There are almost one thousand islands in the Solomon Islands. Needless to say, you won’t have time to see them all in only one week. Transport is challenging in the Solomon Islands. So you should focus your Solomon Islands 7-day itinerary on one region only.

This itinerary is a suggestion of things to do near Munda in the Western Province. It is the most touristy destination in the Solomon Islands, which means they have infrastructures and staff to receive tourists. But don’t expect a crowd. When we visited at Easter 2019, we often were the only ones in our accommodations.

Do you have travel insurance? It’s always a good idea to purchase travel insurance so that you can better enjoy risky activities and don’t worry so much about money if an emergency happens. If you pay for your holidays with your credit card, you may have travel assurance included. Otherwise, I find WorldNomads* and Covermore* make it easy to add adventurous activities like scuba diving to your plan. For more information about travel insurance, read this!

Important things to know when planning your Solomon Islands itinerary

Not only does it cost a lot to go from one region to another in the Solomon Islands, but it is also time-consuming and/or not always comfortable. For example, a private transfer by boat from Ghizo to Noro was around 1,500 SDB (more than 160€ or almost AUD 270) when we visited, depending on the price of the petrol that day. To continue to Munda by boat, it was another 500 SDB. It may be affordable for a big group, but it is expensive for a couple. Time depends on the weather and the power of the boat you’re on. Public transport by boat is limited and impossible to rely on when you only have a few days in the country.

The Munda international airport was the smallest international airport I had ever seen. With direct flights from and to Brisbane, Munda is an excellent starting point for your itinerary in the Solomon Islands. There are also multiple flights to the primary international airport in Honiara, that links to more destinations in the Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Nauru).

Scuba diving is one of the main reasons to travel to the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. I didn’t include scuba diving in this itinerary as divers may choose from one to six days of scuba diving while traveling there. If you are scuba diving, just skip one day on the itinerary for every dive trip. You can read more about scuba diving in the Solomon Islands here.

Day 1: Arrive in Munda

There’s an international airport in Munda with weekly direct flights from and to Brisbane. It’s probably the easiest and cheapest option to visit Solomon Islands Western Province.

After landing in the afternoon, you can take time to withdraw cash at the ATM. This part can bring some challenges so you’d better sort it out earlier than later. If you choose to exchange cash in your country of origin, you need to call in advance to ensure they have enough Solomon Island dollars. There are places where they accept Australian dollars so it’s good to bring some with you too.

There’s a market next to Agnes Lodge* – only a five-minute walk from the airport – to try some of the local fruits and veggies straight away. I find local markets are always an interesting visit. However, Saturdays may be calm in the village as it is the resting day for the Adventist religion.

Market in Munda

If you’d like to scuba dive, it’s better to plan it before you arrive. Then you can pop into the dive shop next to the market to arrange the last details.

Otherwise, your accommodation should have recommendations on activities available during your stay. I found it worked well to check what’s on offer in advance, let them know your interests and confirm what you want to do once you get there.

Where to spend the night:

Agnes Lodge* is very easy to reach and is a good base to start your trip in the Solomon Islands. It’s not fancy, but it works well for an overnight stay to transition to the Solomon Islands pace.

Day 2: Island hopping

The islands around Munda look fantastic. After seeing them from the plane, you’ll want to jump on a boat to have a closer look.

You should be able to hire a boat with a driver for the day to explore the area. Tell them what you feel like doing (fishing, snorkelling, chilling on the beach…), and they’ll confirm if it’s possible and how much it will cost.

We managed to organise a full day on the water between Munda, Ghizo and Kolombangara. But with only 7 days in the Solomon Islands, you may want to keep your budget low and stick to the Munda area.

Bonfire to cook our lunch on a small island between Munda and Rendova

If your next stop is Rendova Island, as recommended in this itinerary, you could organise a full day out of your transfer. After booking your accommodation at Titiru* on Rendova Island, contact the owner Kilo about your transfer from Munda to Rendova. He may be able to arrange a stop on a beautiful island for lunch.

Where to spend the night:

We loved our stay at Titiru Eco Lodge*. We usually don’t spend too much time at our accommodation. But we enjoyed the views from the over-water bungalow so much that we stayed there more than planned! It’s one of the most comfortable accommodations you will find in the country, and the food was delicious.

View from the terrace of our bungalow at Titiru Eco Lodge*

Day 3: Explore Rendova Island

Once at Titiru*, you’ll have many activities available. One of the most popular is the visit to the nearby village, Ughele. It’s an easy 20-minute walk in the forest from the resort to reach it.

Although we found the tour too quick and pricey (we paid 1,000 SDB, around AUD 180 for a couple of hours in the village), it was one of the rare opportunities we got in the Solomon Islands to learn more about the local customs and ancient way of life. We regretted it was highly orchestrated, but appreciated that it existed as we hadn’t been able to visit a village elsewhere (except than just walking through it). Plus, it was an excellent way to support a few people in the village who wouldn’t benefit from tourism revenue otherwise.

