Kids in the Solomon Islands

For those planning a trip, check out our 15 essential tips to help you prepare for travel in the Solomon Islands.

1) Best Time to Visit the Solomon Islands

Any time of year is a good time to travel to Solomon Islands. The weather here is like the local people, warm and welcoming, and it lasts year-round. Seriously though, you can expect an average tropical and warm temperature of 30Ā°C during your stay. 

That’s not to say that you won’t see any rain, so pack a waterproof jacket just in case! 

The dry season in the Solomons Islands is during June and July, perfect for Australians & New Zealanders needing an escape from the winter chills back home. Conversely, November and March are the wettest months to visit the Solomons, so if you’re keen to avoid thunderstorms and rain at all costs, plan your travels to the Solomon Islands outside these months.

2) Visa Free for Most Nationalities

Solomon islands visa requirements
Solomon Islands are visa-free for many nationalities

Solomon Islands borders are wide open and good to go! Citizens from Australia, NZ, Canada, the UK, and other Commonwealth countries can enter visa-free (or with an entry permit) for up to 90 days.

The same applies to citizens of the USA and many European countries.

Check all Visa Requirements here

3) COVID-19 travel restrictions have been lifted

All eligible travellers should be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. For vaccinated travellers, COVID-19 travel restrictions have been removed.

Read the latest travel advice on smarttraveller.gov.au

You must show your vaccination status at check-in before departure. In addition, we recommend printing a copy of your Covid-19 International Vaccination Certificate and taking it with you. 

4) Malaria is a Risk – Bring Antimalarial Medicine

Malaria precautions are essential in the Solomon Islands, so don’t forget to take antimalarial medications.

Depending on which type of medicine you take, you will need to take this medicine several days before your trip, during, and after your trip is over. 

We recommend speaking with your doctor or pharmacist for advice on the best antimalarial medicine for the Solomon Islands.

Tip: To avoid mosquito bites, cover up with long-sleeved clothing and long trousers in the evenings, especially after sunset. 

Take some good insect repellent with you to the Solomon Islands, we recommend purchasing this repellent that contains DEET.

Then, use it frequently and ensure that your accommodation includes a mosquito net to keep you safe from being bitten while you sleep.

5) There are limited ATMs once you leave the capital city

Before you leave Honiara, consider how much cash you’ll need for your upcoming rustic adventures in paradise. Unfortunately, opportunities are scarce to withdraw local currency from an ATM once you leave the big city. Furthermore, you won’t see any currency exchange places on the way, either. 

One of our best tips for Solomon Islands is to visit the city centre in Honiara and get organised with cash first (as the airport doesn’t have an ATM or money exchange facilities).

6) An Underwater Wonderland

Spectacular marine life could be one of the reasons why you’re interested in visiting the Solomon Islands. If you’ve spoken to friends or others who have spent time here, they would have told you that life beneath the surface here is fascinating! 

Travel to the Solomon Islands is perfect for scuba divers, snorkellers, and those who appreciate unspoiled coral reefs, vibrant marine life, and WWII wrecks. You can spot turtles, manta rays, and various sea creatures here.

And you won’t believe the abundance of tropical fish here; it’s no wonder they call it fish soup!

7) Small Aircraft and Banana Boats to Get Around

Travel to Solomon Islands - Small aircraft to get around
Small planes to get around in the Solomon Islands

With 990+ islands that make up the country, transport options to get around will be by small aircraft for longer trips between the main islands or banana boats (small speedboats). 

View Flight Deals Between Islands Here

8) Eco-Friendly

The Solomon Islands is an eco-friendly destination. That alone is an excellent reason to visit. Rustic accommodation choices on the islands are built with natural materials here.

You’ll notice a thatched roof on your bungalow weaved from coconut branches and leaves.

Travel to Solomon Islands - Oravae Cottages Gizo
Oravae Cottage in Gizo – All bungalows are built with natural materials

They use driftwood to construct the dreamy balcony hanging over the turquoise lagoons.

And, our favourite thing was watching the local women cleverly braid coconut fronds to make sturdy baskets. These are very convenient for carrying fresh produce purchased from markets. 

Large tree leaves are the natural containers for bundling up and packaging fruit and vegetables from the markets in Gizo. The delicious Ngali nuts are placed inside these bundles and tied together with strings pulled from the leaves.

Genius, we thought.

Travel to Solomon Islands - Basket of natural materials Marty
Travel to Solomon Islands – Marty in Gizo market with a basket weaved from just coconut fronds

No plastic bags, no fuss. Everything is biodegradable. Most importantly, no damage to the pristine environment in the Solomon Islands that they work hard to preserve.

