{"id":834134,"date":"2026-07-30T20:08:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/834134\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T20:08:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:08:16","slug":"solomon-islands-raw-and-real-island-paradise-just-three-hours-from-australia-is-often-overlooked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/834134\/","title":{"rendered":"Solomon Islands: \u2018Raw and real\u2019 island paradise just three hours from Australia is often overlooked"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s an unspoiled island <\/a>paradise only around three hours flight from Australia<\/a>. It was even named as one of Lonely Planet\u2019s Top 25 Places to Travel <\/a>in 2026.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia, or even Samoa.<\/p>\n

\"yacht<\/p>\n

The Solomon Islands are dubbed a more \u201craw and real\u201d Pacific islands experience.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

The Solomon Islands<\/a> are dubbed a more \u201craw and real\u201d Pacific islands experience.<\/p>\n

And you can fly to Honiara International Airport from Brisbane in just three over hours with Qantas and Solomon Airlines.<\/p>\n

It is considered one of the most diverse nations in South Pacific, and there are 992 islands to choose from.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s not on the typical list of hotspots, Australia is the biggest tourist market for the nation, which only gets about 30,000 visitors annually.<\/p>\n

Tourism bosses say it\u2019s like nowhere else.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you come to the Solomons<\/a>, you come there because, you look for a different raw real experience, and you will definitely have a sense of belonging, and you will leave our islands a changed person,\u201d a spokesperson for Tourism Solomons said.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not just about lazing on a sun lounger on a white sand beach sipping a cocktail either (though that is an option).<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve done the other Pacific islands, you will have been to the more comfortable destinations,\u201d they said, adding the islands are \u201cproud to welcome travellers, not tourists.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Houses<\/p>\n

Houses along the coastline in a village on the Solomon Islands.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

Snorkelling and diving are major drawcards. The country also has a rich WW2 history, and you can dive some of the wrecks left behind.<\/p>\n

The main language is English though more locals speak Pijin. There are, in fact, many indigenous languages and dialects spoken.<\/p>\n

What to do in Solomon Islands<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need a visa either to visit the Solomon Islands on holiday and with plenty on offer now is a great time to start planning a visit.<\/p>\n

With those crystal clear waters, it\u2019s no wonder water-based activities are popular. You can dive, kayak and also fish.<\/p>\n

\"Karumolun<\/p>\n

Women in Karumolun Village, Marulaon Island, Solomon Islands.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

Surfers will probably not need to be told it\u2019s one of the best places in the world to catch a wave.<\/p>\n

Lau lagoon in Malaita and agovave on Guadalcanal\u2019s Weathercoast are the places to pin on your map.<\/p>\n

Twitchers will also get a thrill from birdwatching.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This well-preserved Hellcat aircraft wreck stands out as one of the Solomon Islands\u2019 most easily reachable airplane wrecks.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

The islands also have plenty of World War II history.<\/p>\n

The Grumman F6F Hellcat wreck is a WW2 fighter plane which came to rest in shallow waters near Gizo in the country\u2019s western province.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just 10 metres deep so is easy for even novice divers and snorkellers to reach.<\/p>\n

The Japanese wreck, the Toa Maru is also a sought after dive.<\/p>\n

Other war sites to tick off the list include the Guadalcanal American Memorial, Solomon Peace Memorial Park and Tetere Beach WWII Museum.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s Gizo\u2019s Grand Central Station, named because of the abundance of marine life.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Toa Maru, a Japanese ship sunk by American dive bombers in the Second World War.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

Adventure seekers can get close to Kavachi underwater volcano in south of Ngatokae, Western Province.<\/p>\n

Scientists famously discovered the active volcano has sharks living inside it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can visit the volcano, which is shooting smoke and ash into the air, on a boat trip.<\/p>\n

Dolphins and other wildlife are also common, with Savo Island a place flagged by tourism bosses to see them.<\/p>\n

And if that\u2019s not enough, Marovo lagoon in the Western Province is the biggest saltwater lagoon in the world and home to an array of teeming marine life.<\/p>\n

Another renowned spot is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>\n

Lake Tegano is the largest lake in the insular Pacific, and is within East Rennell, the world\u2019s largest raised coral atoll.<\/p>\n

You can also learn about the local culture and visit ancient ceremonial sites on the Guadalcanal main island, which is home to the capital Honiara.<\/p>\n

Visitors can shop at the local market and get a taste of island life.<\/p>\n

\"Beautiful<\/p>\n

Fly to the tropical Solomon Islands from Brisbane in just three over hours.\u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

Best time to visit the Solomon Islands<\/p>\n

The Solomon Islands are hot and humid all year round, with an average temperature of a hot 27 degrees. <\/p>\n

There are two seasons; the wet season from November to April and the dry season from May to October.<\/p>\n

However, in the monsoon season it\u2019s usually showers which move on quickly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s an unspoiled island paradise only around three hours flight from Australia. It was even named as one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":834135,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-834134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=834134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/834134\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/834135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=834134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=834134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=834134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}