BILIKIKI, SOLOMON ISLANDS: Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I get to the Solomon Islands?
Most travelers from North America fly through Nadi in Fiji or Auckland in New Zealand, either via Los Angeles or Honolulu. Alternate routings, & those used by European & Asian passengers as well, are via Sydney & Brisbane Australia, or Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. European travelers often fly into Australia via Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong. Major carriers offering service to South Pacific destinations from North America include Air New Zealand, Qantas, Air Pacific, United Airlines, American Airlines & Air Canada. Solomon Airlines (at 1-800-677-4277 in North America) is the international carrier connecting Honiara, capital city of the Solomons, to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia & PNG.
2. What's the weather like in the Solomon Islands, & what's the best time of the year to travel there?
Located just a few degrees below the equator, the Solomons enjoy a year-round tropical climate moderated by the sea air. Rainfall averages 10 inches per month year round, ranging from 8 inches in the dryer season to 12 inches in the wet. There is no monsoon season with extensive periods of heavy rainfall, but rain can be expected at any time, although it usually blows over fairly quickly. Humidity is usually high, particularly inland, but is significantly lower on the smaller islands & aboard the live-aboard diving ships. Located close to the Equator, as it is, in the Solomons you'll find most major storms start to the north then go northward from there (typhoons), or start to the south & continue south (cyclones). Bilikiki Cruises offer Solomons Islands live-aboard trips year round, & have experienced great diving throughout the year. So, when's the best time to go on a Solomons Islands live-aboard? Whenever you can get away -- that's the ticket !
3. How strenuous is scuba diving from a Solomon Islands live-aboard?
These two boats are the pride of Solomon Islands live-aboards. No worries about getting into some Third World skow. These are luxury vessels & beautifully appointed, with ace crews. Physically the live-aboard diving will be the easiest you'll find anywhere. Our immense dive decks give you lots of room for suiting up, & if you're a photographer you'll appreciate the large carpeted camera tables, right on the dive deck, where you need them for last minute adjustments. Our crew will load everything you need in the skiff for you (we call the skiffs "tinnies"), & help you into your backpack when the tinnie gets on site. Then you just roll over the side & enjoy the riches of the sea. When you finish your dive the tinnie will be right there, with the crew ready to take your gear. Then you just walk up the ladder & the tinnie whisks you back to your ship. Solomon Islands live-aboards such as these vessels are really what has opened up the sport of scuba diving in a country that is so wild & remote, that conventional dive shops are few & far between.
4. How many dives can I make a day & & what limits do you put on dive depths & duration?
We offer unlimited diving, with the dive day built around five daily dives. If your computer & past dive activities permit it we can schedule additional dives. We know you've come to dive & we try not to hinder you with a lot of restrictions, so within the bounds of common sense & safe dive practices, divers are permitted to set their own dive profiles. Our dive professionals are always available for those persons who want or need the guidance, & of course a pre-dive briefing will always be offered to outline the dive-site & any special factors. Freedom, & common sense are the watchwords on these fine Solomon Islands live-aboards.
5. What can I expect to see when scuba diving on this Solomons liveaboard?
Solomon Islands diving is all about critter profusion. The Solomon Islands' waters are very nutrient rich, & they support the entire food chain from microscopic creatures to major predators. You'll have a good opportunity to see a variety of sharks, mantas, dolphins, & turtles & barracuda in uncountable numbers. In shallower waters you'll see almost every tropical imaginable, & some that will stretch your imagination cuttlefish, octopus, schooling lionfish, & amazing numbers & varieties of anemone-fish, not to mention amazing varieties of anemones. You'll see more varieties of coral on a Solomons Islands live-aboard than almost anywhere, & all this in 85º F waters. Underwater terrain varies from walls to reefs, to passages to "bommies". You'll visit caverns with shafts of sunlight illuminating the interior. You'll swim 200 feet into a split in an island, & when you surface you'll be under a jungle canopy listening to the parrots & cockatoos. You'll enter a tunnel on a pinnacle & exit minutes later in the deep blue ocean. In the shallows around almost every island you'll find channels, cracks & fissures stocked with an unbelievable variety of shells, fish, plants & corals that you could explore for hours. & yes, if you're lucky (some may not view this as luck) you'll get to visit the lair of a saltwater crocodile. You see, not everything is samo-samo on Solomon Islands live-aboards such as MV Bilikiki & MV Spirit of the Solomons!
6. I like to dive, big time, but will I get to see some of the native island people & their colorful lifestyle, too?
Yes, by all means. We arrange a village visit at least once on every Solomons Islands live-aboard trip. You'll have a chance to meet the islanders, see & purchase carvings & baskets & visit their schools & churches. If we're anchored off a village the islanders will come out in their canoes to market produce & carvings, or just watch what's going on. The children are a real delight. They are naturals in the water swimming, or on it in their dugout canoes. They are excited to see these approaching Solomon Islands live-aboards, & will provide cute local color when they come bustling & grinning to greet you.
