Trip to the Solomon Islands: Exploring four distinct islands

Discover the highlights of this trip to the Solomon Islands

Guadalcanal: Honiara and contemporary realities

Honiara, capital of the Solomon Islands

The trip to Solomon Islands will continue in Honiara, the capital of the archipelago and the country’s main political centre. Upon arrival, we will receive an introduction to the local social and political reality. In addition, we will explore popular neighbourhoods and visit the national museum. Thus, this stage will provide key insights into the country’s recent history and cultural diversity.

Meeting the tattoo traditions of Rennell and Bellona

Meeting the tattoo traditions of Rennell and Bellona

During our stay in Honiara, we will meet men from Rennell and Bellona who preserve distinctive body tattoos. These traditional markings once held deep spiritual and social meaning. Today, they are experiencing a process of cultural revival after decades of missionary prohibition. In this way, the trip to Solomon Islands will show how tradition and identity continue to evolve.

Malaita Island: lagoons, scarifications and island life

Auki and the most populated island of the archipelago

We will travel by ferry to Auki, the capital of Malaita. This island stands out as the most populated and one of the most culturally conservative in the country. We will explore the town, its local market and the surrounding area. In addition, we will discover a society historically shaped by chiefs, warriors and ritual specialists.

Langa Langa Lagoon and artificial islands

The trip to Solomon Islands will then take us to Langa Langa Lagoon. There, we will visit artificial islands built from stone and coral on shallow reefs. These communities emerged as protection against former headhunters from the interior. Likewise, we will discover traditional boat-building and the production of shell money.

Traditional scarifications and tattoos

In Malaita, we will try to meet people who still bear facial and body scarifications. These identity practices reflect older forms of social belonging. We will also observe how some elderly women preserve traditional tattoos that are now in decline. Therefore, this stage will add a valuable ethnographic dimension.

Santa Cruz Island: red feathers and ceremonial memory

Lata and markets in the far east

The trip to Solomon Islands will continue to Lata, on Santa Cruz Island. We will visit its lively market, where farmers and fishermen sell fresh produce, tropical roots and the catch of the day. Thus, we will experience everyday life in one of the country’s most remote provinces.

Tevau: the red-feather currency

We will head into the rural area of Santa Cruz to visit one of the last villages where Tevau is still produced. This valuable ceremonial currency is made from red feathers and is still used in bridewealth payments and prestige exchanges. In this way, the trip to Solomon Islands will reveal one of Oceania’s most remarkable symbolic systems.

Dances and warrior aesthetics

During the visit, we will witness a traditional dance linked to ancient tribal warfare. Participants will wear nose piercings and ornaments made from shells and natural fibres. Thus, this day will highlight the visual and ceremonial power of Santa Cruz.

New Georgia Island: Roviana culture and the legacy of headhunting

Munda and local context

Later, we will fly to Munda, the economic centre of New Georgia. There, we will receive an introduction to local culture and the island’s contemporary reality. In addition, we will discover an environment where sea, forest and community remain closely connected.

Roviana society and pre-colonial memory

One of the central moments of the trip to Solomon Islands will be our encounter with Roviana communities. We will meet elders and take part in a ceremony that brings us closer to the pre-colonial past. Through this, we will better understand their social organisation and cultural heritage.

Skull Island and the history of headhunting

By boat, we will reach Skull Island, a small islet famous for its shrine of human skulls. This place preserves remains linked to former warrior practices and holds great symbolic value for the community. For that reason, it will be one of the most striking visits of the journey.

Remote villages and maritime life

We will also visit more isolated Roviana villages to continue learning about ways of life based on fishing and subsistence farming. Likewise, we will enjoy water activities to discover the marine richness of New Georgia.

A trip to Solomon Islands of Oceanic cultures and Melanesian diversity

Overall, the trip to Solomon Islands offers a deep immersion into one of the least-known archipelagos in the Pacific. We will not only visit remote islands. We will also understand ritual systems, historical memories and ways of life connected to the sea. For this reason, this route is ideal for travellers interested in anthropology, Oceanic cultures and destinations far from the ordinary.

© Photos by Gilly Tanabose in Unsplash and Christian Jutvik in Pixabay taken during a trip to the Solomon Islands.

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