| middlemef00:36 UTC19 Oct 2011 | Right then - trip report. Believe it or not I have tried to keep this as brief as possible, only including essential trip info plus some general thoughts concerning issues which were a little unclear to me before arriving in the Solomon Islands. Feel free to contradict or correct.
GENERAL
The place – undeveloped and fairly little visited compared with pretty much everywhere else I have travelled, so in general the Solomon Islands is a pretty rough and read travel destination. So, dont expect comfort and convenience (unless you have money), but do expect a country where opportunities abound for the more adventurous types.
The people – rarely anything less that very friendly, helpful and hospitable. Easy approach to life, nothing so important that it cant wait a little while. Solomon Islanders were excellent hosts.
Language – obviously Pigin will help, but in my experience the vast majority of locals I met were fluent English speakers.
Safety – weather, crocs and malaria. The weather can change at any moment, which is not such a big deal in the lagoons, but in the open sea it is a very serious issue, so you need a contingency plan i.e. a village or beach to take refuge if necessary. If you have no contingency plan, you have to ask yourself whether or not you should be making that particular trip. In terms of crocs, staying in villages eliminates that risk, but if you wish to camp then big islands in the lagoons with river estuaries and mangroves are high risk, and small islands with beaches and exposed to the sea are low risk. Remember: crocs are smart and you're on their turf. And finally, the Solomons is a high risk destiantion in terms of malaria, and the mozzies can be savage, so take precautions.
Security – I was warned enough times by the locals about theft to very good care with my possessions. Never leave your kayak on a beach for too long, and always carry it to where you plan to sleep the night. And where you go, your paddle goes.
Budget – the Solomon Islands is a relatively expensive destination. However, a kayak and a tent changes all that as you avoid the expense of fuel for boat trips, and you can also please yourself where you stay – either in a village of your choice (S$100 per night incl food), camping next to eco-lodges (S$50-S$100 per night excl food) or camping on beaches (free). In one month I spent S$6000 - thats about 30USD per day average.
Accommodation – no need to plan your trip around the eco lodges (overpriced IMHO) or the village stays, just turn up and ask for somewhere to stay – someone will take you in. I think S$100 per night for a bed and 3 meals is agreeable for both parties, unless I had been previously invited, in which case I expect no money to be involved. I also camped at a couple of eco lodges for a small charge in order to save a bit of cash – be cheeky.
Weather – I travelled for one month during the second half of September and the first half of October, technically during dry season. A typical week would involve 3 or 4 days of sunshine with scattered cloud, 2 or 3 days dull overcast, and 1 day of showers all day. Plus expect random showers at any time, day or night. Overall, I experienced more rain and cloud than I was expecting, but I dont think you can consider wet and dry seasons in somewhere like the Solomons as you would in other parts of the tropics, just wet and wetter seasons. Im told the least wet time of year is June/July, the most wet Jan/Feb/March.
Information – Solomon Islands chapter from the South Pacific or Papua New Guinea guidebooks (downloaded), country map from visitors centre in Honiara, Treks & Adventures in the Solomon Islands (word document - google it), google maps satellite for finding beaches/villages. Whichever maps you get, cut them up and get them laminated so you can keep them in your cockpit. I didnt do this and paid the price as I had to stop each time i wanted to check my position.
Kayak – bring your own. I didnt, but I was however very lucky to have been loaned an excellent sea kayak with a rudder and waterproof compartments from a friend of a friend in Honiara. There are a couple of (expensive) renting options in the Marovo Lagoon at Uepi and Mavo Lodge. However, Lisa at Solomon Dive Adventures in Peava owns a Kayak, and might be persuaded to hire it out (lisa@solomondiveadventures.com). There are a few kayaks at the yacht club in Honiara, so you also might get lucky if you can find out who owns them. There are also fiberglass dugout types around (S$5000 new), and of course plenty of actual dug-outs (max S$1000), but unless you are a skilled canoer you should forget this idea as they are very difficult to handle, and just plain dangerous in the open sea.
General course – during the ‘dry' season the wind is southeasterly, so plan your route to travel from SE to NW if you wish to have the wind at your back. This was usually the case in my experience. During wet season the wind is northwesterly.
General conditions – mostly ok for me. To guage conditions, look out to the sea for the whites of breaking waves - if there are quite a few then expect choppy conditions, if the sea is covered in white specks then expect rough seas and consider delaying your trip. Also, take a look right out on the horizon - perfectly flat = ok, a bit bumpy = rough.