7. What's the essential difference between your two Solomons Islands live-aboards ?
Really very little. Here's how it works with these two Solomon Islands live-aboards. Both M.V. Bilikiki & M.V. Spirit of Solomons travel to the same dive sites & offer the same high standards that have made Bilikiki Cruise Ltd. famous. Both ships are large, 125 feet long & 24 feet wide, & both are built on traditional high-prowed South Pacific hulls, designed to offer comfortable & stable travel for the passengers. The differences in these stellar Solomon Islands live-aboards are predominately in the accommodations & deck layout. M.V. Bilikiki has her dive deck astern, & all accommodation is in the 10 double/twin cabins with private facilities on the lower accommodation deck. M.V. Spirit of Solomons has her dive deck amidships, & there are three types of accommodations aboard, two double cabins & one double/twin share cabin - with private facilities - on the main deck, four double/twin cabins - with private facilities - on the lower accommodation deck, & six twin cabins - with shared facilities - also on the lower deck. Spirit of Solomons also has her dining deck located aft on the bridge deck, with a commanding view of the ocean & islands. Both ships offer immense sundecks, plenty of covered space, air-conditioned accommodations & both offer carefully prepared, tasty & ample meals. That's pretty well the gist of comparing the two premier Solomon Islands live-aboard dive charter yachts.
8. The Solomon Islands saw major World War II naval battles. Many ships were sunk in the islands. Will we get to dive any of those classic shipwrecks?
Wreck dives are included in every cruise, & the number we do depends on the interests of the people on board. We don't have that many wrecks to chose from, as most of them are far too deep, even for well experienced divers. Those we do dive on our Solomons Islands live-aboard packages include Japanese transport ships along the Guadalcanal coast, the Ann in the Russell Islands (a more recent wreck, not W.W.II) & Japanese transports in Marovo Lagoon. Divers still find ample evidence of the war action that sunk these vessels, lots of ammunition & machinery in the holds, as well as dishes, bottles & other evidence of shipboard activities.
9. Let's say I'm planning my second trip with Bilikiki Cruises. Will we go back to all the same dive sites, or see new ones?
Not likely that you'll ever be experiencing all the same old sites & sights. On your next Solomons Islands live-aboard adventure, we'll probably return to some of the favorite spots, but with hundreds of dive sites to chose from in the Florida & Russell Island groups, & Marovo Lagoon, you'll get to experience new & different dive sites too. We try not to return too frequently to any one site, in order to reduce any stressful impact on the marine life. Solomon Islands diving = several salient surprises every day!
Most travelers from North America fly through Nadi in Fiji or Auckland in New Zealand, either via Los Angeles or Honolulu. Alternate routings, & those used by European & Asian passengers as well, are via Sydney & Brisbane Australia, or Port Moresby Papua New Guinea. European travelers often fly into Australia via Thailand, Singapore or Hong Kong. Major carriers offering service to South Pacific destinations from North America include Air New Zealand, Qantas, Air Pacific, United Airlines, American Airlines & Air Canada. Solomon Airlines (at 1-800-677-4277 in North America) is the international carrier connecting Honiara, capital city of the Solomons, to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia & PNG.
2. What's the weather like in the Solomon Islands, & what's the best time of the year to travel there?
Located just a few degrees below the equator, the Solomons enjoy a year-round tropical climate moderated by the sea air. Rainfall averages 10 inches per month year round, ranging from 8 inches in the dryer season to 12 inches in the wet. There is no monsoon season with extensive periods of heavy rainfall, but rain can be expected at any time, although it usually blows over fairly quickly. Humidity is usually high, particularly inland, but is significantly lower on the smaller islands & aboard the live-aboard diving ships. Located close to the Equator, as it is, in the Solomons you'll find most major storms start to the north then go northward from there (typhoons), or start to the south & continue south (cyclones). Bilikiki Cruises offer Solomons Islands live-aboard trips year round, & have experienced great diving throughout the year. So, when's the best time to go on a Solomons Islands live-aboard? Whenever you can get away -- that's the ticket !
3. How strenuous is scuba diving from a Solomon Islands live-aboard?
These two boats are the pride of Solomon Islands live-aboards. No worries about getting into some Third World skow. These are luxury vessels & beautifully appointed, with ace crews. Physically the live-aboard diving will be the easiest you'll find anywhere. Our immense dive decks give you lots of room for suiting up, & if you're a photographer you'll appreciate the large carpeted camera tables, right on the dive deck, where you need them for last minute adjustments. Our crew will load everything you need in the skiff for you (we call the skiffs "tinnies"), & help you into your backpack when the tinnie gets on site. Then you just roll over the side & enjoy the riches of the sea. When you finish your dive the tinnie will be right there, with the crew ready to take your gear. Then you just walk up the ladder & the tinnie whisks you back to your ship. Solomon Islands live-aboards such as these vessels are really what has opened up the sport of scuba diving in a country that is so wild & remote, that conventional dive shops are few & far between.
