can dopretty muchwhatever youwant,andwillbelimited onlybyyourimagination. to foreign aid,theSolomonsisbouncingbackandvisitorswillfeel more than plentyofWWIIrelics scatteredthe surface, inthejungle willcaptivate historybuffs. andfishingareseafloor betweenGuadalcanalandTulagi. alsohere. surfing Above Kayaking, Lagoon’s reefs ordivingaroundthefleetofWWIIshipandplanewrecks resting onthe andthemajesticsceneryfromatranquilsundeck. will delightinsoothingeco-lodges itional culture isalive. forabitlessswashbucklingandmore Those creature looking comforts jungle pathstoreach andexperiencetheleaf-hutvillageswhere secludedwaterfalls, trad- volcano,trekan extinct acrossamountainouslandscapeasolddinosaurs,slogthrough tocreatenatural beauty,opportunities yourowntrailabound.It’sallabouteco-travel: climb the ocean,denserainforest andtraditionalvillages;itfeels theworld’send. like secretive. Wantingtogetoffthebeaten path?It’seasy:there isnobeaten path.Justyou, One ofthelastSouthPacific frontiers,theseislandsare Melanesiaatitsmostinspiringand Islands Solomon 246 © LonelyPlanetPublications „ The best part is,there’llThe benocrowdstoshare bestpart intheexperience. The question,though,is this:after afew yearsofcivilstrife, howsafe isthecountry?Thanks This isonlythebeginning. Divers willbeinseventh heaven, whetherexploringMarovo In thisenigmaticarchipelago,blessedwithacompellinghistory,intriguingcultures and

„ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

POPULATION: 524,000 Taking adipinnaturalpoolat Listening tothecacophonyof seabirds on Visiting askullshrineon Spottingrusty WWIIrelics on Feeling free inanintimate lodgeat infishsoup Divingandsnorkelling on Soothingyourchakrasatalaid-backresort Huffingtothetopofmounton Testing yourIndianaJonessideinuntamed Te’Nggano Park–like scenery the mysterious, WorldHeritage Lagoon west and ( opposite ) Langa Lagoon (p265) (p279) (p277) Vonavona  Mataniko Falls listed ( p265 ) Langa Island Lake

Weathercoast Mbabanga Island 28) or (p258) „ AE 750 Q M SA RA 13 MLIN MILLION 1.35 AREA: (SEA KM SQ 27,540 AREA : Mbabanga Vonavona SQ KM) Lagoon Island Lagoon Marovo Kolombangara (p266) Tenaru Falls Island ( p274 ) toadmire theJurassic (p261) West NewGeorgia New Georgia& (p272) Te‘Nggano Lake (p259) Guadalcanal Lagoon Langa Weathercoast Tenaru Falls Mataniko Falls& welkam . Yes, you SOLOMON ISLANDS ). 247 8am- h nightlife 26105; NPF Plaza, Mendana Ave; 26105; NPF Plaza, Mendana Ave; 999) % ( % west parallel to the seashore. In this In this west parallel to the seashore. (  The 11km-urban spread along the coast The 11km-urban spread Those who’ve just arrived from several from several arrived just Those who’ve pad for It’s also the optimal launching Considering it’s the first port of call call of port it’s the first Considering Orientation Nautilus EMERGENCY Police The central area extends from the post office extends The central area in to Chinatown and can easily be covered the Ave, walk along Mendana a 30-minute runs central Honiara, which of backbone east the market, you’ll find the central precinct, banks, ho- embassies, port complex, shops, restaurants. and tels River and White Rove has the settlements of Chinatown to the west, while eastwards are Beyond Kukum, Panatina are and Mataniko. and Ranadi, the country’s up make which light-industrial zone. principal Information BOOKSHOPS first taste of Melanesian culture by visiting visiting by culture Melanesian of taste first the museum. weeks in the Solomon Islands’ wilds, char- like now feel acterised life, by rough village a spat- with into Manhattan, stepped they’ve (hmmm, indulgences epicurean of tering shops heaving thick banana smoothies…), the odd trafficwith consumer goods, snarls (yes, nightlife and a modicum of various WWII battlefields around the city. For those Port Moresby, who come from Honiara might seem just heaven like on earth. lived election-related uprising in 2006. The 2006. The uprising in election-related lived towards optimistically now looking city is the future. sight the architecture – at first love rarely Don’t sparse. and sightswins no prizes are skin and the place despair! Lift the city’s around might start on you. Hang to grown wade throughthe atmospheric wharf, the in the gifts grab a few shambolic market, your get shops and souvenir well-stocked 5pm Mon-Fri, to 1pm Sat) This German-run gift shop the Solomons. books on stocks a few exploring Guadalcanal’s outdoors and the and the exploring Guadalcanal’s outdoors for most visitors, due to its position as as due to its position for most visitors, hard it’s the archipelago, the hub within It’s some time in Honiara. not to spend wantok (or traditional ways) (or traditional ways) •• Honiara GUADALCANAL (leader) are eternal and trans- eternal (leader) are

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The dry season is from May to early to early The dry season is from May History

HONIARA HONIARA Culture Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands Mission Assistance 2003, who helped in (RAMSI) personnel a short- violence, despite quell internal sion from 1999 to 2003. But how things have from 1999 to 2003. But how things have sion the Regional since the arrival of changed The capital of the Solomon Islands was at the Solomon Islands was at The capital of and ethnic ten- civil unrest of the epicentre Tension, riots? What tension, what riots? what riots? riots? What tension, Tension, that separates the Weathercoast people from northern coast. those on the hills behind the capital hills behind eventually become a mighty rising to 2400m mountain range the north coast. Outside Honiara, the island The a lost world. look of has the genuine Iron Bottom Sound, the famous graveyard Iron Bottom Sound, the famous graveyard WWII’s Battle for Guadalcanal, just off of of natural wonders and fantastic diving at wonders natural of Honiara. There’s no iconic calling card but There’s Honiara. a couple are cultural sights. There a host of GUADALCANAL GUADALCANAL island in the Solomon group, The largest Guadalcanal hosts the national capital, involves dances, songs and storytelling. See dances, songs and storytelling. involves information on culture. for more p33 village village geographic. (fellow clanspeople) system exists here. exists here. clanspeople) system (fellow duties to their clan and Solomon Islanders’ As in most Melanesian cultures, the cultures, in most Melanesian As and April. Daytime coastal temperatures and April. Daytime coastal temperatures to 32°C. vary from 21°C December. Cyclones occur between January Cyclones occur between January December. is on Guadalcanal. Volcanic activity and activity and is on Guadalcanal. Volcanic occur frequently. earthquakes ers are tiny, low-lying atolls. The country’s are ers (2447m) highest peak, Mt Makarakomburu Island in PNG. Some of the islands are rug- are the islands Island in PNG. Some of mountainous; wooded and oth- heavily ged, chain of islands which extends 1667km in a extends islands which of chain from Bougainville direction southeasternly Geography & Climate Geography & Climate in the South archipelago The third-largest double the Solomons is a scattered Pacific, See p22 for a run-down of the history of the the of the history of run-down for a p22 See Islands. Solomon lonelyplanet.com