Untouched landscapes have also become rare in the vastness of the Pacific, but on the Solomon Islands, a collection of almost 1000 islands and islets in Melanesia, you can still experience that Robinson Crusoe feeling and South Sea dreams.
“Because of the remoteness of the islands, tourism has had little impact on this area,” says German Honorary Consul for the Solomon Islands, Claudia von Seutter, who has lived in the country for years. “It really is an undiscovered pearl in the South Seas.”
The main islands of the Solomon Islands are of volcanic origin and covered with dense tropical forest, the biodiversity is great. Many animals can also be discovered under water. Almost 1000 fish and 500 coral species have been counted. The area is part of the Coral Triangle known as the “Amazon of the Ocean”, a sea area that stretches to the Philippines in the north-west.
In some places, coral reefs begin right where picture-postcard white sandy beaches dotted with palm trees meet the balmy South Pacific. The ocean is warm and clear all year round, with underwater visibility sometimes reaching 70 meters – perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving.
Just 700,000 people live across the archipelago of six major main islands, 90,000 of them in the capital, Honiara, on Guadalcanal. But the culture is diverse. 120 languages are spoken. The lingua franca is the English-based creole language Pidgin, which developed during the colonial period as a means of understanding between colonial powers and the native population. It also has German elements – such as the word “Haus”, as seen in the lettering of the island state’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Melanesia Pacific Haus”.
Parts of the archipelago, which has been an independent state since 1978, were partly German and partly British territory towards the end of the 19th century. After barter transactions between the two colonial powers, the Solomon Islands became a purely British protectorate from 1899. As a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, King Charles III is today. the official head of state. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare runs the government.
Especially in the villages, life has remained original. The people are frank in their dealings with visitors and, as self-sufficient, kill fish from the dugout canoe with spears. “They still fish using methods that are centuries old,” says von Seutter.
Fish traps are handcrafted from bamboo, while wooden boats are sealed with vegetable pulp and decorated with carvings of guardian spirits to ward off sharks. Wild boar and lizards are hunted on land, turtle meat and eggs are considered delicacies, and snakes are on the menu in some areas.
The houses are still built in the original way, especially on the more remote islands. A simple scaffold is covered with leaves or grass and the sides filled with pieces of wood and bark.
Only the shell money is no longer common as a means of payment even among the locals. But to settle disputes or to pay a dowry, the pearled pieces of shells from the Langa Langa Lagoon on the coast of the island of Malaita are still used.
Wreck diving is an adventure that many vacationers dream of – but you have to be good at diving to do it. In the often shallow waters of the Solomon Islands, on the other hand, this is not necessary at all: In many places you don’t need to strap a bottle to your back to explore sunken ships. Wreck snorkeling is the keyword.
You can also experience military history up close. For example in the shallow waters of the small island of Ghizo in the western province, which can be reached by plane from the capital Honiara. Here lies a Grumman F6F Hellcat, a US WWII fighter. You can go there by boat, the wreck is seven meters deep, “a memorable snorkeling spot,” says von Seutter, recalling his own experiences: “It was a real thrill.” The largely intact aircraft, now overgrown with cauliflower – and staghorn corals, has been lying in the clear waters of the South Seas for almost 80 years.
The “Kinugawa Maru” is also ideal for snorkelers. The cargo ship, operating under the flag of the Imperial Japanese Navy, was sunk by the US Navy on November 15, 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal. The wreck, also called “Bonegi 2”, is over 130 meters long and partly lies directly under the water surface, the deepest point is 28 meters.
The main island of Guadalcanal was strategically important to the Americans during World War II. From here they operated in the Pacific War against the Japanese. “The fighting left some of the largest wrecks in the world – airplanes, shipwrecks and submarines,” says von Seutter. Some of them even protrude out of the sea. The ship graveyard off Guadalcanal, now called “Iron Bottom Sound”, is not only interesting for snorkeling – it is considered one of the best places for wreck diving in the world.
Round and green: From a bird’s eye view, the island of Kolombangara, covered in jungle, looks like an almost perfect circle. Part of the New Georgia Archipelago in the Western Province, it is a dormant volcano that offers the finest trekking experiences.
