Guadalcanal Trekking or Kwaio Village Visits

My friend and I are visiting the Solomon Islands for only 4 days (almost 4 days). We arrive at Honiara on May 28th at 1020am and depart Honiara on May 31st at 130pm.

Can anyone recommend a good day 2 1/2 day-2 night trek into the mountains outside Honiara?

We are avid trekkers and pretty fit and the I believe the rougher the trek usually the more rewarding it is. I am hoping for rain forest and some remote villages. I will hire a guide and a jeep to get us aways into the mountains before we start trekking. Also we will bring trekking gear.

I am always trying to get off the beaten path and trek or just see as much of a place as I can with a short period of time. With this in mind I'm debating one of two ideas. The first staying on Guadalcanal and trekking as stated above and the other visiting the Eastern traditional Kwaio on the island of Malaita.

Now I have contacted Ronnie the guide who takes tourists to visit the Kwaio. In all reality is it possible to visit the Kwaio with my itinerary? This providing I find an early morning boat to Auki from Honiara on May 29th. I would then need to be back to Honiara for my flight on May 31st at 130pm.

How reliable are the flight on Solomon Air from Auki?

Thanks
Matt

I don't recommend Kwaio visits - found it a VERY unpleasant, horribly commercialized experience. Toiur groups visit regularly, so it is hardly truly off the beaten track.

Search this forum for "Kwaio" for more.

Trekking in Guadalcanal would be much more unusual and the interior of that island looks stunning. I only saw it from the air but wish I had hiked, and in the enrtire history of TT I don't think anyone, ever, posted about exploring the interior there!

I agree with Laszlo, visits to the Kwaio would be the least attractive option for a visit to Solomon Islands.
Apart from that, there are no boats that fit your schedule. The fast boat leaves Honiara 8 am and Auki about midday, weekdays, and does one weekend trip.
The other slow boats go to Auki 6pm Friday and back to Honiara 9am Saturday.
There is generally one weekly flight to Atoifi.
Most Honiara/Auki flights are reliable. However, it is then a long trip (about 6 to 8 hours by road in the back of a truck, depending on conditions) plus a couple of hours by boat to get to the Kwaio area of Malaita. The trucks generally meet the ships. You simply will not have time.
Check Visit Solomons for general information and Exploring Solomons, Guadalcanal for specific information on Guadalcanal treks.

Thank you both for the info. Laszlo it seems either you are Eddie V (not on this branch but others) are always helping me with questions these days whether it be Papua or Afghanistan or somewhere in between.

I have decided to try and do a trek on Guadalcanal. This is the trek I am considering right now. If anyone has any information on this trek, please let me know.

-Day 1) Saturday, May 28th
-Arrive Guadalcanal, Honiara on Solomon Islands Airlines Flight #709 at 0820 arriving at 1020am in the morning. Meet guides and transport to Poha.

-Vehicle transport to Visale

-Boat transport to Tangarere.

-Accomodation Tangarere

Day 2) Sunday, May 29th
-Begin trek to Poha
-Stay in Kastom village of Chiri

Day 3) Monday, May 30th
-Trek to Poha along Poha river
-Camp or village stay

Day 4) Tuesday, May 31st
-End trek transport to Honiara
-Depart Honiara at 1:30pm.

Thanks,
Matt

Hi matt,
I've done the road trip to Visale (and about 10km firther) many times. (I lived in the area for 4 years). The condition of the road can vary considerably depending on the weather, but unless there is heavy rain, it is usually passable. It is sealed (more or less) about 2/3 of the way, as far as Doma, the site for the new Guadalcanal Provincial capital.
Tangarere is a substantial village, but the accommodation is likely to be pretty basic, no power, etc.
I have travelled by boat considerably further into the Weather Coast - it should be a nice trip if the weather is reasonable.
Sounds like the rest of the trip will be across mountains, as Poha is much closer to Honiara - you will cross the Poha River on the sealed road before you get to Doma.

Hi Ozziegiraffe

I've decided to stay in Guadalcanal.

Please let me know if you have any advice or recommendations regarding my proposed itinerary. I'm considering the option of hiring a travel agency to arrange the transport.

DAY 1 – SAT 28MAY 2011

Arrive 1030am at airport.
Transfer to Kakabona/Poha River
-Trek to Chiri village/kastom village/spend night

DAY 2 – SUN 29MAY 2011
-Return to main road and snorkel Bonego beach.
Tenaru Waterfall Hike @SBD400.00 per person x 2pax

DAY 3 – MON 30MAY 2011

Visit Gifu/Mt. Austen (3hours) @SBD350.00 per person x 2pax

Day 4) Depart 1:30pm.

Thanks,
Matt

I'll also be curious to hear what the Chiri kastom village is like!

Nice new pic, OG. ;-)

I'll be sure to report after

You will definitely need a guide. There are local travel agents, including Guadalcanal Travel and Destination Solomons that can do this, as well as the Visitors Bureau near the Mendana Hotel, or you could ask the desk where you are staying.

This is just a quick report until I write more later.

Chiri village isn't in existence anymore.It was a kastom village up the Poha river, however according to locals the people there have left the kastom ways and the village and returned to their original villages. I didn't go there to confirm this but it seems to be true.

I loved the Solomons. I only visited Guadalcanal, but I found the rainforests, people, WWII artifiacts and beaches amazing.

Thank you for the report. It doesn't surprise me that Chiri is no longer there. I am not sure where you found the information about it. The only place I am aware of where people have deliberately reverted to kastom ways is inland from the Weather Coast, and quite remote. Poha is much too close to Honiara.
Also, Guadalcanal was devastated between 1998 and 2003 by ethnic tension, and has changed considerably.
Personally. I prefer most of the other islands to Guadalcanal, except for its remote bits.

I also heard the weather coast had some kastom villages. Most of the villages I did visit were very nice. I did have one imcident when I was camping in the last village before Tenaru Falls and a drunk man looking to beat his wife came to my tent with a knife shouting at me in the middle of night. He left once my guide ran over to calm him down. I did feel very sorry for his wife because it seems no one will stop this man.

That is why there is a women's refuge in that part of Guadalcanal!
The village on the weather coast is not really kastom, just people who decided to revert to what they perceive as the old ways. As a woman, I find the way they expect women to behave quite demeaning.