Honiara International Airport (HIR)

Ideally, you should plan to arrive in the Solomon Islands one day before the start of your liveaboard itinerary to allow for potential flight schedule changes, lost or delayed baggage, and missed connections.

Book international flights to and from Honiara International Airport (HIR).
Flight routes include:
● Via Fiji (NAN) – flights with Fiji Airways, Solomon Airlines, Air Niugini
● Via Brisbane (BNE) – flights with Solomon Airlines (codeshare with Qantas) and Virgin Australia ● Via Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby) with Air Niugini

IMPORTANT: Guests travelling via Australia, Fiji, or PNG may require a transit visa. Travellers who do not have the required documents for the countries they will be travelling through will be denied boarding by their airline.

Honiara airport is basic with few facilities. Check-in can be lengthy and your bags are likely to be searched due to the lack of x-ray scanners. There are big fines for anyone found removing any artifacts from the wrecks.

Transfers

For your convenience, a transfer between Honiara airport or a local hotel and the boat will be provided free of charge on embarkation and disembarkation days. Pick up from hotels is generally between 17:30 and 18:00 on embarkation day. If you are staying in a hotel in Honiara before your liveaboard, we will provide pick up and embarkation transfer details before departure.

Guests arriving in Honiara on the day of embarkation will be met at the airport by representative of Master Liveaboards upon arrival of their flight and transferred to Coral Sea Resort where they can spend the afternoon relaxing, or visit one of the local museums, until it is time to board Solomons Master.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to flight constraints, most of the itineraries operate back to back on the same day; therefore early embarkation or late disembarkation is not possible as the crew are on a tight schedule to turn the boat around. Disembarkation will be no later than 09:00, after a light breakfast.

Honiara Hotels

Following is a selection of suggested hotels in Honiara, Solomon Islands’ capital city. We provide these suggestions based on a good record with past guests of Solomons Master who have stayed there.

Coral Sea Resort

Coral Sea Resort offers a unique blend of warm Solomon Islander hospitality and South Pacific sophistication. Only a 30 minute transfer from Honiara International Airport, or a 3 minute trip from the wharf, Coral Sea Resort is conveniently located on the water’s edge not far from the

Central Business District.

Heritage Park Hotel

This 4 star hotel is located within 5 acres of verdant waterfront gardens on the site of the former residence of the erstwhile British governors and two Governors General of the independent Solomon Islands. A 25 minute drive from Honiara International Airport, Heritage Park Hotel boasts three of the best dining experiences in Honiara and is well known for its creative dining menu.

King Solomon Hotel

King Solomon is the only urban hotel in Honiara with the atmosphere of a traditional South Pacific hotel, and the massive thatched roof only enhances this notion. Centrally located within easy walking distance of the Solomon Islands Cultural Museum, banks, cafés and shops, the property has 73 modern and spacious air-conditioned rooms built around lush tropical gardens, an infinity waterfall pool and a great view of Iron Bottom Sound.

Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel

Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel has a great location on the oceanfront right in the heart of Honiara, just 20 minutes drive from Honiara Airport and a couple of minutes from the main shopping center. Onsite amenities include a gift shop, swimming pool, 2 restaurants, a courtyard café and a poolside bar. The hotel also offers free Wi-Fi in most areas.

Airlines to use

Due to its remote location, travel to the Solomon Islands (HIR) can be lengthy. There are various routes, but the most common is United through Brisbane (BNE) with Solomon Airlines (codeshare with Qantas) and Virgin Air.

It is also possible to route through Fiji (NAN) with Fiji Airways, Solomon Airlines, and Air Niugini, or through Port Moresby with Air Niugini.

We recommend arriving into Honiara at least 48 hours before embarkation day to allow for delayed flights, missed connections, and delayed baggage.

Baggage Allowance

United allows up to three 32 kg bags when traveling to Brisbane, depending on your status within Star Alliance and your departure city. If you are not a member of Star Alliance, look at your reservation for terms and conditions regarding your luggage.

Personal safety and health

Due to the remoteness of the location and lack of medical facilities, any divers showing signs or symptoms of Decompression Sickness, or suspected Decompression Sickness, will not be permitted to continue diving for the remainder of the trip. The Cruise Director’s decision on this is final.