Hikes into the interior of the crater are possible. The highlight, however, is a trekking tour to the crater rim of Mount Tepalamenggutu, for which you should plan a day from the “Imbu Rano Eco Lodge”, a kind of base camp for self-catering at a good 300 meters. The highest mountain is Mount Veve (1768 meters), up to which you need another half day. Along the route there are three simple camps with fresh water for overnight accommodation. Once at the top, the South Pacific panorama is breathtaking.
Those who hike on Kolombangara need fitness, stamina and a thirst for adventure: It goes through palm and cloud forests with sequoia trees, through river valleys, tropical nature. It can rain in torrential downpours, and the nights in the high altitudes become noticeably cool. The 30-kilometer-diameter island is home to many colorful birds that can only be seen here in the world, such as the Kolombangara white-eye, a spectacled bird. One can also encounter an endemic (i.e. only existing here) frog species. With closed shoes you should protect yourself against aggressive ants.
In addition to the “Imbu Rano Eco Lodge”, the “Ringgi Guest House” with catering is ideal for setting off on rainforest and bird watching tours or river hikes. To get to Kolombangara, take a 50-minute boat ride from Gizo to Ringgi Cove. Trekking guides accompany up to five people and charge from 20 euros per day.
“For anyone interested in the Pacific War, the Solomon Islands are a must, because war history comes alive here,” says Honorary Consul von Seutter. The Allies lost an estimated 10,600 men, 800 aircraft were destroyed and more than 40 warships sunk. “Japanese casualties were even more horrendous with more than 50 ships sunk, 1,500 aircraft shot down and 80,000 soldiers killed.”
War memorials have been erected in many places, and remnants of the Solomon Islands’ tragic period of history are evident on land as well. East of the capital, the Allies landed at Red Beach – the amphibious landing craft, US Amtracs, can be seen on the grounds of the Tetere Beach WWII Museum.
About 50 kilometers west of Honiara, the Vilu Military Museum has collected numerous aircraft wrecks and weapons. In many places, however, abandoned war equipment still stands on the former battlefields – such as tanks and other military vehicles on New Georgia, where local guides lead tourists to the hidden locations in the jungle. In the Peter Joseph WWII Museum in the island’s main town of Munda, you can see a lot that was salvaged from the battlefields: helmets, machine guns, rusty water bottles.
Perhaps the most impressive memorial, however, is Hell’s Point east of Honiara – a large warehouse of ammunition, some of which is still live. It is taboo for visitors. In the capital of the Solomon Islands itself, a completely different monument can be admired that has nothing to do with the Pacific War. It commemorates the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Mendaña de Neyra, who reached the islands in 1568 and gave them his name. According to a South Sea cliché of the time, he assumed that the inhabitants were immeasurably rich – like the biblical King Solomon.
Arrival: Depending on the flight connection, the journey takes over 30 hours or longer. It is best to book a ticket with a stopover in Taipei (Taiwan) or Dubai to Brisbane (Australia) and the remaining journey to Honiara separately with Solomon Airlines (flysolomons.com), this saves money.
Corona note: According to information from the Federal Foreign Office, people over the age of twelve may only enter the country if they are fully vaccinated. The last vaccination must have been at least four weeks ago.
Arranged trips and modules: Pacific Travel Hose, for example, offers an 18-day trip including flights for 5,830 euros (pacific-travel-house.com). It leads via the main island of Guadalcanal to the Western Province and to the Marovo Lagoon, the largest saltwater lagoon in the world. Individual travel modules, such as family stays in a village on Kolombangara, can be booked with Go Tours Travel (gotours.com.au/solomon-islands).
Local dive tour operators include Dive Gizo (divegizo.com) and Tulagi Dive (tulagidive.com). Special Pacific War tours are available on request from Mat McLachlan Battlefield Tours (battlefields.com.au). They are also offered on Kolombangara (kolombangara.com/activity/war-tours)
Information: Solomon Islands Tourist Office, visitsolomons.com.sb