Technique – for all you fellow novices, get someone who knows what they are doing to give you a lesson. Failing that, take nice long slow strokes of the paddle, twisting your waist through 90 degrees as you stroke, keeping the other end of the paddle high in the air and pushing down with your non paddling hand while relaxing your grip with that hand. Try to use your arm muscles as little as possible - yes, easier said than done.
Paddling time disclaimer – the times given are those for paddling only i.e. no breaks. I am also a reasonably fit 30 year old paddling an excellent sea kayak, so adjust times accordingly if you feel it necessary.
Ferries – for Marovo Lagoon, all ferries leave Honiara on Sunday mornings. The Estrella and Uta Princess stop at Peava and travel through the lagoon to Seghe then a bit further (I think) before returning to Honiara the following day. The Kosco travels to the west of the lagoon but stops at Bunikalo and Seghe before continuing to Rendova Island, Munda, Noro and Gizo, returning from Gizo early Tuesday morning as soon as unloading and loading has finished (I slept on the ferry monday night to secure my sleeping spot and to avoid an early morning start on the tuesday). The faster ferries (Bikoi and Pelican Express) were not running during my visit. I travelled on the Estrella from Honiara to Peava (9am depart, 14 hours, S$220, no charge for kayak), the Kosco from Seghe to Munda (2am depart, S$220, 9 hours, S$50 for kayak), and the Kosco from Gizo to Honiara (6am depart, 36 hours, S$400 + S$100m for kayak). Note that the Estrella does not pull up to the jetty at Peava as the water is not deep enough, likewise for the Kosco at Munda, so you will either have to arrange a pick up from a motor boat, or get dropped in the water with your kayak and paddle.
Honiara – not your typical capital city, think: African bush town, so bring all essentials with you. There are however plenty of small shops around to stock up with food for your trip. Chester Resthouse (S$200 per room, no discounts for singles), nice little place but I do have to have a gripe at the lack of discount for singles (they even have single rooms here - still S$200 per night), but free internet use at least, advance booking sensible (+677 26355). In terms of eats, fish and chips off the street vendors is the cheapest cooked meal in town (S$10), and the tastiest IMHO. Combine this with fresh local produce from the market for a wholesome and economical daily meal.
Equipment – tent & camping gear (if required), mozzie net (useful alternative to a tent if you can find decent shelter), bush knife (for making fires and cracking coconuts), plastic bags (double bag everything), high factor suncream (my arms really suffered the first few days - longsleeved top highly recommended for fair skinned people), sun hat, gloves (protection against sunburn and blisters), mozzie repellant (strong), footwear (for paddling i used trainers - booties or reef shoes would be ok), snorkelling gear.
Food/supplies – Delite coconut biscuits and jam makes a great breakfast, Fine Fare biscuits are the tastiest I found, instant noodles, sweet chili sauce, tinned tuna, Coffemix sachets. Local produce can easily be picked up from the villages along the way (bananas, pineapple, papaya), but dont expect to find good shops outside Honiara and Gizo, selection generally ranges from pretty bad to pathetic so bring all you are prepared to carry from Honiara. You can however usually stock up with Delite biscuits and instant noodles along the way, and I did find one very good shop at Batuna in Marovo. There are also usually decent litte markets at each of the ferry stops, particlulary the Kosco stop on Rendova island.
Water – most villages have rainwater collection tanks from the tin roof huts so you can resupply with water. I used 2x1.5L bottles for daytime drinking, then an additional 2x1.5L bottles if I was camping, which was plenty for me.
Electricity – no problem in the main towns. In villages the eco lodges usually have generators and solar panels, but other than that you will be lucky to find somewhere to recharge all your batteries.
Mobile phone reception - if you purchase a local sim card, make it Telekom as the network coverage for bemobile outside of Honiara is appallingly bad.
Camping – I made good use of my tent in the Solomons, both for camping on beaches and also camping next to lodges to save money. Nobody objected or seemed surprised by the idea of a forigner camping nearby, and nobody insisted I come to sleep in their village. However, the nights are usually uncomfortably hot, and rain was common. Unsurprisingly I couldnt find any camping gas cylinders in Honiara, so building fires is required for cooking. If your not used to making fires in the bush, the way to do it is find dry wood, then using your bush knife cut off shavings for kindling, followed by thicker and thicker pieces before using full tree branches. Finding dry wood can be a problem so I always picked some up in a village along the way, just in case.
