Solomon Islands Travel Guide

Solomon Islands is a nation located in the Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, and consists of about one thousand islands. The both cover a land mass of 28,400 square kilometres (10,965 sq mi). The capital of Solomon Islands is Honiara, which is located on the island of Guadalcanal.

The people who are lured to the Solomons are the promise of beyond spectacular natural features, which will not disappoint those who visit. The Solomon Islands has a great reputation, which is not to be belittled. Solomon Islands is said to be possibly the world's best destination for scuba divers, snorkellers, fishing freaks and a rising population of surfers.

The Solomon Islands is a scattered archipelago of about 1,000 mountain filled islands with low coral atolls. The Solomon Islands is located near east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia which is in the south Pacific. The islands parts of Solomon Islands are Guadalcanal, Malaita, Santa Isabel, San Cristobal, Choiseul, New Georgia, and the Santa Cruz group.

People say that there are many early inhabitants, and some even say that people have lived in the Solomon Islands since at least 2000 B.C. Alvaro de Mendana of Spain explored the Solomon islands on 1868, and then the Solomons were not visited for about 200 years. In the year 1886, Great Britain and Germany decided to divide the islands between them. Britain was later given control of the whole territory. The Japanese invaders went to the islands in World War II, and they started the scene of some of the bloodiest battles in the whole Pacific territory, most famous is the battle of Guadalcanal. British troops again gained control of the island in 1945. Later in 1976 the islands became self-governing, and by 1978 gained independence.

The traditional culture of the Solomon Islands is age-old customs which usually are handed down from one generation to the next. These old customs are said to be from the ancestral spirits themselves, given to form the cultural values to Solomon Islands.

In terms of communication, radio is the most influential type of media in the Solomons Islands due to language difference in the people and lack of literacy. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) operates the public radio services, which includes the national stations Radio Happy Isles and Wantok FM, the provincial stations Radio Happy Lagoon and Radio Temotu.

The weather, heat, humidity and cyclones, is at its most hospitable and acceptable in the second part of the year. Soft light breezes and calm, pristine waters are normally the order of the day at this time. The months June to August are full of public holidays and festivals too. Seven out of nine of the country's provinces have their yearly holiday around this time, and the Queen's Birthday and Independence Day - the best times to see traditional dancing - are seen in these months. Surfing season runs from October to April. In the Solomons Christmas, Easter and other major holidays, the hotels and transport fill up easily, and booking your accommodations ahead is essential.