Solomon AIrlines B737 jet
Honiara market
Entrance to Mendana Hotel
Mendana Hotel beach
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GENERIC
ITINERARY
DAY 1:
HONIARA: arrival and sightseeing tour
Arrive Honiara early afternoon on your Solomon Airlines or Pacific
Blue flight from Brisbane (3-hour flight time plus 1 hour time
advance).
On arrival at Honiara airport you will be welcomed by our local guide
after you exit Customs (look for somebody holding a sign with your
name). To make the best use of the remainder of the afternoon you
will commence your city tour as soon as you leave the airport, with
your luggage safely stowed in the back of your tour vehicle.
Work on the main runway at Honiara Airport was first commenced by
the Japanese in early 1942. American forces landed on Red Beach,
near the airport, in August 1942 and completed work on the main runway
and a number of parallel strips on the same site and further east.
The Americans christened the complex Henderson Field, named after
a naval aviator killed in the Battle of Midway earlier. For sixty
years it was known as Henderson Field until the Solomon Islands Government
dropped the name Henderson in the mid-noughties after the Japanese
government sponsored major airport renovations.
From the airport you’ll drive through the urban fringes, past
schools and light industrial areas then turn inland through residential
areas up a few steep hills to the Mt Austen peace park built by the
Japanese government in the 1980s to commemorate their war dead. From
the memorial there are panoramic views of the North Guadalcanal coastline,
from east to west horizons.
Retracing your steps to the main road and passing many local landmarks
(the hospital, the soccer stadium, Chinatown, the Mataniko River,
you’ll turn inland again and up another ridge, Skyline Ridge,
to the U.S. war memorial. Here again there are excellent views of
the town and harbour, and moving tributes to American forces killed
in action during the Guadalcanal campaign.
Next stop will be the central market where all manner of fresh food
and handicrafts are sold. Your driver will mind the vehicle and your
luggage while your guide shows you through the market. Late in the
day the market is not at its best so you might care to stop here
again tomorrow if time allows.
A little further on is the main shopping and business area known
as Point Cruz, so named because it is adjacent to a rocky promontory
which juts out into the sea and was identified by Spanish explorer
Alvaro de Mendana in 1568 as the only suitable site for a deepwater
port along the whole north coast of Guadalcanal (the rest of the
coastline is coral-and-black-sand beach). The promontory is now covered
with the sheds and wharves of the Port of Honiara.
Just past Point Cruz is the yacht club and the hotel where you will
be staying. First established in the late early 1970s as the Mendana
Hotel, this landmark also suffered a name change when bought out
by the Japanese Kitano corporation in the early 1990s and is now
officially called the Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel. However this
is quite a mouthful so everybody just keeps calling it “the
Mendana”. The hotel is located on the main waterfront with
its own tiny beach in the lee of Point Cruz and a panorama of yachts
and other small craft bobbing in the water. The hotel is just a few
minutes walk from the Point Cruz shopping area, where there are a
number of Chinese restaurants - it is safe and pleasant to stroll
around this area in the evening.
Overnight Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel (room only, pay as you go
for meals by cash or card).
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Upper reaches of the Mataniko
River
Honiara shoppng district
Market shopping
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DAY
2: HONIARA: day trip options
Today a choice of activities is offered.
1) Hike
to Mataniko Falls - this is a 6-hour round-trip hike following
the Mataniko River upstream from Honiara. Guides will walk
with you and a picnic lunch is included. The waterfall is quite large
and majestic. There is a big cave at the bottom which can be explored
if you take flashlights. There are stalagmites, bats and birds in
the cave, which was used as a hideout by Japanese forces. The walking
is challenging in the humid climate and requires reasonable physical
fitness. You will first be driven half an hour from your hotel to
the Tuvaruhu suburb upstream and commence walking from there. Pickup
at reception 07:00, dropoff 16:00.
2) East Guadalcanal
battlefields excursion – this trip covers
all main points of interest from the 1944 campaign including Henderson
field, Hell’s Point, Bloody Ridge, underground hospital, Red
Beach, Koni field, Tetere Beach. As you drive along the east coast
road, you may note straight sections of the road that are actually
old fighter airstrip runways. Includes packed lunch. Pickup 08:00,
dropoff 16:00.
3) Artifact and
souvenir shopping – for those who prefer to
stick closer to the hotel, this is a half-day activity that leaves
you with a free afternoon to laze by the pool or sit on the little
beach at the hotel, or do your own thing around town. The morning’s
shopping stops include the Mendana gift shop (shell jewellery and
general souvenirs), central market (shell money necklaces and other
crafts), DJ Graphics (souvenir T-shirts, island-style garb and local
music CDs), BJS Agencies (ebony wood carvings, woven baskets) and
Betikama High School (copper beatings, paintings by local artists).
