Secrets of the Solomon Islands Tour

Sunday 27th September – Honiara, Solomon Islands

Morning

• Arrive in Honiara at your convenience and transfer to the Honiara Hotel to meet the fellow travellers from our Least Visited Countries Autumn Tour.

Afternoon

• Head out with our local guide to experience the rich cultural heritage of the Birao people at Hotomai Cultural Village, located in Central Guadalcanal between Belaha and Tenaru Falls. Here we will witness demonstrations of traditional dances, culinary practices, and cultural homes. The visit begins with a warrior-style greeting, setting the stage for an authentic cultural journey.
• After returning to the Honiara Hotel, we’ll have a chance to explore this local institution – meet the eccentric owner, Sir Thomas Chan, and chat about his life in politics on the island, as well as his experiences meeting various members of the Royal Family and being invested as a knight by the Queen.
• We have the choice to dine in the opulent Club Havana or poolside at the Oasis Restaurant and finish with drinks by the pool at our hotel. If you fancy an after-dinner treat, the Cathliro Chocolate Haus also offers excellent fresh-brewed espresso and locally made chocolate.

Monday 28th September – Honiara

Morning

• Up early for breakfast and a Honiara day tour. First, we will explore Honiara central market, which is where real Solomon life occurs, and have a chance to buy local souvenirs such as handicrafts and shell money necklaces.
• Following this, embark on a full city tour including all the monuments to WW2, parliament, and the national museum.

Afternoon

• The way to really discover a country is through its street food, so on the journey to the next part of the tour, we will stop at a row of food stalls where the choices range from grilled lobster, chicken, or fish served with rice and pumpkin.
• Head to a beach which has a major Japanese WW2 wreck for some wreck snorkelling and underwater photography, as well as great views of the city of Honiara, whilst enjoying the beach.
• Dinner at the Heritage Park Hotel and overnight at Honiara Hotel.

Tuesday 29th September – Honiara – Roderick Bay – Honiara

Morning

• After breakfast, take the one and a half hour boat ride to Roderick Bay, located within the scenic Sandfly Passage of Ngella Sule Island.
• Arrive at Roderick Bay Beach Bungalow, where you will spend the rest of the morning exploring the shipwreck of The MS World Discoverer, a cruise ship specifically designed and constructed by Schichau Unterweser in Germany in 1974. In 2000, it collided with an underwater obstacle, sustaining damage; to prevent it from sinking, the ship was grounded and ultimately abandoned in Roderick Bay.

Afternoon

• Spend the afternoon exploring the Solomon villages on the island, interacting with locals, hiking in the beautiful scenery, or simply hanging out by the beach for swimming, snorkelling or canoeing in traditional dugout canoes!
• Dinner and overnight at the Honiara Hotel.

Wednesday 30th September – Honiara

Morning

• Following breakfast, we continue our exploration of the Solomon Islands with a visit to Red Beach, a significant World War II landing site situated approximately 10 kilometers east of Honiara on Guadalcanal. It was here that U.S. Marines landed in 1942, initiating the crucial Guadalcanal Campaign.
• We’ll then visit the Memorial Garden at Henderson Airport in the Solomon Islands, a location dedicated to honoring the soldiers who fought and sacrificed their lives during the Guadalcanal Campaign of World War II. This tranquil site is conveniently situated next to the airport terminal in Honiara.
• Buffet-style lunch near the airport.

Afternoon

• Next, we head to the Betikama War Museum, located at Betikama Adventist College near Honiara. This museum features an impressive collection of World War II relics, such as weapons, aircraft parts, and equipment, preserving the history of the Guadalcanal Campaign.
• Our journey concludes with a visit to the Holy Cross Cathedral in Honiara, a Catholic landmark erected in 1978. Situated on the historic site where Spanish explorers first planted a Christian cross in 1568.
• We’ll freshen up for dinner at the illustrious Coral Sea Resort.

Thursday 1st October – Honiara

Morning

• After breakfast in Honiara, we set out on a scenic drive eastward into Guadalcanal’s rainforest interior, about 90 minutes through villages and jungle-clad hills.
• Our trail begins at a mountain lodge, where our guide will give us a short orientation before we step into the rainforest.
• The 3km trek is a journey through tropical jungle alive with parrots, cockatoos, rare orchids, towering hardwood trees, and butterflies along the way.
• After about an hour, we emerge at Tenaru Falls, a 60-meter waterfall where we can cool off with a swim in the clear, natural pool below.