Land ownership – all land in the Solomons is owned by somebody, so if I wished to camp, I set out with the intention of seeking permission from that land owner, and paying any necessary kastom fees. However, in the places I visited, nobody seemed to care where I camped, so no kastom fees, but still polite to make enquiries anyway. Neither was I asked to pay kastom fees for entering of sleeping in villages. However, I gather you can expect to pay kastom fees to the land owners in other parts of the Solomons.
Snorkelling – consistently very high standard of snorkelling throughout the Solomons, particluarly Maorov Lagoon. Very healthy reefs, plentiful and varied fish life, big stuff and small stuff, the lot. If snorkelling is a big factor in your trip selection, the Solomons is the place for you.
Beaches – fairly thin on the ground in the Western Province, hence best to plan your route using google maps satallite images if you want beaches. Failing that, head for palm trees as this usually means beaches.
WESTERN PROVINCE
Day 1 - Ferry from Honiara to Peava (rain all day, rough seas).
Day 2, 3, 4 - Relaxing and kayaking at Solomon Dive Adventures (mostly sunny with scattered cloud, but some some long spells of rain). I was originally intending to dive, but eventually decided against it due to the high cost of diving in the Solomons. I did however do one dive off Mbulo Island as I was promised big stuff, and big stuff there certainly was! As a prospective diver, Lisa allowed me camping and use her facilities for S$100 per night. If you are not diving, sleep in the village - email Lisa to help arrange.
Day 5 - Peava to Tibara Lodge (3 hours, light SE breeze, overcast). Notable swells on the open stretch, but just a light breeze and no chop so pretty easy going. Camping at Tibara Lodge (S$50 + S$50 evening meal). Paddle accross the lagoon to the wrecked Japanese plane in the bush (S$20), and snorkelling out front will cost you a further S$20.
Day 6 - Tibara Lodge to small island off Porepore Island (5 hours, light SE breeze, overcast then sunny). Flat as a pancake through the lagoon. 4 hours to Batuna (excellent shop), then a further 1 hour to the small island From Batuna, head for the gap between Porepore and Matui islands, past the first ring of small islands, and its the one with the beaches. If you are looking for paradise castaway island, here it is. Palm trees, white sand beaches, a lovely sandbar extending to the north - a beautiful place. Plus it is used a stopover place so there is a hut, table and chairs, hammocks and even a castaway cat to keep you company. However, bring at least a mozzie net for protection against the abundance of nocturnal creepy crawlies here. Delightful snorkelling too.
Day 7 - Small island to Buki Buki (5 hours, fair SE wind, sunny with scattered cloud). The stronger wind combined with a more exposed stretch of the lagoon made for choppy water and pretty tricky paddling with the waves coming at me from behind at an angle - tiring day, got flipped once. 4 hours to Chea where I stopped to climb the hill on Marovo Island for impressive views of the lagoon (1.5 hours return, S$50 guide fees - pretty good business for him I think). 1 more hour to Buki Buki - an island owned by a guy I met on the ferry who invited me to stay (it turns out just him and his family live there and he is a pretty welathy chap - lucky me!)
Day 8 - Buki Buki to Seghe (2.5 hours, light SE breeze, sunny). Easy going to Seghe (keep right for the passage through). Originally planning to paddle from Seghe to Munda, however I was warned on several occassions of the potential dangers along the exposed stretch beyond Seghe - fine in good weather but on a bad day huge swells with breaking waves, and other than two settlements (Tetemara and Arara) there is nowhere to take refuge as this stretch is mostly cliffs and rocks. So, seeing as I arrived in Seghe on a sunday, it seemed the obvious choice to catch a ferry (the Kosco) to Munda to eliminate this risk. If you do however decide to paddle, there is a short-cut from Seghe to Tetemara through a passage blasted through the rock - ask around. In Seghe I spent the day at Seghe Resthouse - nice place, nice people (I was guest of honour at their evening banquet held for the return to school for the local kids.) The owner, Peter, informs me that he is opening a new lodge on a nearby island aimed at the budget traveller (S$50 per night in a hut, S$5 per night camping) which should be open by now.
Day 9 - Seghe to Munda to Barasipo (9 hour ferry then 4 hours paddling, light NW breeze, overcast and showers all day) - excellent market at the last stop before Munda on Rendova Island, so no need for me to paddle to Munda for supplies. Arrived at Munda at 11am. Easy going through the Vonavona lagoon to Barasipo, accommodation arranged through the local bisop Zetty (S$100 incl 3 meals).