Due to the volunteer manned chamber in Honiara being damaged beyond repair, the nearest recompression chamber is in Brisbane, Australia. In the event of a diving emergency, a light aircraft or helicopter will be required to evacuate the patient from the ship to Honiara, and from there additional evacuation via a low-level flight to Brisbane may be required, the cost of which can easily exceed $30,000 USD. We are hoping that the chamber is opening again at the beginning of 2024.

We strongly urge all guests to dive well within the limits of their certification and experience, follow dive guides’ advice and, above all, purchase specific dive insurance which covers emergency evacuation and treatment costs before their trip. Dirty Dozen Expeditions strongly advises all customers to invest in trip insurance and dive insurance to cover themselves against events such as those detailed above.

Generally, medical care in Solomon Islands is very basic and medical supplies are limited. There are around 8 hospitals, of which the best one is the National Referral Hospital located in Honiara. Moreover, a few church-funded medical facilities, nurse-stations, and the like can be found on several islands.

Please make sure routine vaccinations are up-to-date and use insect repellent and cover exposed skin to prevent any insect borne diseases. Malaria is present, as are other tropical diseases such as Dengue Fever, TB, hepatitis, and typhoid. We recommend consulting your doctor or nearest health care professional or travel clinic for the latest medical travel advice and vaccination recommendations well before departure.

Please note: Some malaria prevention medications including mefloquine (brand name Lariam) have side effects which can mimic decompression sickness. In order to prevent stomach ailments, we advise travelers to follow normal precautions with food and drink bottled water only when on land. Water on board is safe to drink. If you are traveling with medication, please ensure to bring your physician’s prescription with you.

Measles

All passengers entering the Solomon Islands are required to complete a health declaration form regarding exposure to/immunization against measles. The forms will be made available at check-in counters and on board your flight.

All non-residents arriving in the Solomon Islands from measles-affected countries including

Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati, and Tonga are required to provide certified proof of vaccination against measles.

Passengers who are unable to provide proof of vaccination may be required to undergo medical examination by the local authorities in the Solomon Islands

Accepted proof of vaccination include:

1. International Certification of Vaccination (yellow card).

2. Any official documentation/ letter from a recognised hospital or medical practitioner confirming that the holder has been vaccinated against measles. Vaccination should be given at least 15 days prior to arrival.

3. Blood test results showing positive for measles antibodies which indicates immunity to measles. This may be expensive but can be done a few days prior to arrival and should be positive for someone who has been vaccinated in the past. Travelers who have not been vaccinated, or who do not have proof of vaccination against measles are required to provide a contact address and phone number in the Solomon Islands and report to the local authorities immediately if they develop any symptoms..

Money Matters

Local currency is the Solomon Island dollar (SBD). Currency from other countries can be exchanged at the airport, or at any of the banks in town. The majority of established hotels and restaurants will accept credit card payments, usually with an addition of surcharge although smaller establishments often only accept cash payments.

Many guests choose to carry a small amount of SBD with them to make purchases when they visit villages or local markets. The exchange rate is approximately 8 SBD to 1 USD. Most guests find that $750 SBD to $1,500 SBD is adequate.

There are a number of options to obtain local currency:

Currency Exchange at the airport – there is an exchange desk available as you exit customs and immigration. Most major currencies can be exchanged (including USD and AUD cash) for SBD cash. The exchange rate is within 3% to 5% of the bank exchange rate.

ATM at the airport – there is a CIRRUS bank system ATM in the departure hall of the airport (exit arrivals and turn right) where cash can be withdrawn for a fee. However, this ATM is often out of cash once the first few flights of the day have arrived.

ATMs in Honiara town – there are two major banks in the Solomon Islands: Bank of South

Pacific and ANZ. Both have ATMs widely available throughout the city center. Ask your transfer driver to stop on the way into town and you should be able to withdraw cash at any of the ATMs.

Many of the major hotels also have ATMs available.

Bank Withdrawal – you can visit any of the local banks to withdraw cash from your account /credit card, however, you should be aware that the queues are often in excess of 2 hours.