Afternoon

• Enjoy a picnic lunch with the falls as your backdrop. Take time to relax, swim, or simply soak in the the scenery before hiking back through the rainforest to the mountain lodge.
• We return to Honiara in the late afternoon, stopping for refreshments on the way.
• Dinner and overnight in Honiara.

Friday 2nd October – Honiara – Munda

Morning

• Early morning transfer to the airport to take the 7:30 AM flight to beautiful Munda Island, arriving at 9:00 AM.
• Transfer to hotel the Agnes Lodge Munda.

Afternoon

• After check-in, head out with our local, expert guide for a comprehensive tour of Munda Island and uncover the battle sites of the Pacific War on this WWII land tour.
• First we will visit Japanese battery guns hidden in the jungle at Kindu, then walk through a wartime tunnel at Kokeqolo, and explore the strategic ridges of Horseshoe and Bartley, both sites of fierce combat.
• Lunch stop in town.
• Next we will stop at Christmas Hill Cemetery, then stand where Allied forces landed at Liajana Beach, and wrap up with a visit to the Peter Joseph WWII Museum before returning to town.
• Dinner and overnight in Munda.

Saturday 3rd October – Gizo Island

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Early start to the day by hopping on a boat at Agnes Lodge, and cruising across the waters through Munda’s maze of islets. The ride itself is half the fun, with scenic lagoon cruising where you can even pause for a quick swim or snorkel in the clear water if the mood strikes.
• Our first official stop is the legendary Skull Island, a tiny jungle-topped atoll located in Vona Vona Lagoon. Here, hidden under a thatched shelter, lies an eerie and fascinating shrine of human skulls; trophies of long-ago Roviana chiefs from the region’s head hunting days.
• Kennedy Island is up next – a palm-fringed speck with a huge history. It is famously the very island where a young future US President John F. Kennedy and his crew swam ashore after their PT-109 patrol boat sank in WWII. Today there is not a hint of strife here: we will beach the boat on powdery sand, walk in JFK’s footsteps, and then don our snorkel gear. The island is ringed by crystal-clear water, full of colorful reef fish, coral gardens, and even the odd clownfish or two, making it a snorkeler’s dream.
• Back on the boat, we will travel onward to Gizo Island and dock at Gizo Town, the capital of the Western Province. In Gizo we will have a chance to wander the small market where locals sell tropical fruits and handicrafts, chat with friendly vendors, and simply enjoy the slow pace of Solomon Islands life far from the bustle of Honiara.

Afternoon

• For lunch, savor fresh seafood at the iconic Gizo Hotel’s open-air restaurant (with an ice-cold lager and ocean views on the side).
• A short hop away is Imagination Island, a postcard-perfect private island resort just off Gizo. True to its name, Imagination Island feels like a dream – surrounded by a shallow coral reef full of marine life. If you skipped lunch in town, the island’s restaurant can whip up something delicious (perhaps coconut crab or catch-of-the-day) while you kick back and enjoy the sea breeze. Afterward, you might slip back into the water for one more snorkel session. Otherwise, take a stroll along the on beach, watch hermit crabs scuttle by, or curl up in a hammock under the coconut palms.
• With the sun beginning to lower, casting golden light over the lagoon, we will head back to Munda.
• Dinner and overnight in Munda.

Sunday 4th October – Munda – Honiara

Morning

• Breakfast in hotel.
• 6:00am departure to catch the 8:50am flight to Honiara, arriving at 10:20am.
• Group A members: the tour concludes in Honiara. YPT can arrange post-tour accommodation or assist with additional activities in the Solomon Islands.
• Group B members: transfer to the Honiara Hotel and take the opportunity to unwind. This day will be dedicated to doing laundry, catching up on emails, and relaxing before we set off on our exciting adventure in Papua New Guinea.
• Dinner and overnight at the Honiara Hotel.

Monday 5th October – Honiara – Port Moresby

• Breakfast at the Honiara Hotel.
• Transfer to the airport to take the 11:40am flight to Port Moresby, arriving at 1:00pm. We will transfer to our hotel in Port Moresby, and, tomorrow, continue our adventure on YPT’s All Papua Budget Tour.