4. How many dives can I make a day & & what limits do you put on dive depths & duration?
We offer unlimited diving, with the dive day built around five daily dives. If your computer & past dive activities permit it we can schedule additional dives. We know you've come to dive & we try not to hinder you with a lot of restrictions, so within the bounds of common sense & safe dive practices, divers are permitted to set their own dive profiles. Our dive professionals are always available for those persons who want or need the guidance, & of course a pre-dive briefing will always be offered to outline the dive-site & any special factors. Freedom, & common sense are the watchwords on these fine Solomon Islands live-aboards.
5. What can I expect to see when scuba diving on this Solomons liveaboard?
Solomon Islands diving is all about critter profusion. The Solomon Islands' waters are very nutrient rich, & they support the entire food chain from microscopic creatures to major predators. You'll have a good opportunity to see a variety of sharks, mantas, dolphins, & turtles & barracuda in uncountable numbers. In shallower waters you'll see almost every tropical imaginable, & some that will stretch your imagination cuttlefish, octopus, schooling lionfish, & amazing numbers & varieties of anemone-fish, not to mention amazing varieties of anemones. You'll see more varieties of coral on a Solomons Islands live-aboard than almost anywhere, & all this in 85º F waters. Underwater terrain varies from walls to reefs, to passages to "bommies". You'll visit caverns with shafts of sunlight illuminating the interior. You'll swim 200 feet into a split in an island, & when you surface you'll be under a jungle canopy listening to the parrots & cockatoos. You'll enter a tunnel on a pinnacle & exit minutes later in the deep blue ocean. In the shallows around almost every island you'll find channels, cracks & fissures stocked with an unbelievable variety of shells, fish, plants & corals that you could explore for hours. & yes, if you're lucky (some may not view this as luck) you'll get to visit the lair of a saltwater crocodile. You see, not everything is samo-samo on Solomon Islands live-aboards such as MV Bilikiki & MV Spirit of the Solomons!
6. I like to dive, big time, but will I get to see some of the native island people & their colorful lifestyle, too?
Yes, by all means. We arrange a village visit at least once on every Solomons Islands live-aboard trip. You'll have a chance to meet the islanders, see & purchase carvings & baskets & visit their schools & churches. If we're anchored off a village the islanders will come out in their canoes to market produce & carvings, or just watch what's going on. The children are a real delight. They are naturals in the water swimming, or on it in their dugout canoes. They are excited to see these approaching Solomon Islands live-aboards, & will provide cute local color when they come bustling & grinning to greet you.
7. What's the essential difference between your two Solomons Islands live-aboards ?
Really very little. Here's how it works with these two Solomon Islands live-aboards. Both M.V. Bilikiki & M.V. Spirit of Solomons travel to the same dive sites & offer the same high standards that have made Bilikiki Cruise Ltd. famous. Both ships are large, 125 feet long & 24 feet wide, & both are built on traditional high-prowed South Pacific hulls, designed to offer comfortable & stable travel for the passengers. The differences in these stellar Solomon Islands live-aboards are predominately in the accommodations & deck layout. M.V. Bilikiki has her dive deck astern, & all accommodation is in the 10 double/twin cabins with private facilities on the lower accommodation deck. M.V. Spirit of Solomons has her dive deck amidships, & there are three types of accommodations aboard, two double cabins & one double/twin share cabin - with private facilities - on the main deck, four double/twin cabins - with private facilities - on the lower accommodation deck, & six twin cabins - with shared facilities - also on the lower deck. Spirit of Solomons also has her dining deck located aft on the bridge deck, with a commanding view of the ocean & islands. Both ships offer immense sundecks, plenty of covered space, air-conditioned accommodations & both offer carefully prepared, tasty & ample meals. That's pretty well the gist of comparing the two premier Solomon Islands live-aboard dive charter yachts.
8. The Solomon Islands saw major World War II naval battles. Many ships were sunk in the islands. Will we get to dive any of those classic shipwrecks?
Wreck dives are included in every cruise, & the number we do depends on the interests of the people on board. We don't have that many wrecks to chose from, as most of them are far too deep, even for well experienced divers. Those we do dive on our Solomons Islands live-aboard packages include Japanese transport ships along the Guadalcanal coast, the Ann in the Russell Islands (a more recent wreck, not W.W.II) & Japanese transports in Marovo Lagoon. Divers still find ample evidence of the war action that sunk these vessels, lots of ammunition & machinery in the holds, as well as dishes, bottles & other evidence of shipboard activities.
9. Let's say I'm planning my second trip with Bilikiki Cruises. Will we go back to all the same dive sites, or see new ones?
Not likely that you'll ever be experiencing all the same old sites & sights. On your next Solomons Islands live-aboard adventure, we'll probably return to some of the favorite spots, but with hundreds of dive sites to chose from in the Florida & Russell Island groups, & Marovo Lagoon, you'll get to experience new & different dive sites too. We try not to return too frequently to any one site, in order to reduce any stressful impact on the marine life. Solomon Islands diving = several salient surprises every day!
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