© Lonely Planet Publications 359 Solomon Islands Maybe you’ve already read about the Solomon Islands. This was probably in a crumpled National Geographic in some dentist’s waiting room. Now it’s time to unleash your inner adventurer and uncover all the hidden delights of these islands. For those seeking an authentic Melanesian experience or ‘something completely different’ (the slogan used by the tourist office), the Solomons are hard to beat. From WWII relics to skull shrines shrouded with a palpable historical aura, and challenging hikes to village visits, there’s so much on offer, far from the crowds. Then there’s the visual appeal, with scenery reminiscent of a Discovery Channel documentary: volcanic islands that jut up dramatically from the cobalt blue ocean, croc-infested mangroves, huge lagoons, tropical islets, emerald forests and forgotten valleys cloaked in greenery. Don’t expect sweeping white-sand beaches, ritzy resorts and Cancun-style nightlife – the Solomons are not a beach holiday destination. With only a smattering of traditional guest houses in leaf-hut villages and a few comfortable and romantic, vaguely safari-style hide- aways, it’s tailor-made for ecotourists. For outdoorsy types, the Solomons are heaven on earth, with lots of action-packed experi- ences that can easily be organised. Climb an extinct volcano on Kolombangara, slog through jungle paths to reach secluded waterfalls on Guadalcanal, surf the uncrowded waves off Ghizo, snorkel pristine reefs or kayak across Marovo Lagoon. Beneath the surface, an unbeatable repertoire of diving adventures awaits, with awesome WWII shipwrecks, shoals of colourful fish and dizzying drop-offs. SOLOMON ISLANDS After several years of civil unrest, this last frontier is currently considered safe for independ- ent travellers, so you have no excuse but to squeeze it in to your South Pacific odyssey. HIGHLIGHTS Assist rangers in tagging marine turtles, on ecofriendly Tetepare Island ( p378 ) Drift off to sleep at an intimate lodge at Langa Langa Lagoonὄ ( p386 ) Chill out at a laid-back resort on Mbabanga Island ( p382 ) Don a mask, fins and a tank and flipper-kick into Mbabanga the wreck of a WWII Japanese ship off Guadal- Island Tulagi canal ( p373 ) or Tulagi ( p375 ) Tetepare Langa Langa Island Lagoon Spend the day spotting rusty WWII relics around WWII ὄὄὄWWIIὄὄ relics Honiara ( p373 ) wreck divingὄ 360 SOLOMON ISLANDS •• Climate & When To Go lonelyplanet.com CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO Spanish Exploration From late May until early December (the dry Spaniard Don Alvaro de Mendaña y Neyra season), southeasterly winds produce pleas- left Peru with two ships in November 1567. antly mild weather. Rainfall is light and rain On 7 February 1568 he saw and named Santa periods are usually several days apart. Isabel, and settled there. On 11 August, after From mid-December to mid-May, mon- six months of conflict, the voyagers set sail soon winds come from the west or northwest for Peru. bringing the wet season – a time of higher Mendaña returned almost 30 years later temperatures, humidity and rainfall. Short, in 1595 with four ships and 450 would-be sharp, torrential rains are followed by bright colonists. He came upon and named Santa sunshine. Cyclones can blow up between Cruz, and established a settlement before January and April. dying there of malaria. After two months the Daytime coastal temperatures vary through settlement was abandoned and the survivors the year from 27°C to 32°C. At night the limped back to Peru. temperature falls to around 19°C. The hu- Mendaña’s chief pilot from 1595 was the midity can be oppressive and is highest in Portuguese Pedro Fernández de Quirós, the morning. who left Peru with three small ships on 21 The most comfortable time to visit the December 1605 and reached the Duff Islands Solomons is between June and September, early in 1606. although humidity levels are lowest from October to December. The surfing season is Further Exploration & Early Trading from October to April. There was almost no further contact with Europeans until 1767, when the British COSTS & MONEY Captain Philip Carteret came upon Santa Prices have soared over the last few years, Cruz and Malaita. especially domestic flights and hotels. British, French and American explorers Where there is enough accommodation all followed, and whalers also began arriving to warrant it, we’ve divided our reviews into in 1798. Sandalwood traders visited from budget (less than S$250 a night for a double the 1840s to late 1860s, buying pigs, turtle room), midrange (between S$250 and S$800) shell, pearl shell and bêches-de-mer (bottom- and top-end (over S$800) categories. There is dwelling sea creatures). The sandalwood a 10% value-added tax (VAT), and all prices traders were known as being notoriously in this book are inclusive of tax. cruel (see p43 ) and from the 1860s firearms Most hotels and resorts, and all resthouses, traded with sailors produced an explosive quote their rates in Solomon Islands dollars, growth in both head-hunting and slave raids; although a few high-end places will usually the diseases the Europeans carried also re- also list the prices in Australian dollars. sulted in thousands of deaths. At this time There aren’t seasonal price variations. missionaries were active elsewhere through- Credit cards transactions usually incur a out the South Pacific, but they moved cau- 5% commission. tiously in the Solomon Islands, which became known as the most dangerous place SOLOMON ISLANDS HISTORY in the South Pacific. Papuan-speaking hunter-gatherers from New Guinea were settling the southern and eastern Solomon Islands by 25,000 BC. They were the SOLOMON ISLANDS FACTS only inhabitants for thousands of years, until Capital city (and island) Honiara (Guadalcanal) Austronesian-speaking proto-Melanesians Population 538,000 began moving in around 4000 BC. The Lapita Land area 27,540 sq km people (see boxed text, p37 ) appeared between International telephone code %677 2000 and 1600 BC. Currency Solomon Islands dollar (S$) Polynesians from the east settled the outer Languages 74 indigenous languages, plus islands such as Rennell, Bellona and Ontong Solomons Pijin (English is widely spoken) Java between AD 1200 and 1600, and their set- Greeting Halo (Hello) tlements suffered raids from Tongans between Website www.visitsolomons.com.sb the 14th and 18th centuries..