Back at Titiru*, you can spend the afternoon at the resort enjoying some of the free activities: fish watching from the jetty or your overwater bungalow, snorkelling (bring your own snorkel gear) or canoeing.

Your underwater pics don’t look that good? Check out my tips for beginners to take underwater photos that aren’t blue!

In the evening, the underground cave is a great short adventure for those who are fit enough to walk doubled up. You’ll need enclosed shoes that can get wet (I used my diving boots for example). It’s a fantastic opportunity to spot nocturnal wildlife. We saw frogs, bats, eels, prawns, and the famous coconut crabs.

Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to see a demonstration of wooden carving. If you ask in advance, that’s something Kilo could try to organise for you. The sculptors in the Solomon Islands are very skilled and sell beautiful pieces. On this itinerary, you’ll have the opportunity to buy them as souvenirs on Rendova Island and at Munda market. You can negotiate the price a bit by buying bundles. They didn’t expect us to buy their art at the first price they told us.

Artist selling wooden carvings at Titiru Eco Lodge*

Where to spend the night:

You can stay another night at Titiru Eco Lodge*. It’s the kind of place that you’ll never want to leave.

Day 4 and 5: Visit Tetepare

From Titiru*, you can organise an overnight trip to Tetepare, a large and remote uninhabited island that only receives a limited number of guests.

Don’t consider going to Tetepare if you’re travelling on a budget. Instead, you can stay on Rendova Island and go hiking. We were told the view from the top of the mountain is worth the effort.

A trip to Tetepare involves a long boat transfer, so it’s quite expensive (1,500 SDB, around AUD 270). And if you go for a short time, your skipper will have to wait for you there. Plus, you’ll have to pay a conservation fee (around AUD 20) and a guide for each activity.

But we were seduced by how tourism is essential to support Tetepare conservation projects. It is the largest uninhabited tropical island in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the rare forests in the country that has been protected from logging. They also established a no-take zone to preserve the delicate marine ecosystem.

There are enough things to do on Tetepare to spend a few days there, so you’ll have to choose between all the activities.

Snorkelling is a must-do activity when visiting Tetepare. We spent more than 90 minutes in the water and only stopped because we were starving. The coral formations were stunning, the number of species of fish was impressive, and we also spotted rays and turtles. Tetepare is known to host one of the highest diversities of fish and coral in the world.

They have dugongs living near the island, but we weren’t lucky enough to meet one. You’ll get a chance to spot marine life even if you don’t want to get wet: there were four juvenile sharks swimming near the jetty when we visited. Early in the year, they also have turtle hatchlings on the island.

We only went for a day trip to Tetepare so we lacked time to enjoy their activities on land. We could only do a quick guided forest walk with a ranger that we found fascinating. It was a great opportunity to learn about local medicinal plants. The island is famous for bird watching but we were too preoccupied with the slippery track to keep our heads up and look for them.

Where to spend the night:

You can spend the night on Tetepare at the end of day 4 and go back to Titiru* on day 5. It’s not the same level of comfort as at Titiru, but it’s a rare remote experience.

You can also go to Tetepare as a day trip from Titiru.

Kayaking back to our room at Titiru*

Day 6: Vona Vona Lagoon

You won’t feel like leaving Titiru*, but another paradise awaits as you transfer to the beautiful Vona Vona Lagoon for your next adventure. The boat transfer will give you a short overview of the lagoon and the opportunity to stop at Skull island if you’re interested. After you’ve reached your accommodation, you can explore the island surroundings further on the water with the kayaks and underwater during a snorkelling session.

Where to spend the night:

Although we didn’t stay there, other travellers we met during our trip to the Western Province of the Solomon Islands made great comments about Zipolo Habu Resort* on Lola Island.

Day 7: Fishing or rainforest tour

Zipolo Habu Resort is reputed for fishing, from the island or with a fishing charter. If you don’t feel like catching your meal, you could opt for a rainforest cruise to see wildlife from close.

Where to spend the night:

You can spend your last night in the Solomon Islands at Zipolo Habu Resort*. They’ll organise your trip back to Munda to catch your flight.

The best time to visit the Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands can be visited all year round. Temperatures are always around 25-30°C so be ready for hot days.

The beginning of the year can be windy and is not ideal for activities that require a boat trip, including scuba diving. The northwesterly winds can also bring more rain. April, November and December are usually known to be the best months to avoid the wind, but it’s always a matter of luck.

The Solomon Islands gets busier during Australia and New Zealand holidays, especially from December to January. It may get more expensive and the best accommodations can be fully booked during this period.

Tropical cyclones affect a lot less often the Solomon Islands than the other South Pacific Islands Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

What do you think of this 7-day itinerary in the Solomon Islands? Share your experience in the comments below!

Map of this 7-day itinerary in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands



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Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

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  1. Pia

    so cool! I still look for a destination somewhere in Australasia and would love to stay on a island like this! A beach, beautiful water and a little bit of peace! What else do you need more? 😀

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