An island adventure – The Solomon Islands

Transport on the Solomon Islands

As the Solomon Islands consist of six main and 900 small islands, the main modes of transport are boats and small planes, operated by http://www.flysolomons.com/ Aeroplanes from Brisbane to Honiara usually larger, with the planes from Honiara to the other islands usually smaller (that is, less than 30 seats). The boats’ sizes vary as well and you should contact the accommodation or tour operator to find out which boats are provided and if they can accommodate your needs.

We traveled in a motorboat and a smaller boat for diving and I was lifted into both boats in my wheelchair.

Communication

Telephones are usually available at any resort, but it is not guaranteed that all resorts have cell phone connections. Accessing the Internet can be very difficult. At our resort, the Internet did not work and the manager did not have a smartphone to share the Internet. If you buy a local sim card you can purchase access to the Internet but we were not able to test this. Check with your proposed resort or accommodation before you arrive to see if there is an Internet or telephone connection.

Food and drinks

The Solomon islanders like to eat heavy foods such as fried fish and bounteous amounts of potatoes and root vegetables. We also tried a typical dessert which was a very creamy fruit, heated and topped with coconut milk. Try to get to a local market to see what is on offer and ask your resort to cook certain things for you. We visited the market one day and got to choose all kinds of different seafood (lobster included) that our chef then cooked for us to perfection.

Religion and Culture

Due to missionaries coming to the Solomon Islands, 95 percent of the Solomon Island people are Christians, with diverging styles. However, tribal beliefs are still very prominent and can be seen in rituals and dances.

Tour operator:

Usually, the resort where you stay will feature as your tour operator and give you recommendations about activities and assist you in getting around.

Resort

We stayed on Imagination island. The manager, Gili, and his staff were super accommodating. Being a small resort, we really enjoyed the coziness and the friendliness of the staff. The food was yummy, even though a lot was fried. There was no a la carte menu and one meal was served for all guests. The cook, however, was quite creative,

The island is a small strip of land – perhaps 50m by 20m – and features about 8 bungalows over the water and about 6 rooms on land. The meals are served at the bar/restaurant which is built on stilts and accessible via a walkway over the water. This also gives you opportunities to spot little sharks, squids, and other beautiful colorful fish just on your way to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. While we were there, another restaurant was being constructed to provide an option to escape if noisy day visitors occupy the bar. However, these visitors usually only gather over the weekend and we did not experience any disturbances. The paths are sandy, so you need assistance to get from your room to the restaurant and back. The resort provided ramps to overcome the few steps that existed throughout the resort.  An important note: there is no 24-hour electricity available. Usually, the diesel generator is cut off from about 10 pm until 6 am. However, options are via batteries and also to leave the generator on which you will need to arrange with Gili directly. The bungalows over the water are simple but spacious. The bathroom was a bit small but for us, sufficient. They provided a plastic chair for showering and we discovered that you could also put the chair on the veranda and have a beautiful outdoor shower.