Things to do in Solomon Islands

Dive into the world's largest saltwater lagoon, a UNESCO World Heritage tentative site, where pristine coral reefs teem with over 500 species of fish, manta rays, and sea turtles just metres from shore.

Walk the battlefield where US Marines fought fierce Japanese forces in August 1942, now a peaceful memorial site with rusting tanks, foxholes, and interpretive plaques overlooking Honiara.

In the remote village of Haleta on Nggatokae Island, ancient wooden shrines house ancestral skulls, offering a rare window into traditional head-hunting beliefs and Melanesian spiritual practices.

Plunge to 35 metres to explore the barnacle-encrusted hull of this WWII transport ship sunk in 1943, now a thriving artificial reef frequented by barracuda and reef sharks.

Browse overflowing stalls of taro, cassava, betel nut, freshly caught tuna, and hand-carved wooden bowls in the capital's bustling waterfront market, best on Saturday mornings.

Paddle through glass-clear waters past stilt villages, coconut plantations, and uninhabited islets fringed by mangroves in this serene lagoon between Kolombangara and New Georgia.

Watch elaborately costumed dancers perform rhythmic bamboo pan-pipe melodies and stomping war dances, a tradition passed down for centuries across the Solomon Islands.

Descend along a coral wall patrolled by grey reef sharks, schooling barracuda, and Napoleon wrasse at one of the Solomon Islands' premier dive sites near Munda.

Trek through thick jungle for about two hours to reach a dramatic double waterfall cascading into an emerald pool, accessible from the village of Lelei east of Honiara.

Inspect the corroded remains of the Japanese submarine I-1, captured and partially beached after a fierce surface battle in 1943, lying in the shallows of a remote lagoon.

Hire a traditional logging canoe to cross from Honiara to the Nggela (Florida) Islands, passing WW2-era coral airstrips and landing on beaches with no footprints.

Join a communal kastom feast where freshly pounded cassava is wrapped in banana leaves and baked in an earth oven alongside fish, taro, and wild greens.

Explore the world's largest raised coral atoll, covered in dense tropical forest surrounding Lake Tegano, home to endemic birds and the southernmost World Heritage Site in the Pacific.

Dive a graveyard of over 50 WWII warships and aircraft lying on the seabed between Guadalcanal and Tulagi, including the heavy cruiser USS Astoria and destroyer USS De Haven.

Sleep in a hand-built wooden treehouse perched above a mangrove-fringed lagoon on Rendova Island, with no electricity, surrounded by birdsong and gentle lapping waves.

Cross the old US Navy pontoon bridge connecting Tulagi to the adjacent islet, a rusting remnant of the massive Allied naval base that operated here during the Guadalcanal campaign.

Wade upriver through the jungle interior of Guadalcanal, passing cool swimming holes and spotting kingfishers, reaching pristine waterfalls deep in the highlands after a full-day hike.

Watch Malaitan artisans stringing traditional red-and-white shell money, still used as bride price and ceremonial currency, at the lively market in Auki town.

Paddle a dugout across the vast brackish Lake Tegano to spot the critically endangered Rennell starling, found only on this isolated raised atoll in the southern Solomons.

View an outdoor collection of WWII artifacts including a Japanese seaplane, artillery pieces, and rusting American tanks set in a coconut grove west of Honiara.

Enjoy freshly caught grilled wahoo, cold Solbrew beer, and live acoustic music at this popular expat-friendly waterfront restaurant overlooking the Honiara harbour.

Embark on a gruelling multi-day trek through montane cloud forest to the 1,770-metre summit rim of this near-perfect volcanic cone, camped among mossy woods and rare orchids.

Slip into the warm waters off Gizo after dark to witness clouds of bioluminescent squid and parrotfish asleep in coral crevices, an eerie and magical underwater experience.

Browse intricate ebony carvings, shell-inlaid war clubs, and traditional betel nut mortars crafted by artisans from across the archipelago at the National Art Gallery.

Paddle out to a rare Pacific island reef break off the weather coast of Guadalcanal, surfed by few outsiders, offering powerful left-handers over shallow coral at mid tide.