Your guide may know some other good shop-stops. Of course there’s
no obligation to buy anything… browsing is fun too. You won’t
see another tourist all day and shopping is a great way to rub shoulders
with the locals. For lunch your guide will take you to a local café to
join the workers and shoppers for a local-style lunch: Honiara-style
fish and chips (garlic-infused reef fish fried in batter with sweet
potato chips) or curry chicken and tropical vegetables on rice are
the two most popular dishes. Lunch is included in the tour. Pickup
08:00, dropoff 13:00 (or later by arrangement).
Overnight Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel (room only, pay as you go
for meals by cash or card).
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Sleepy Auki town
Making shell money - drilling
holes for threading onto strings
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DAY
3: HONIARA / AUKI: Langalanga Lagoon tour
0500 Your guide will transfer you to Honiara Airport to check in
for Solomon Airlines flight IE230 to Auki (pronounced ow-kee) departing
07:00 arriving 07:30. Our local tour guide will meet you at Auki airfield
and transfer you to Auki town for check in and breakfast at Auki Lodge.
From there you will be taken down to the waterfront to board a motorised
canoe for a full day tour of the Langalanga Lagoon. You will stop off
at a number of villages located on the edge of the lagoon and on the
various artificial islands which have been built up over centuries
by piling up lumps of coral collected from the floor of the lagoon.
Visiting the artifical islands of Alite (pronounced ah-lee-tay), Busu
or Laulasi (low-lahsi) you will be shown local fishing methods, inspect
the ancestral skulls, see how shell money is made and learn about the
pagan shark worshipping cult. Local-style food will be served for lunch
at Busu Cultural Centre, including unique local delicacies such as
mangrove soup made from the grated propagules (fruit) of the large-leafed
orange mangrove (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza), kata pudding made from indigenous
nali nuts mashed with boiled taro and coconut cream, and takuma swamp
fern cooked in coconut milk. You’ll also be entertained by a
cultural group performing what the locals call a “custom dance”.
Late in the afternoon on returning to Auki Lodge, enjoy a poke around
in the Chinese shops nearby. Stop and chat to locals in the street
or in the shops.
Overnight Auki Lodge (room only, pay as you go for dinner, breakfast,
snacks and drinks).
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Sita village in the LangaLanga
Lagoon near Auki
Sharing a meal during village
stay
Traversing the lagoon
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DAY
4: AUKI: overnight village stay
After breakfast, arrange with the Lodge to store the bulk of your
baggage and take only an overnight bag with you for your village
stay experience.
Your guide will call for you at 08:00 and walk you down to the market
where you will hop on local public transport (an open back truck with
bench seats in the back) headed for the “south road”.
Riding on a hard bench seat in the back of a truck on an unmade road
can be either exhilarating or bone-jarring, depending on your philosophy
of life and depending on how novel it is to you to be riding in the
tray of a truck without seat belts which you would never even conscience
back home. These public trucks generally travel fairly slowly due to
the unmade road surface and incidents of passengers falling out are
very rare. However if you feel unsafe in the back you can sit in the
cabin of the truck with the driver. Sitting with the driver is routinely
offered to tourists. Alternatively, take a rolled-up towel or travel
pillow to sit on in the back.
After a bumpy forty minute ride through rainforest villages and across
rickety bridges fording bubbling brooks you’ll disembark at the
roadside and walk 30 minutes through rainforest or coconut plantation
towards the mangrove-lined shore of the Langa Langa Lagoon. The edge
of the lagoon is dotted with tiny villages of “amphibious” Kwara’ae
people (pronounced kwar-eye) who spend some of their time each day
in hillside gardens and some of their time in dugout canoes fishing
and gathering mangrove pods and shellfish in the lagoon. You will be
allocated to stay in one of several different villages in this area
that host visitors.
Your guide will introduce you to your host family who will then take
over and look after you for the next 24 hours. This will be a genuine
cultural experience where you will participate in a variety of activities
and experiences.
It’s a lovely safe environment, with no snakes or other nasties
to be worried about apart from the usual mosquitoes. You can safely:
- paddle around in the lagoon, exploring the mangrove labyrinths
- bathe in the freshwater stream
- bushwalk in the forest to see medicinal plants and bush foods, try
to catch a glimpse of the frigate bird, the Malaita eagle and the wide
variety of parrots
- visit the gardens to see how staple foods are cultivated and harvested
- watch how food is cooked in the smoke-house kitchen
- play soccer or volleyball with the village kids.
During the day you’ll meet many of the villagers and share a
little of their lives. You’ll also learn about the Malaita culture,
learn some pidgin and local language words. You will not be treated
as royalty to be entertained but rather as a new member of the family
being inducted into daily routine. After spending a day and a night
with your host family you will be able to say with confidence that
you understand something of the lifestyle of Solomon Islanders living
in rural villages.
