someone who couldn't understand why the village gave him canned chicken when they could have killed one of their chickens for him to eat instead - talk about entitled! If you're travelling like a local and staying like a local, please don't demand Western service! 

Provinces & Destinations

Only have a week in the Solomon Islands? 

If you're on a limited time frame, I recommend head out to Savo Island and stay at Savo Sunset lodge for 2-4 nights. Then, head across to Roderick Bay and relax in a beach bungalow next to a 25 year old shipwreck for another 2-3 nights. Then, head back to Honiara and transfer to Parangiju Lodge, where you can stay in the mountains, overlooking the ocean, and go hiking and fishing for another 2-4 days. 

Honiara - Savo: 2 hours on banana boat

Savo - Roderick Bay: 3 hours on banana boat

Roderick Bay - Honiara: 4 hours on banana boat

Honiara - Paragiju Lodge: 1 hour drive in 4wd

In the Pacific and on any island-hopping trip, I always recommend you get out of the Capital at the start of your trip, and spend the last few days doing the things that are driving distance to the airport. This way, if there are big waves, bad winds, or cyclone threat that make it hard to get back to the capital from your island, you'll have a few buffer days at the end. You definitely do not want to plan to take a banana boat on the day before your flight!