Solomons Coverage in the New LP Guide

Just checked.

Despite earlier promises that "We've listened to readers' feedback and added twice more coverage of the Solomon Islands", the new PNG & Solomon Islands guide still only has a pityful 36 pages on the Solomons, just 9 pages more than the previous edition.
It still only acknowledges the existence of Guadalcanal, Central, Malaita, Renbel and Western Provinces - about half the country.

I wonder what they have against the Solomons - OK, it may not be teeming with tourists, but it's still one of the largest and most diverse countries in the South Pacific and would surely deserve more than this!

OTOH, I was glad to see that most of my tips about PNG, linked in my signo line, have been incorporated in the PNG part of the book, often with the wording "travellers have reported...". ;-)
This means that at least a few good value, cheap places that have been around for a decade or more have finally made it into the book.

Hi Laszlo,
We spent 3 months sailing around Solomons last year. In Gizo we met a French guy who was writing this new LP. As we so great part of Solomons we tried to talk to him and give him some hints about great places. He was even not interested to talk to us. He prefered to use his time with the only dive center and tourism center around there.
It is a real pity as Solomons are great and need more tourists.

PS 1 this French guy got malaria in Gizo while we were there, so maybe that influenced poor LP as well...
PS 2 I wonder if LP moderate this post....

PS 3 BTW, thanks Laszlo for you posts, we travelled last year around Indonesia using your posts instead of using guide books

With the buy-out (or sell-out?) I think the LP guides will start focusing more on those areas most visited, and those countries which get the most visitors as far as updating is concerned. As we can see from this website, it's already very commercialized, and I can't see why the new owners would do anything different with the guidebooks.

Also, as has been stated here about other guidebooks, they are written "by committee", and it seems LP does not do such a great job of screening their independent writers.

Maybe this will spark a reverse-trend of going back to independent writers who can write books on places they know, and fight off the LP marketing somehow. Maybe via the internet?

I think that at least for the time being and for most countries, independent writers just don't have a chance.
Not only them, but even established publishers like Rough Guides and Moon have apparently had to abandon certain titles (like Moon South Pacific, but more surprisingly even Indonesia, by Moon, RG and Footprint alike!) to LP.
Blame this more on the readers who go for LP without thinking than on the publisher.

HOWEVER, for countries that just don't get even half-decent coverage by LP, mostly less-visited ones not covered by single-country guides, independent writers would probably still have a chance.
And the Solomons is definitely in this category!
One publisher seemingly happy to publish guides to such countries is Bradt Guides, which has even been putting out guides to such "popular" destinations as Congo, Belarus and the like, and has even expressed interest in publishing a separate PNG guide (a friend of mine applied successfully, but then put it on hold).

So if anyone feels like writing a decent Solomons guide, I guess there is still a chance. ;-)
But I'm not sure there would be much money to be made on it, so it would basically have to be done for love & ego.

To Przybo,
I was living in Honiara in 2004 when the previous (combined with PNG) edition was researched, and had regular email contact with the writer, although our paths never managed to cross, as he was out of town when I was in, and vice versa. I know he stayed at Chester House in Honiara, which us my recommended budget place, both for location and local knowledge obtained there. He also managed to get held up by a group of idiots on the road to Malu'u in Malaita and asked if this is a common occurrence (It isn't, and it was just his rotten luck).
What I was a bit disappointed about is that local contributors are no longer acknowledged, as they were in earlier editions.
Is the new edition online? I'm going to see if I can check it out.
Meanwhile, Raro, I have now had a couple of suggestions that I write up Solomon Islands on Wikipedia. I'll think about it when I have time (I am expecting 4 Solomons pilgrims on their way to Sydney for World Youth Day this week)

Edited by: Ozziegiraffe

OG, actually local contributors are still acknowledged in the LP guides - I am thanked to by one author in the 2 latest editions of the Indonesia guide.
But it's up to the authors to acknowledge such help and perhaps the one you dealt with just couldn't be bothered.
The one who acknowledged my help (LOTS of it) still couldn't be bothered to send the free copy he had promised once the book was out either... :-(

BTW, with the amount of time you spend in the Solomons, and the range of places you know, don't you feel like writing that separate book about them? ;-)
Or at least suggest it to someone able...

For now, I still recommend the old LP Solomon Islands guide to everyone headed that way.

Browse through the new edition online for free! ;-)

Thanks for the link Laszlo. However, all it gives me is the index and a few pages on Port Moresby. It asked me to give details, then refused to let me in because I have never made a purchase from Amazon. I am not planning to in the near future either.
I will go and see if LP has put it up yet.

I managed to find 4 pages for free on the LP site - I am not terribly impressed with the few recommendations (eg they didn't even mention PFnet internet cafe, which I use all the time). I've never even heard of the ones they did mention. They mention the long queues in ANZ, but not the fact that you actually can sit down while you wait, which is not possible anywhere else.
I am seriously thinking of writing my own guide - at least in part. I know 2 local tour company operators, who might be interested in collaborating.

You don't need to have purchased anything on Amazon to use that function - I think.
ASFAIK you should only set up an account with them, and then you can search all contents of the book, viewing 5 pages at a time.

I tried that. but they wouldn't let me in. In the end, I downloaded 2 chapters from LP for less than $10.
Disappointing, really - less useful info than the last one.
Good points - it has contacts for 2 tourism operators in Honiara that I have known for years, and also for my friend Silas, the guide in Auki. It also has up-to-date prices. However, it gives the impression that Solomon Islands is another part of PNG, and is very PNG-centric, even using PNG Pidgin terms for things in Solomon Islands and indicating that Solomon Islands uses the term PMV. They also seem to be diving-oriented, and not much interested in anywhere else. There is lots more to Solomon Islands than diving, or I wouldn't be going there as often as I do.
This attitude is insulting, when Solomon Islands is the 3rd biggest country in the entire South Pacific.
My advice - use this one for prices (the download is cheap enough) but try to get a copy of the one that was around in 1990 for historical and cultural information and photos.

If you guys want to create a Solomon Islands guide book I will help you research it at my own cost.
Bags I do Shortland Island and Choiseul.
When shall I head off?

Hey guys, it's been interesting to follow this trend. I am planning to travel around PNG and the Solomons very shortly. I'm now in Jayapura, awaiting for the PNG visa (by the way, they asked me for an invitation letter and I was really surprised since I didn't expect anything like this, but anyway, I'll post info with the final result of my query).

As per the guidebooks about Solomons, it would be really good for many people, both locals and travelers, if there was some alternative guide for that place. I got a second hand volume of the 2005 edition in Bali and the coverage of Solomons seems superficial (when compared with other countries). I really encourage anyone wanting to do that and also offer my help. I also like writing.

Have nice travels