You’ll be accommodated in a village hut that looks no different
from any other on the outside but is comfortably fitted out with basic
furnishings, clean bedding, a big bowl of fresh fruit and green coconuts
to drink. Out the back you have your own private bathroom with sit-down
toilet, soap and towel. The bed is fitted with a big mosquito net.
The food is delicious: don’t you worry about that. Fresh fish
and fresh chicken are commonly served, with a great array of fruit
and vegetables cooked in local style. Breakfast is tea with fresh-baked
scones or village bread (BYO Vegemite).
Overnight village stay, Auki (includes all meals, clean drinking water,
bottomless tropical fruit and coconut juice.)
NB If you
prefer the relative comfort of Auki Lodge, you can skip the overnight
at the village and make
Day 5 a day trip instead. This
option must be requested at the time of booking. Your guide will
travel with you to and from the village by public transport, returning
you to Auki Lodge by 5pm. This makes no difference to the cost of
the package, but if overnighting at Auki Lodge you’ll pay extra
for meals whereas meals at the village homestay are included.
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Arriving at the Kwaimbaita River
head water after hiking overland from Maoro
Motor canoe travel, East Malaita
Coastal village, North Malaita
Artificial island, Lau Lagoon, North Malaita
Malaita panpipers
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DAY
5: MALAITA (EXCURSION DAY 1)
DAY 6: MALAITA (EXCURSION DAY 2)
For Day 5 and Day 6 there is a choice of excursions. You must nominate
your preferred option at the time of booking this package.
Excursion option 1: East Malaita hike and paddle
DAY 5: Departing your village stay early in the morning a guide will accompany
you on a 30 minute truck ride further down the south road to Maoro
village. Here you will pick up a couple of hiking guides and commence
a 6-hour jungle hike across the spine of Malaita Island. The trail
begins behind Maoro village and features heavy tropical vegetation
that you and your guides will hack through with machetes in places
to get through. There are some steep spurs to climb in the early
stages of the hike, then you pick up the Kwaimanafu river valley
which is a steady climb to the remote bush village of Gwaimaoa.
The trail then descends via the Kwaimbaita river valley towards
the east coast of Malaita. The upper Kwaimbaita river is rocky
and shallow, not navigable for canoes. You will make multiple crossings
as you follow the valley down. As far as hikes go this one is of
moderate difficulty in dry weather but can be tough going if it
is raining. The only special items you will need to bring are a
water bottle, a little first aid kit with sunscreen and something
to treat scratches and insect bites, and a pair of comfortable
walking shoes (it’s not Mt Everest – trainers or sneakers
that can dry out by the fire at night will be fine).
Tonight you will overnight at Lalibaola, a small village not marked
on the map but located near Gwari. You should arrive by 3pm in time
to rest up and enjoy some time with the village people before dark.
Your hiking guides from Maoro are related to the Lalibaola people
so your visit will be very welcome.
Accommodation here will be a little more Spartan than your Auki village
stay because you are really out in the sticks now, but that’s
why you chose this excursion, isn’t it ? J
Overnight village hut, Lalibaola village, East Malaita (includes
village-style meals, clean drinking water and bottomless fresh fruit).
DAY 6: MALAITA (EXCURSION DAY 2)
Breakfast at Lalibaola village then hike down river to the estuary
and paddle a dugout canoe with your guides up the east coast (mainly
mangroves) to the offshore islands of Kwai and Ngongosila which
are heavily populated, and then on to Atori, a government outpost
at the head of the road from Auki. Total paddling time is about
4 hours, with stops at villages en route and plenty of time in
the afternoon to explore Kwai Island.
Overnight in a church guest house at Atori or on Kwai island. Your
guide will arrange this and settle the payment.
DAY 7: MALAITA (EXCURSION DAY 3)
From Atori, board a public passenger truck heading for Auki. The
road is unsealed but relatively smooth – passing through
jungle, over bridges with small waterfalls etc and stops at villages
en route. Your guide will settle payment for the fares.
The trip takes about 4 hours (ask to sit in the truck cabin if you
find the ride in the back too hard on your back) and depending on
what time you get away (passenger trucks depart when full of passengers,
not according to any schedule), you can expect to arrive in Auki
anytime from noon onwards. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure
in Auki.
Overnight Auki Lodge (room only, pay as you go for dinner, breakfast,
snacks and drinks).
Excursion option 2: North Malaita road trip
DAY 5: Departing your village homestay early you’ll take public transport
into Auki with your guide, and then board another public truck bound
for North Malaita. Trucks depart at regular intervals but you may
have to wait a while.
