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SOLOMON ISLANDS the wilderness lodge 8° 47´S ° 14´E
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'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 - 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? International flight to the capital Honiara then direct domestic connection to Gatokae Airfield in Marovo, Western Province.
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International connections Solomon Airlines connects Honiara with Brisbane, Australia three times a week, Vila, Nadi and Nauru weekly. Air Niugini connect Honiara with Brisbane, Sydney, Cairns and Singapore, via Port Moresby, twice weekly. Air Pacific connect Fiji weekly. Contact our agents for bookings.
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Domestic connections Solomon Airlines 18 seat Twin Otters and 9 seat Islander aircraft service our own Gatokae [GTA] Airfield every Thursday, direct to and from the capital Honiara [HIR], Friday via Gizo [GZO], and Sunday via Munda [MUA]. TheThursday flight is scheduled to provide inbound connection from the international Brisbane [BNE] flight. The Friday flight provides outbound connection to the Saturday Brisbane flight. Long weekends from Honiara are in Thursday afternoon, out Sunday evening. The longboat transfer from Gatokae Airfield to the Lodge takes just 10 minutes. Please note that there is an SBD$20 maintenance levy charged to all passengers departing Gatokae Airfield. Transfers to or from Seghe Airfield are available, however bear in mind Seghe Airfield is often closed when wet, and a stayover at Seghe or possibly a return to Wilderness may be necessary. Current transfer prices and details are on our 'rates' page. Due to limited seat availability on domestic flights, we suggest you make bookings and ticket them 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' 6" (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.
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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. There is a cafe at the international terminal open at flight arrival/departure times. The Domestic terminal, metres to the East (turn right as you go out the door of International), is VERY run down at present - we suggest using the toilet facilities at the International terminal or your hotel before going to Domestic. Honiara, the capital city, is a 20 minute taxi ride, the going rate approx SBD$50 [AUD$10], see the 'Honiara' section below for a brief rundown. All departing International passengers over 12 years of age need to pay SBD$40 departure fee. A most capable 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. |
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Health The Solomon Islands is a malaria area. The visitor has the choice of taking a course of malaria prophylactics prescribed by a doctor before you leave home, OR taking extra care to use insect repellent at dusk and dawn when the mosquito responsible is active. Mosquito nets are provided for sleeping. Should you choose not to take malaria prophylactics, the lodge staff can assist with friendly reminders to use repellent, however you have the final responsibility with either course of action. Lariam [Mefloquine] is to be avoided if at all possible due to common side-effects that don't do much for your holiday. 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 recommend you have a basic travellers first aid kit with you, see your doctor for advice. In Australia the TMVC centres are very helpful in prescribing the necessary requirements. Ensure you read carefully the prescription advice given with antimalarial drugs, particularly petaining to bedtime proximity.
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Honiara A majority of our guests connect directly to and from their domestic flight, however for those with itineraries entailing a stopover in Honiara, and those who really want to check out the capital, some advice....... Exchanging money, ANZ, Westpac and NBSI in central Honiara and ANZ and NBSI in Gizo. Hours 8:30 am 3:00 pm Monday to Friday. After hours see Mendana and King Solomon Hotels in Honiara and the Gizo Hotel. At the international terminal the Solomons Post counter exchanges currency at competitive rates and is open around flight times. ATM's dispensing Solomon dollars with your credit card are located at Panatina Plaza and downtown Honiara and open 24/7. For convenient and cheap transport around the Honiara area and instant immersion into Solomon life, hail a minibus showing KG VI for eastbound travel (towards the Airport) or Rove or White River for westbound travel a flat fare of $3.00 applies regardless of distance. Other routes are serviced at busy times - ask driver what is available. For reasonably priced transport hail a taxi anywhere around town, some are airconditioned, many have seen better days! In all cases it is advisable to confirm the fare or the per-km rate prior to engaging the taxi, for an idea of current fares enquire at the Visitors Bureau (tel ) next to the Mendana Hotel. If you want to use the public phones youll 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. Solomon Islands' country code is and local numbers have only five digits. The best internet cafe is the PFnet Cafe, first floor of the Anthony Saru building right in downtown Honiara, open 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday to Friday and 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Saturdays. On Sundays there is an Internet Cafe open opposite the Pacific Hotel on Kukum Highway. The Central Market in downtown Honiara is definitely worth a look - a bustling, exotic mix of people, produce, colours, smells, sounds. and wonderful shell money jewellery bargains. For an excellent, detailed run down on Honiara and many other parts of the Solomons, refer to David Stanley's 'South Pacific' travel guide, available on the 'South Pacific.org' link below, and Lonely Planet 'Solomon Islands' [now only available secondhand] and 'South Pacific' guides. An excellent, authorative tour of the epic WWII battlefields around Honiara and Henderson Field guided by historian John Innes can be booked. |
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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. Limited Solomon currency is usually available for exchange at the Lodge.
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Please us should you have any queries.
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go to The Wilderness Lodge homepage
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Some helpful links
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Want more up-to-the-minute travel info on the entire region?
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visit Jane Resture's
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Featured site at island-search.com
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