Day 1: Arrival in Honiara
Arrive at Honiara International Airport on Guadalcanal. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy an afternoon at leisure — explore the Central Market or visit the National Museum. Evening welcome dinner and trip briefing with your expedition leader. Learn about the Western Province’s unique cultural and ecological significance, home to some of the Pacific’s most pristine ecosystems and ancient living traditions.
Day 2: Honiara to Munda, New Georgia
Morning flight from Honiara to Munda on New Georgia Island (approximately 1 hour). Transfer to your eco-lodge overlooking the Roviana Lagoon. Afternoon snorkeling or kayaking in the lagoon’s crystal-clear waters. Visit the Munda WWII sites including the wreck of a Japanese transport ship visible from shore, and explore old coastal defense positions. Evening kava ceremony and traditional storytelling with Roviana village elders.
Day 3: Skull Island & Roviana Cultural Heritage
Take a morning boat trip to Skull Island (Titiana), one of the most significant cultural sites in the Solomon Islands. The shrine, adorned with the skulls of ancient chiefs and warriors, provides a profound insight into the headhunting history and spiritual beliefs of the Roviana people. Learn about the complex cosmology, navigation traditions, and shell money system of the region. Afternoon visit to a traditional village to watch woodcarving, shell jewelry making, and weaving demonstrations. Swim and snorkel in the lagoon before dinner.
Day 4: Munda to Marovo Lagoon
Transfer by boat across the open sea to Marovo Lagoon, a breathtaking 700-square-kilometer expanse of turquoise water dotted with hundreds of small islands and coral atolls. Check into your overwater bungalow at a family-run eco-lodge. Afternoon snorkeling directly from your bungalow — the house reef teems with clownfish, angelfish, and butterflyfish. Sunset paddle in a traditional dugout canoe as flying foxes emerge from the forest at dusk. Dinner featuring fresh lagoon fish and root vegetables cooked in coconut milk.
Day 5: Marovo Lagoon Exploration & Woodcarvers
Full day exploring the lagoon. Snorkel among pristine coral bommies with massive gorgonian sea fans and schools of bumphead parrotfish. Visit Mbili Passage, where manta rays are frequently sighted during incoming tides. Afternoon visit to a village famous throughout the Pacific for its master woodcarvers — watch artisans transform ebony and kerosene wood into intricate sculptures depicting sharks, frigate birds, and ancestral spirits using traditional tools. Purchase directly from the artists. Evening fishing with hand lines from a traditional canoe, then cook your catch on the beach.
Day 6: Marovo Lagoon to Tetepare Island
Depart early by boat for Tetepare Island, the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific (118 square kilometers). Tetepare is a community-managed conservation area protecting primary rainforest and critical nesting beaches for endangered leatherback, hawksbill, and green turtles. Hike through pristine lowland rainforest with local rangers, searching for endemic bird species including the Tetepare white-eye. Snorkel the island’s untouched fringing reefs. At night (seasonal), accompany rangers on a beach patrol to potentially observe nesting turtles. Overnight in the rustic eco-lodge.
Day 7: Tetepare — Rainforest & Reef
Morning bird watching walk — Tetepare hosts numerous endemic species including the imposing Sanford’s sea eagle. Visit ancient stone shrines hidden in the forest, remnants of the island’s former inhabitants. Snorkel the wall on the island’s western side where pelagic fish including tuna, Spanish mackerel, and reef sharks patrol the deep blue. Afternoon free time for swimming, kayaking, or simply relaxing on the pristine beach. Evening presentation by conservation staff about Tetepare’s turtle monitoring and forest protection programs.
Day 8: Tetepare to Gizo & Vella Lavella
Boat transfer to Gizo, the capital of Western Province and one of the most picturesque towns in the Solomon Islands. After settling in, take a short boat ride to Kennedy Island (Kasolo Island), where a young Lieutenant John F. Kennedy and his PT-109 crew swam ashore after their boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in 1943. Snorkel the surrounding reef. Continue to Mbambanga Island for a village visit and traditional lunch. Return to Gizo for dinner at the waterfront market sampling fresh lobster and mangrove crab.
Day 9: Gizo — Reefs, Wrecks & Island Culture
Full-day boat excursion to the outer islands and reefs around Gizo. Snorkel over the wreck of the Toa Maru, a Japanese transport ship sunk in 1943 — the shallowest intact wreck in the Solomons with its bow at just 7 metres. Visit Plum Pudding Island and the surrounding reef systems. Stop at a village on Kolombangara Island, a perfectly conical extinct volcano rising 1,770 metres from the sea. Learn about the unique shell money tradition still used in bride price ceremonies. Farewell dinner with a traditional Solomon Islands feast and panpipe music performance.
Day 10: Gizo to Honiara & Departure
Morning flight from Gizo’s Nusatupe Island airstrip back to Honiara. Free time for last-minute shopping at Honiara Central Market — shell jewelry, carvings, and local vanilla beans make excellent souvenirs. Visit the Art Gallery for a final look at Solomon Islands creativity. Transfer to Honiara International Airport for your departure flight, carrying memories of pristine lagoons, ancient cultures, and the warm hospitality of the Happy Isles.