The journey from Auki to Malu’u takes about 5 hours and is
a little bumpy but very scenic. You’ll pass through dozens
of bush villages and seaside villages. The truck makes many stops
to pick up and drop off passengers, and to allow passengers to buy
fruit and betel nut from roadside markets. There are also plenty
of opportunities to “go behind a tree”, with allocated
spots for men and women at each stop. (If you are a female travelling
alone, you will be accompanied by a female guide who will organise
these kinds of things for you…)
For the first two hours of the journey – from Auki to Fauabu
(pronounced fow-amboo) you won’t see the sea as the road courses
well inland. There will be plenty of verdant rainforest contrasting
with the white crushed coral surface of the road. From Fauabu through
to Malu’u the road hugs the coast and the sea views are stunning
all the way.
There is no official lunch today – you can graze on fresh fruit,
fried fish, doughnuts and other goodies from the roadside markets
throughout the day, pay-as-you-go.
Arriving in tiny Malu’u township late in the afternoon you
will have time for a stroll around – yes there are even a couple
of the ubiquitous Chinese shops here too – before settling
in for the evening at the guest house.
Overnight Malu’u Rest House (basic but comfortable 1.5 star
accommodation – includes meals). Your guide will also be accommodated
here.
DAY 6: MALAITA (EXCURSION DAY 2)
This morning after checking out you will wait for another public
passenger truck passing through Malu’u and travel another
two hours to Kwailibesi (kwai-lee-bessy). This is a Seventh-Day
Adventist Mission station right on the edge of the Lau Lagoon.
Here you will check in at the mission guest house before venturing
out to explore the lagoon for the afternoon. Right in front of
the mission station is a myriad of reefs dotted with artificial
islands similar to those of the Langa Langa Lagoon near Auki but
far less frequented by visitors. You’ll take a paddle-powered
canoe ride over the reefs, stopping off at artificial islands to
visit with the locals. The artificial islands are great for escaping
mosquitoes and enemies, but the downside is that all water, garden
food and other goods have to be paddled in from the mainland every
day and it’s hard work. Despite the missionary presence,
animist religion is still practised here. Wear a hat and sunscreen
while out on the water. (You can pay extra on the spot to hire
an outboard-powered canoe if you wish).
Overnight Kwailibesi Mission Guest House (basic but comfortable
1.5-star accommodation – includes dinner and breakfast only.
DAY 7: (EXCURSION DAY 3)
Today you’ll wait with your guide by the roadside for a passenger
truck for the rather long journey back to Auki – this may take
up to 8 hours but these trips are always great fun and the time passes
quickly. Passengers sing, chat, tell jokes and fool around to pass
the time. Usually there is a trussed pig or chicken somewhere on
the truck and this can also be quite entertaining by the time the
passengers imitate its noises or tell each other that it looks like
somebody they know, etc. You and the other passengers will all be
great friends by the time you arrive in Auki (unless you are sitting
in the cabin with the driver missing out on all the fun…).
Once again there is no lunch provided today – buy fresh food
from roadside markets. If you arrive early, the rest of the day is
at leisure in Auki.
Overnight Auki Lodge (room only, pay as you go for dinner, breakfast,
snacks and drinks).
Excursion option 3: Extended Auki village stay
If moving around is not your cup of tea, you can opt to stay put
at your Auki village stay and enjoy 2 more nights getting to know
your host family and the rest of the village. This is a little heart-wrenching
at the end because after 3 days you will become rather attached to
these hospitable people but you will have a firm appreciation of
their culture, lifestyle and more than a few words of local language.
You will also have the opportunity to become adept at balancing and
paddling a dugout canoe, scraping mangrove pods with a bivalve shell
to cook mangrove soup, and “sewing up” sago palm leaves
to make roof and wall sheets for traditional houses. An extended
cultural exchange experience. On Day 7, transfer back to Auki to
have your last night at Auki Lodge in readiness for an early morning
airport transfer tomorrow.
Excursion option 4: Auki based day tripping
If you prefer the relative comfort of Auki Lodge, you can spend Day
5, 6 and 7 at Auki Lodge and take short day trips around Auki by
public transport with your guide. Suggested outings:
- additional day trips to your allocated village stay village (bush
walks, garden trips, canoe paddling, cooking, attend church in the
village, learn handicrafts, impart some of your own skills to the
villagers)
- Fiu River (30 minutes ride north of Auki – fast-flowing shallow
river excellent for swimming and rubber-tubing or bamboo rafting)
- Bina Harbour (1 hour ride south of Auki – eco-timber sawmill,
minor anchorage for coastal vessels, pineapple country)
- Kilu’ufi Hospital (15 minutes ride north of Auki – the
provincial referral hospital, worth a visit if you are interested
in health services. You can wander through the wards chatting with
locals… sometimes whole families camp out under the sick person’s
bed)
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