| SOLOMON ISLANDS the wilderness lodge 8° 47´S 158° 14´E
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travel info |
| 'SolomonTime' When planning your Solomons visit it is a good idea to make some allowances in time and attitude for 'Solomon Time'. Literally speaking, Solomon time is UTC +11 - no summer time as it is always summer here - in practice, however, 'Solomon Time' refers to the incredibly laid back approach to life Solomon Islanders are fortunate enough to possess. Tight itineraries and business deadlines colliding with Solomon Time can produce unpleasant frustrations. Introduce a little flexibility into your itinerary, relax a couple of notches and you will suddenly be swept into the pace and rhythms of life that make the Solomons so special, and while plans may sometimes need to be rejigged, you will realise that going with the flow during your stay here is an integral part of the Solomons experience and you will feel the stress ebbing away. With our satellite telephone, email and HF radio communications, and excellent relationship with the airline, we provide the best possible logistical capabilities when it comes to facilitating connections, and our staffing and equipment mean most times we will have you going where you want when you want, occasionally however the reality of being so remote and subject to 'Solomon Time' may dictate a temporary delay or subtle change of plan. If so, take a deep breath, look around you, and enjoy - there are very few places left on earth this naturally beautiful and unhurried!
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How to get here? Various international options, as outlined below. Most of our visitors take the Sunday Brisbane-Honiara flight, connecting direct with the afternoon domestic flight to Gatokae [GTA] Airfield in Marovo, Western Province. Outbound, and the Sunday morning Gatokae-Honiara flight also connects outbound with the evening Brisbane flight. Our booking agents can put together an itinerary to make the most of your holiday time.
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| International connections Solomon
Airlines connects
Pacific Blue [a Virgin Blue sister company] connects Brisbane and Honiara return on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Air Niugini connects Port Moresby and Honiara return twice weekly. Contact our agents for bookings.
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| Domestic connections Solomon Airlines 18 seat Twin Otter aircraft connect our own Gatokae [GTA] Airfield with Honiara [HIR], Munda [MUA] and Gizo [GZO] Thursday afternoons, and Sunday mornings and afternoons. The
longboat transfer from Gatokae Airfield to the Lodge takes just 15 minutes.
Please note that there is an SBD$25 maintenance levy charged to
all passengers departing Gatokae Airfield.
Due to limited seat availability on domestic flights, we suggest you ticket your bookings WELL in advance, and we strongly advise your reconfirming domestic flight departure times on the prior evening and morning - this is the Solomons and schedules OFTEN change. Contact our agents for bookings.
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| Baggage allowances and restrictions Pack wisely - Solomon Airlines baggage allowance for international passengers is 20 kilograms. Luggage in excess of that limit will be charged at excess rates, and may not be accepted for carriage on your domestic flight due to the very limited cargo space on the domestic aircraft. Length limitations apply on domestic flights with fishing rods and surfboards restricted to 6' 4" (2 metres). It is possible to get longer items on board the domestic aircraft by placing underneath the seats in the cabin or in the aisle, however this is at the discretion of the pilot however and you must accept the crew's decision. Offloaded items can be left with airline Operations but there is no guarantee they will be forwarded.
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| The airport The international terminal is open only for the few hours around flight departure and arrival and is locked at night. If you are faced with a few hours between connections we suggest you head into town and have a look around, or grab a drink and meal at nearby Airport Motel. There is a basic snack bar at the international terminal open at flight arrival/departure times. The Solomon Post counter in the International Terminal is the most convenient place to exchange money on the way through. The Domestic terminal is 600 metres to the east - turn right as you go out the door of International. Taxi fare is around SBD$20 All departing International passengers over 12 years of age need to pay SBD$40 departure tax. A
ground agent can be booked to meet you in Honiara and facilitate
your transfer to the domestic terminal or hotel and facilitate luggage
check-in - this is strongly recommended to assist with any itinerary
changes that may occur. Please contact our booking agents. |
| Health The
It
is absolutely essential that you have travel insurance when visiting
the Solomons - as is the case when travelling to any developing country. Contact your health
insurer or travel agent for details and ensure the duration of cover
allows for some flexibility in travel arrangements. Our satphone
installation provides 24 hour communication to support travel insurance
and medivac arrangements. Some basic first aid is available
at the lodge, however we strongly recommend you have a travellers first aid kit with you, see your doctor
for advice. In
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| A
majority of our guests connect directly to and from their domestic flight
as Honiara's not a holiday destination, however for those with itineraries
entailing a stopover in Money...........Exchanging
money, ANZ, Westpac and Bank South Pacific
in central Getting
around............For convenient and cheap transport around
the Phone
and internet...........if you want to use the public phones
you’ll need a phonecard available at
Telekom and some shops - these can be recharged at Telekom and can be used on private phones as well. To call
overseas use the international access code 00. Cafes..........the Raintree Cafe is BYO on the ocean at Kakabona 10 minutes drive west of downtown, laid back atmosphere with cool thatched open-air dining area, all-day breakfasts, espresso, and wood-fired pizzas lunch and dinner. The Lime Lounge, right downtown around the corner from ANZ Bank, offers aircon comfort, full brasserie-type menu, coffee bar, not open for dinner. Both Raintree and Lime Lounge have wireless hotpsot [with the purchase of a BumbleBee access card]. Accomodation..........our favourite is the Raintree Bed & Breakfast - if you prefer to be downtown then the Mendana Hotel. If you have a Sunday afternoon layover in Honiara outbound, getting a day-use room at the Honiara Hotel and taking advantage of their big pool and poolside restaraunt and bar is a good option. Watering holes.............the Yacht Club, on the waterfront downtown, replete with cold beer and tall tales..........the Pool bar and restaurant at the Honiara Hotel Worth
seeing.......the Central Market [or 'Main Market' as its
known locally] in downtown Honiara is definitely worth a look - a bustling,
exotic mix of people, produce, colours, smells, sounds. and wonderful
shell money jewellery bargains, best in the mornings Monday thru Saturday,
closed Sunday when the Fishing Village market opens...........Take a
wander around the Pt Cruz wharves downtown - a classic collection of
ships and people and all sorts of cargo being loaded the hard way..........An
authorative tour of the epic WWII battlefields around Honiara and Henderson
Field can be booked through the hotels and GTS Travel.
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The Lodge Visa and MasterCard facility available for payment of Lodge tariff, tours and drinks - please note a bank charge of 5% applies on all credit card transactions. We also accept payment in SBD$, AUD$, USD$, NZD$ and JPY$. Limited Solomon currency is usually available for exchange at the Lodge.
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