If you take a map you will see that one of the furthest destinations in Europe is the South Pacific, but what is far away is also beautiful. The Solomon Islands They are here in the east of Papua Guinea.
The islands are beautiful, with great beaches, amazing accommodations, lots of WWII related history and beauties both on land and under the turquoise waters that surround them. A long flight to paradise, but you will be rewarded.
The Solomon Islands
It's a archipelago of six major islands with nearly a thousand minor islands. The capital is on the island of Guadalcanal and it is the city of Honiara. At the end of the XNUMXth century the English nailed their flag and the islands became a British protectorate, for which they had a pretty bad time in the second world confrontation, until they became independent in the late '70s. Today they continue to recognize Queen Elizabeth II as monarch.
In British times, both the British and the Australians exploited coconut plantations until the Second War. So the islands were evacuated and the plantations abandoned. Many of the bloodiest battles between allies and Japanese took place here, for example the Battle of Guadalcanal. The truth is that no independence is cheap so the political life of the islands has not been very calm in the XNUMXth and early XNUMXst centuries.
With respect to the climate the islands are quite humid all year round with an average temperature of 27 ºC. To go on a trip and not die of heat the best months with June, July and August. It may rain more or have a cyclone between November to April. In terms of economic activity, the Solomons export wood and that is why their forests are in danger of over-exploitation. For some time now, diving and snorkelling tourism has been growing.
Finally, to keep in mind: Although English is the official language, almost no one speaks it on a daily basis. They speak the pijin, the local language, and many other dialects.
Solomon Islands Holidays
To travel to the Salomon you need a passport and depending on your country, a visa. If you are European, you most likely do not need one to stay for 90 days. Now that we know a little more about these beautiful islands, it is time to see what we can do after a few 29 hours of travel from Europe and 30 from South America.
The treasure of the Solomon Islands is underwater. Many cross the ocean just to know its wonders as They are located within an area known as the Coral Triangle. Its beautiful and rich waters have been declared as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of OceaníSo imagine the diversity of fish and coral that you will see here.
There are some 500 species of corals soft and hard and they all form a coral reef of more than 5.700 square kilometers.
In turn, the reefs are home to many animals among colorful fish, barracudas, dolphins, stingrays, turtles and sharks. Also under water, as we said above, there are memories of world war ii: planes, ships, oil tankers, destroyers, Japanese planes, submarines ... Even very close to the capital, in the area known as Iron Bottom Sound.
There are other areas of diving and snorkeling really good and others that serve to take pictures. For example, the beautiful Marovo lagoon, the largest saline lagoon in the world studded with uninhabited islets with dream beaches like Uepi Island. There is also the Roviana Lagoon, 50 kilometers from Munda and embraced by coral reefs and islands. Inside, in turn, is the Kastom Shark Cave, hidden among mangroves whose opening is a pool of deep blue salt water that plummets into the network of caves.
If you like to browse the local culture then you can visit some of its archaeological sites, forts in the hills, sanctuaries full of skulls, for example. The inhabitants of the islands are woodworking specialists so there are many beautiful handicrafts (carvings, jewelry, baskets) that are made with traditional techniques in all the villages and have become good souvenirs over time.
There are many tours to do HikingBoth short excursions from Honiara that will make you discover villages and white beaches, even trips to other islands. You can even climb a volcano, the Kolombangara, a 1770 meter high conical volcano that involves two days of walking from the coast to the crater ring. He sleeps in a camp and is the most.
But if more than walking you like the water then to the beautiful beaches you can add waterfalls. Some very popular are Mataniko waterfalls, which end in ponds and a hidden cave. This site is known with a guide and is generally known in a WWII tour. And you can also sign up for fishing tours, kayak tours through turquoise lagoons with transparent and warm waters. Can you imagine that?
Finally, a place like this deserves to sleep in a special place. Of course there are hotels, motels, rental cabins, backpacker spots, resorts y eco lodges they are wonderful. If you've never stayed in a budget lodge here in the Solomons there are some really beautiful ones.
Look, it may be a long trip, not so cheap precisely because of the distance and because touring the islands involves getting on and off boats or signing up for agency tours, but if you like destinations like this, far away, beautiful and little known ... well the Solomon Islands await you.