In the midst of the South Pacific and part of the coral triangle, the Solomon Islands are a remote, beautiful chain of nearly 1000 tropical islands. They are just south of the equator, a 3 hours flight north east from Australia and 4 hours north west from Fiji. They are home to nearly 600,000 people most of whom still live traditional, community based lives in villages far from the modern world.
Made up of over 990 islands, each main island area has its own language, culture and traditions. Visiting a local village or two is a must for anyone visiting the islands. See the famous wood carvers from the Western Provence, hear the catchy sounds of modern day pan pipe music played on PVC piping and a pair of old flip flops, watch men and woman perform custom dances, be traditionally greeted by a bunch of warriors or escorted into a village by a “war canoe”. The best way to see a country of islands and to dive their waters is by liveaboard and the Bilikiki has been operating in these islands for more than 28 years, making her a Solomon local.
In modern history, the Solomon Islands saw some of the bloodiest and fiercest fighting in the Pacific during WW2. Names such as Bloody Ridge, Red Beach, Henderson Field, and Iron Bottom Sound will be familiar to many. Both land and sea have their share of war relics. White Beach in the Russell Islands, the Mavis Seaplane in Tulagi, the Japanese freighters in Wickham Harbour and along Bonegi Beach near Honiara are some of the most accessible WW2 wreck dives.
