359 ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © ( p378 ) relics WWII ( p386 ) ὄ ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ wreck WWII diving Island Island Tetepare Tetepare Mbabanga ὄὄὄὄὄὄὄὄ around around Langa Langa Lagoon off Guadal- Mbabanga Mbabanga WWII relics ( p375 ) in some dentist’s waiting room. Now it’s time to unleash your inner room. Now it’s time to unleash your inner in some dentist’s waiting Tulagi ( p382 ) wreck of a WWII Japanese ship wreck the Island canal ( p373 ) or ( p373 )

Don a mask, fins and a tank and flipper-kick into Spend the day spotting rusty lodge at Drift off to sleep at an intimate Chill out at a laid-back resort on marine turtles, rangers in tagging on ecofriendly Assist

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „

After several years of civil unrest, this last frontier is currently considered safe for independ- safe considered this last frontier is currently years of civil unrest, several After For outdoorsy types, the Solomons are heaven on earth, heaven with lots of action-packedFor outdoorsy types, the Solomons are experi- Don’t expect sweeping white-sand beaches, ritzy resorts and Cancun-style nightlife – the Don’t expect white-sand sweeping nightlife resorts beaches, ritzy Cancun-style and For those seeking an authentic Melanesian experience or ‘something completely different’ For those seeking different’ Melanesian experience or ‘something completely an authentic

ent travellers, so you have no excuse but to squeeze it in to your South Pacific odyssey. it in to your South Pacific no excuse but to squeeze so you have ent travellers, fish and dizzying drop-offs. repertoire of diving adventures awaits, with awesome WWII shipwrecks, shoals of colourful awaits, with awesome WWII shipwrecks, of diving adventures repertoire snorkel pristine reefs or kayak Lagoon. Beneath the surface, across Marovo snorkel pristine reefs an unbeatable jungle paths to reach secluded waterfallson , surf jungle paths to reach off Ghizo, waves the uncrowded ences that can easily be organised. Climb an extinct volcano on , slog throughences that can easily be organised. aways, it’s tailor-made for ecotourists. aways, it’s tailor-made houses in leaf-hut villages and a few comfortablehouses in leaf-hut villages and a few safari-style hide- and romantic, vaguely Solomons are not a beach holiday destination. With only a smattering of traditional guest of With only a smattering not a beach holiday destination. Solomons are forests and forgotten valleys cloaked in greenery. and forgotten forests from the cobalt blue ocean, croc-infested , huge lagoons, tropical islets, emerald huge lagoons, tropical mangroves, croc-infested from the cobalt blue ocean, reminiscent of a Discovery Channel documentary: volcanic islands that jut up dramatically volcanic islands that jut up dramatically Channel documentary: of a Discovery reminiscent there’s so much on offer, far from the crowds. Then there’s the visual appeal, with scenery the visual appeal, with scenery there’s Then far from the crowds. so much on offer, there’s skull shrines shrouded with a palpable historical aura, and challenging hikes visits, to village with a palpable historical aura, and challenging skull shrines shrouded (the slogan used by the tourist office), the Solomons are hard to beat. From WWII relics to hard to beat. From WWII relics tourist office), the Solomons are (the slogan used by the National Geographic hidden delights of these islands. all the and uncover adventurer Maybe you’ve already read about the Solomon Islands. This was probably in a crumpled probably in a crumpled was This Solomon Islands. about the read already Maybe you’ve Solomon Islands SOLOMON ISLANDS Credit usuallyincura cards transactions periods are usuallyseveral days apart. antly mildweather. andrain islight Rainfall southeasterly windsproducepleas- season), the 14th and 18th centuries. tlements suffered raidsfromTongans between Java AD1200and1600,their set- between andOntong islands such asRennell,Bellona 2000 and 1600 BC. boxedpeople (see text, p37 ) appeared between TheLapita began moving inaround4000 BC. Austronesian-speaking proto-Melanesians of forthousands years,only inhabitants until They were the Solomon Islandsby25,000BC. Guinea were thesouthernandeastern settling Papuan-speaking hunter-gatherers from New commission. 5% also listthepricesin Australian dollars. afew placeswill usually although high-end quote theirrates inSolomon Islandsdollars, in thisbookare inclusive of tax. (VAT),a 10%value-addedtax andallprices and top-end(over S$800)categories. There is room), midrange S$250andS$800) (between budget foradouble (less thanS$250anight to warrantit,we’ve dividedourreviews into and especially domesticflights hotels. Prices have soared over thelastfew years, COSTS &MONEY from October to April. October toDecember. is Thesurfingseason are humiditylevels although lowestfrom JuneandSeptember, Solomons isbetween morning. the midity canbeoppressive in andishighest temperature fallstoaround19°C.Thehu- thethe yearfrom27°Cto32°C.Atnight January and April. sunshine. Cyclones canblowupbetween sharp, torrential rainsare followedbybright temperatures, humidity andrainfall.Short, –atimeof higher bringing thewetseason soon windscomefromthewestornorthwest 360 From late May untilearlyDecember(thedry HISTORY GO TO WHEN & CLIMATE There aren’t pricevariations. seasonal Most hotels andresorts, andallresthouses, Where there accommodation isenough timetovisittheThe mostcomfortable temperaturesDaytime coastal varythrough From mid-Decembertomid-May, mon- Polynesians from the east settled theouter Polynesians from theeastsettled OOO SAD • Ciae&We oG SOLOMON ISLANDS••Climate&WhenToGo traders were knownasbeingnotoriously creatures).dwelling sea Thesandalwood shell, pearlshell and the 1840stolate 1860s,buyingpigs,turtle in 1798.Sandalwoodtraders visited from all followed,andwhalers alsobeganarriving Cruz and . Captain Philip Carteret cameuponSanta Europeans until1767,whentheBritish There with wasalmostnofurthercontact Further Exploration&EarlyTrading early in 1606. December 1605andreached Islands theDuff who leftPeru withthree smallships on21 PedroPortuguese Fernández deQuirós, limped back to Peru. wasabandoned andthesurvivors settlement dying there of malaria. After twomonths the before asettlement Cruz, andestablished colonists. He cameuponand namedSanta in 1595withfourships and450would-be Peru. for six months of conflict,thevoyagers sail set there. andsettled Isabel, On11August,after On 7February andnamedSanta 1568hesaw left Peru withtwoshipsinNovember 1567. Spaniard Don AlvarodeMendaña yNeyra Spanish Exploration in the SouthPacific. became knownasthemostdangerous place tiously intheSolomonIslands,which out theSouthPacific, buttheymoved cau- missionaries were active elsewhere through- sulted of inthousands deaths. Atthistime theEuropeanscarriedalsore-the diseases growth inbothhead-huntingandslave raids; traded withsailors producedanexplosive cruel (see p43 ) and fromthe1860sfirearms British, French andAmericanexplorers Mendaña returned almost30years later Mendaña’s chief pilotfrom1595wasthe Website Greeting Solomons Pijin (English is widelyspoken) Languages Currency International telephone code Land area Population Capital city(and island) SOLOMON ISLANDSFACTS www.visitsolomons.com.sb

SolomonIslandsdollar(S$) Halo 27,540 sqkm 74indigenouslanguages, plus 538,000 (Hello) bêches-de-mer Honiara (Guadalcanal) lonelyplanet.com

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