Day 10 - Barasipo to small island en route to Gizo (4 hours, light NW breeze, mostly overcast and rain all day). Snorkelling with a couple of guys from the village while they spear fished on the other side of the island - ok reef but saw some dolphins. The paddle on the open stretch out of the lagoon was a bit choppy against the wind, but not too bad and there are plenty of small islands with beaches on the way to Gizo if you get in trouble - no villages or huts until Fatboy's though. I camped at the first island aiming in the direction of Gizo - no beaches but plenty of flat areas in the bush.
Day 11 - Small island to Gizo (2.5 hours, light SE breeze, overcast/sun/rain). Reasonable swell across the open channel but not difficult paddling. Stick to the north side of the islands for Fatboy's. In Gizo, Phoebe's Resthouse (S$120 per person per night) is a perfectly pleasant place to stay, lovely view across the islands, share bathroom plus kitchen. Park your kayak on the first beach you come to on the point - Phoebe's is directly in front of you 2 mins walk up the hill. Internet (S$30 per hour) at bemobile, excellent market and plenty of shops.
Day 12 - Islands around Gizo (3.5 hours, light NW breeze, overcast and rain). Exploring the small islands 1 hour paddle north of Gizo town, not really the picture postcard islets i was hoping for, but ok. Then headed to Kennedy island for some snorkelling, before continuing SE for 30 mins to a small island which was no more than a patch of sand with some shrubs - a great place to camp. Strong currents, so snorkelling was tricky, but guess what? Helooooo big stuff! Super snorkelling. This island was in the general direction of Kolombangara, which was my original intention to head to the following day.
Day 13 - Gizo (2 hours, storms all night and all morning). Appalling weather - back to Gizo.
Day 14, 15, 16 - Relaxing and snorkelling around Gizo. Snorkelling mostly along the stretch of islands heading east - all pretty good. The Japanese Zero fighter off the market is worth a look if you can snorkel at 8m depth.
Day 17, 18 - Ferry to Honiara.
SAVO
Day 1 - Honiara to Kuila, Savo (6 hours, fair SE wind, sunny then overcast). Be careful with this one, changes in the weather can bring about some very rough seas out in the open. I had a fair wind which made for choppy water, so a pretty tiring day, got flipped once and lost my shades. 5 hours to the nearest point on Savo (there is a beach), then 1 hour gentle paddle around the other side to Kuila. I paddled the first half within striking distance of the coast just in case, before making the decision to go for it. A couple of storms appeared when I was right out in the open, one directly behind Savo, but mercifully they decided to leave me alone - close call. Camping at Kuila Village Stay (free, S$55 evening meal) - lovely people, couldnt do enough for me.
Day 2 - Savo (sunny all day). Kastom fees for the volcano and for the megapode field S$50 each (different land owners), and guide fees S$50 for the day. The bubbling hot spring up the volcano was cool (5 hour round trip), but the megapodes (45 mins each way) a waste of S$50 and 2 hours IMHO.
Day 3 - Kuila to Guadalcanal beach (6.5 hours, strong SE wind, sunny all day). Very rough crossing due to the strong wind - i earned my paddling stripes that day by keeping myself out of the water, quite a few close calls though when I got hit by a breaking wave. The sea was covered in white spots of breaking waves so i shouldn't have gone out in this, but I had a plane to catch! 3 hours to the nearest point on Guadalcanal to get out of the open sea asap, then 3.5 hours along the coast against the wind until I gave up for the day completely knackered. Camping on a beach, landowner present, no charge.
Day 4 - Gualdalcanal beach to Honiara (3 hours, light SE breeze, sunny all day). Mercifully light breeze, easy going to Honiara, with a quick stop to snorkel the wreck at Bernagi Beach (S$5) - a pretty good snorkelling wreck. There was another wreck an hour further along too but i didnt stop.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Kayaking is a GREAT way to travel, I couldnt recommend it highly enough to anyone wanting to explore somewhere like the Solomons. Go as fast or slow as you like, stop where you please, mingle with the local traffic out on the water, and an easy to meet the locals in the villages away from the usual tourist stops - it really was great fun. And there are so many trips out there as the distances in the Solomons are not that big, I would have loved to have done one more but alas I had not enough time. There are obviously the Florida islands which are reachable from Honiara or Savo, Isabel is reachable from the Floridas, and the Russell Islands are also reachable from Guadalcal IMHO (the Kosco ferry stops there on the way to and from Gizo too for your return trip). Then there is also Malaita - the Solomon Express runs from Honiara to Afio in the south, so the wind would then be behind you for a paddling trip along to the west coast to Auki, which would no doubt be a lovely trip and well off the beaten track.
Anyway people, I hope this helps somebody!
Happy paddling
middlemef
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