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9) Embrace ‘Island Time’, and you’ll fit right in

If you’ve travelled in other Pacific nations before (or want to try and visit them all in the future with our itinerary suggestions for how to do it), then you already know about ‘Island Time’. 

Island time can mean that things take a little longer to get organised. Or, a 10-minute ride truthfully takes 25 mins.

So our tip is to embrace island time and leave your watch in your suitcase; you won’t need it here. 

Travel to Solomon Islands Island Time Relax in Hammock
Island Time in the Solomon Islands at Fatboys Resort, Gizo

Travel to the Solomon Islands is all about appreciating the natural beauty, listening to birds chirping, and enjoying the salty breeze, while you listen to the sound of the water lapping at the beach. 

Sometimes it’s moments like these that bring us the most joy. So, enjoy them while you’re here.

10) Get a local SIM Card in Honiara

Stop by Our Telecom Office in the city centre to pick up a local SIM card. If you wish to stay somewhat connected in the Solomon Islands, the locals tell us this is the provider with the best network coverage available.

We purchased a 5GB SIM card for SBD 50 (AU$9). There is a range of data packs to choose from, and it only takes a few minutes to set it up.

Please bring your passport or ID with you; they’ll need it to register your SIM card.

11) The Perfect Place to Disconnect Online and Reconnect with Nature

Forget about packing your itinerary with endless activities. The Solomon Islands is where you can get away from all the distractions of your busy life back home and replace them with pure nature.

So whether you’re here to go scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, hiking, or just relaxing, tell your friends and family at home that you plan to have a digital detox while in the Solomons; they’ll understand.

12) Seafood is a Staple Food

Travel to Solomon Islands - Lobster
Travel to Solomon Islands – Lobster every day..yes please!

The Solomon Islands, for us as food lovers, was bliss! We loved that fresh seafood dishes filled the lunch and dinner menus during our trip. Lobster is fantastic, with fresh squid and many different kinds of fish.

Trust us; you will love the cuisine here if you’re a seafood lover.

And, if you can handle a beautifully cooked piece of fresh fish on a bed of freshly grilled vegetables for breakfast, then you need to visit Fatboys Resort in Gizo. We stayed here during our visit, and we ate like queens!

Travel to Solomon Islands - Kingfish for breakfast
Grilled Kingfish on a bed of vegetables for breakfast at Fatboys Resort in Gizo

The two women in the kitchen are very talented cooks; we can’t wait to return here again to eat the food. 

Fatboys Resort Email Address: [email protected] 

13) Tropical Fruit & Root Vegetables are Fantastic

Another bonus for travelling in the Solomon Islands is the abundant tropical fruit and lovely-tasting root vegetables. We were surprised at the clever techniques used to prepare and cook the food here. 

You’re sure to discover some new fruits that you’ve never tasted before when you travel to the Solomon Islands.

Travel to Solomon Islands - Gizo Market natural materials to wrap vegetables
Gizo Market – See the natural materials used to wrap vegetables

14) Bring a Dry Bag

When it rains in the Solomons, it pours! So you may get quite wet if you’re stuck on a banana boat when the rain rolls in. Sure, our bodies can take getting wet, but your camera gear won’t like it so much.

So if you’re planning on having your camera or iPhone out to capture all the stunning scenery, we recommend bringing a dry bag. Put them inside the dry bag on boat transfers or even if you go hiking. 

15) Bring Reef Friendly Sunscreen

When you see the lagoons, the turquoise colours, and the abundance of marine life swimming in them, you’ll understand why wearing reef-friendly sunscreen is essential to help conserve this area for the future. 

We used this reef-friendly sunscreen in Palau, as they’ve also worked hard to protect their stunning reef. We swam with thousands of stingless jellyfish in Palau and snorkelled around some unique areas here. 

We recommend that you wear reef-friendly sunscreen in the Solomon Islands and invest in a rash vest, a cap, and polarised sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.

Practical Information About Travelling in the Pacific Islands

If you’re still searching for places to stay, don’t miss our Ultimate Accommodation Guide for the Solomon Islands.

Did you know that we got stranded in Micronesia just before the pandemic? Read our post – Stranded in the Pacific: Cancelled flights, lost luggage, and coronavirus.

Our guide about how to visit every country in the Pacific will give you some useful information about schedules, flights, useful websites, and advice on how to do it.

Don’t miss our Vanuatu Travel Guide and these 5 Foods you Must Try in Vanuatu.

We’ve got many posts about how to save money to travel, and our Top 6 Travel Hacks. We’ve even compiled a list of 20 Jobs that PAY YOU to Travel the World.

And finally, for the best travel advice, tips, websites, and apps we use to travel the world, find them all on our Travel Resources Page.

A big thank you to Tourism Solomons for hosting our stay.