Why the Solomon Islands for a Honeymoon
Come for the water. Reefs in the Western Province are healthy, varied and lightly dived, with drop-offs, channels and wrecks within a short boat ride of most lodges. Even non-divers can snorkel coral gardens straight off the jetty at many places.
Come for the privacy. A typical lodge has a few bungalows over or beside the lagoon. You may share the dinner table with a handful of other guests or with nobody at all.
Come for the culture. Custom, called kastom, still shapes daily life. Villages own most land and reefs, carvers in Marovo turn out ebony and kerosene wood pieces and shell money is still made and exchanged for ceremonies on Malaita and Guadalcanal.
For Americans there is an added layer of history. Guadalcanal, Tulagi and the New Georgia islands hold battlefields, memorials and wrecks from 1942 and 1943.
The tradeoff is comfort. Expect generators, solar hot water, simple menus and long travel days. Couples who see that as part of the adventure will love it.
Best Time to Visit
The Solomons are hot and humid year-round, with average temperatures around 26 to 27°C (high 70s to low 80s °F) and highs near 30°C in Honiara. The seasons are about wind and rain more than heat.
June through August is the cooler, drier stretch and the most comfortable time to travel. May, September and October are also good, with plenty of sunny days and generally calm water inside the lagoons. Visibility for diving is often at its best in these months.
November through April is the wet season. Northwesterly winds bring heavier showers and squalls and tropical cyclones are possible, though they are less frequent this close to the equator than in Vanuatu or Fiji. March is usually Honiara's wettest month.
Rain falls in every month, often as short heavy bursts followed by sun. Avoid the weeks around Christmas for Honiara stays, since the State Department notes crime tends to rise then. Also check whether elections or Parliament sittings are scheduled, since protests can follow.
Where to Go
Most honeymooners should head straight for the Western Province and spend only a night or two in Honiara.
- Marovo Lagoon. Covered in our Marovo Lagoon guide, it is a 700 square kilometer lagoon behind a double barrier reef, reached by a short flight to Seghe. Island lodges, village carving and excellent snorkeling and diving make it the best base for couples.
- Gizo and Munda. Gizo is the provincial capital and a diving hub, with reefs, wartime aircraft wrecks and Kennedy Island, where a young John F. Kennedy swam ashore after PT-109 sank in 1943. Munda, on New Georgia, has more WWII sites and a larger airport.
- Guadalcanal and Honiara. Visit Bloody Ridge, the US memorial on Skyline Ridge and beaches lined with wreckage from the 1942 campaign.
- Malaita. Ferries and a fast catamaran from Honiara reach Auki, a base for seeing artificial islands built on the reef and shell money makers in Langa Langa Lagoon.
Tetepare, a large uninhabited rainforest island managed by its descendants, suits couples who want wild nature and turtle monitoring.
Sample 10-Day Itinerary
Domestic schedules change often and some routes do not fly daily, so treat this as a template and book with a local agent or your lodge.
- Day 1: Fly overnight from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Brisbane.
- Day 2: Connect to Honiara and rest at a waterfront hotel.
- Day 3: Take a guided WWII tour of Guadalcanal, including Bloody Ridge and the US memorial, then watch the sun set over Iron Bottom Sound.
- Days 4–7: Fly to Seghe and transfer by boat to a Marovo Lagoon lodge. Snorkel, dive or paddle each morning, visit a carving village and spend afternoons on your deck.
- Days 8–9: Travel by boat or plane to Munda or Gizo for wreck dives, a picnic on Kennedy Island and reef snorkeling.
- Day 10: Fly back to Honiara and on to Brisbane.
If you have two more days, add a night in Brisbane before flying home. It cushions you against a missed connection, which happens here more often than in most places.
Budget and Costs
The Solomons are not a budget destination once flights and transfers are added, but stays are good value compared with French Polynesia. All figures here are rough and approximate.
The largest costs are getting there and moving between islands. Fares from Brisbane are high for the distance and domestic tickets on small planes add up quickly, especially with dive gear. Lodges often charge separately for boat transfers from the airstrip.
Accommodation runs from simple village-run guesthouses with shared bathrooms to the country's better dive resorts, which typically sell packages with meals and boat dives included. Village stays are the cheapest way to sleep on the water and the money goes straight to landowning families.
Day to day, market food is inexpensive while imported goods cost more than in Australia. Budget for custom fees, small payments to landowners for visiting reefs, beaches or WWII sites. ATMs are found in Honiara and a few larger towns, but outside them cash in Solomon dollars is essential.
Getting There and Around
From the US, the usual path is a nonstop from Los Angeles or San Francisco to Brisbane, then a three-hour flight to Honiara. Solomon Airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia have served the route, though schedules shift. Solomon Airlines also connects Honiara with Nadi and Port Vila.
Entry and transit rules, including for connecting through Australia, depend on your citizenship and can change at short notice, so check the official government websites before you book.
Honiara International Airport is the only full international gateway. Solomon Airlines runs Twin Otter and Dash 8 flights to Seghe, Munda, Gizo and smaller strips, many with grass runways. Baggage limits are tight, so pack light and ask your lodge about dive gear allowances.
Around the islands, boats are the roads. Lodges collect guests from the airstrip by motorboat. Between Honiara and Auki on Malaita, ferries and a fast catamaran run regularly. Paved roads exist only around Honiara and driving standards there are poor.
Culture and Etiquette
Almost all land and reef in the Solomons is owned by families and villages under custom law. That means a beautiful beach or snorkel spot usually belongs to someone. Lodges and guides handle permission and fees. If you are exploring on your own, ask before landing or swimming and expect to pay a small custom fee.
Dress modestly. Women should cover their thighs in villages and towns. Swimwear belongs at the lodge or on the boat. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, so keep honeymoon closeness private.
Sunday is church day across much of the country and some villages restrict activities, including swimming and fishing. Seventh-day Adventist communities keep Saturday instead.
Ask before photographing people. Learn a little Pijin: tagio tumas means thank you very much.
Betel nut chewing is common and the red stains on pavements are normal.
Quick tips
- Pack light and in soft bags; domestic planes have tight baggage limits, so ask your lodge about dive gear allowances.
- Ask your doctor about malaria prevention; the State Department recommends it for all travelers, even on short trips.
- Carry small Solomon dollar notes outside Honiara for custom fees, market food and village visits.
