Serenity in the Solomon Islands

New Zealand is blessed to have some of the best tropical offerings lined up only a few flying hours from Auckland. Some destinations are popular Pacific destinations that Kiwis love to travel to and then there are others that have not been explored. When we think of a tropical destination, we think of warm weather, crystal clear turquoise waters, and untouched reef abundant with a variety of sea life and silver sandy beaches. Culture, food and great hospitality is also something that is on every tropical tourist’s mind. Off most popular islands in the Pacific, a cluster of some 900 islands stretching over 1,500 kms wide is widely getting popularity – The Solomon Islands.

Remotely located, Solomon Islands is 3.5 flying hours from Brisbane. There is no direct flights from New Zealand but Solomon Airlines operates code-share flights with Qantas and Air New Zealand. A mid-afternoon departure from Brisbane takes you directly to Honiara which is the primary business hub in the Solomon Islands.

Population of the Solomon Islands is roughly 600,000 people with around 90,000 living in Honiara. Honiara is also connected with flights from Vanuatu, Fiji and PNG.

A vibrant place, Honiara, is buzzing with happy locals with a busy lifestyle. Logging still is a main export earner for the nation and is bread-earner for most locals. There are major AU/NZ banks operating in Honiara but there are no major international chains of hotels or sprawling resorts that you’d see in Fiji or Tahiti. There are a few business style hotels like The Heritage Park Hotel that provides comfortable accommodation, great service with a local touch.

Author: Harmeet Sehgal
Publisher: For the love of travel
Date: 4/12/18

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