Solomons in mid December

Hi,

We are thinking of going to the SI for 3 weeks in mid December and can't find much info about real costs and weather conditions. Basically we were thinking of spending a week or so in Honiara and then spending some time somewhere where my partner can dive and I can just hang out. We are only up for pretty budget stuff and while we don't mind staying at rest houses we'd still like to be able to have a couple of beers in the evening and it seems they are mostly "dry" and there aren't places to hang out in the evening outside of Honiara and resorts. Also, we aren't sure about the diving and general weather conditions at this time of year as I know it's the wet season already but what does that mean in, for example, the western province? Are the diving conditions still ok? Will it rain all day or just storm for a while ? Can we find budget accom and what does budget mean?

We're fine with whatever but neither of us know anyone who has ever been to the SI so we just want to make sure we can actually afford it and given it's one of those annoyingly short holidays we want to make sure it won't be a nightmare because of our small budget.

Please, if anyone can recommend a place that may suit us and give us some details about what we might reasonably spend it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much
R

There's not much in the way of "pretty budget stuff". Starting with your international flight, expect costs to be "moderate". (Another way of looking at it is to expect facilities to be "budget" but not costs.)

There are lots of local motels and guest houses in Honiara and Gizo but they generally are hard to contact (i.e. no internet, possibly no phone) in order to book in advance. I have never encountered anywhere that is "dry" - ask around and you will surely find beer for sale somewhere (unless you are in a far flung village).

The rain itself has no real impact on the diving quality (i.e. run-off is not the issue). However, the so called "wet" season is also close to the cyclone season. This is tricky because it means that you might encounter bad weather and then again you might not. The diving itself will probably be OK regardless but boat travel can be dangerous in rough seas. This also has an impact on the inter-island transport situation because the fast ferry to Western Province is not well suited to rough seas. In summary, the weather situation is very much up to luck.

In Western Province, Gizo has plenty of accommodation choice in terms of moderately priced guest houses. Munda has less choice but is still well regarded as far as I know. Apart from Western Province, the only other place where you can live in a township and dive is Tulagi in Central Islands Province. All the other diving is resort-based.

Check elsewhere on this branch and/or LP guide for names of current guesthouses. Run a few Google searches and check the Sol Islands visitor centre website. If you get really stuck for accommodation options, book into a hotel for a few nights and then do your research when you arrive. Be aware that domestic transport around Xmas time gets very, very stretched because Honiara residents are trying to get to their home provinces for Xmas.

You are probably choosing the worst possible tome to go to Solomon Isslands, as everyone is trying to get out of town to their villages for Christmas, and the cheap places in Honiara are packed with locals trying to get home.
You can email mumelanesia@solomon.com.sb th check for vacancies at St Agnes Rest House, or mbhches@solomon.com.sb to check Chester Rest House. Both are very central and well-managed. However, both discourage alcohol on the premises.

Thanks guys for your information.

Jez