Solomon islands - Salomonen

The Solomon Islands, English Solomon Islands, are in the Pacific, south of the equator. A total of 922 islands belong to the country. About ninety languages ​​of Melanesian origin are in use, so that English or a pidgin must be used for general communication.

Regions

Honiara Noro Gizo Buala Tigoa Tulagi Kirakira

Solomon Islands

• Choiseul (Lauru)
• Florida and Russell Islands
• Guadalcanal with the capital Honiara
• Malaita
• New Georgia Islands, the Western Province
• Renell and Bellona
• Makíra (San Cristobal)
• Santa Cruz Islands, the southeastern part of the country with the Polynesian island of Tikopia
• Santa Isabel

background

The Solomon Islands came under British protectorate in the 1890s. During the Second World War, the archipelago was the scene of many battles, including the costly Battle of Guadalcanal.

After independence in 1978, corruption and ethnic tensions increased. In recent years the Solomon Islands have come to the brink of anarchy, although efforts have also been made to stabilize the political situation. Tensions between the Guadalcanal Islands and the Malaitan ethnic group almost resulted in civil war by the year 2000.

More than seventy percent of the export value came from logging in 2009, another ten percent was made up of fish, and five percent each was cocoa and palm oil. Hence all products whose extraction can be problematic for the environment. The ground-living avifauna was exterminated by introduced rats, already at the time of the first Polynesian colonization. Also the Pacific boa, which occurs as a culture follower up to 1500 m (Candoia carinata paulsoni) played a part in it.

As a travel destination, the country is of particular interest to diving enthusiasts who want to admire relics of the Second World War. The best time to travel is from July to October.

getting there

Since October 8, 2016, EU nationals who are allowed to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days per 180 days have been exempt from visas.^[1] Proof of a return or onward flight is required. Numerous citizens of other nations, including Swiss and Liechtensteiners, can get a visa at the airport.
In most cases, the journey will be via Australia, for which one eVisa is required.

Otherwise, the embassy in Brussels is responsible for all of Europe: 17, Av. Edouard Lacomble, B-1040 Bruxelles, Tel .: 32 2 732 70 85. Forms

Duty Free Allowances

200 cigarettes or 250 g tobacco / cigars. 2 liters of schnapps. Fruit and vegetables require an import permit. Dogs and cats are only allowed in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. The export of the local currency is limited to 250 SB $.

When exporting antiques, the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act, among other things, this prohibits the export of any military relics. For real antiques, a permit must be requested from the National Museum.

By plane

Arrival with the Plane to Honiara, the capital, is possible from Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), Brisbane and Sydney (Australia) and Nadi (Fiji).

Best is over Brisbane, as there are four flights a week from there to Honiara in 2017. For transfers there is a Australian visa necessary.

By boat

Cruise ships occasionally stop at Honiara.

There are boat connections between the islands, e.g. from / to Bougainville. (However, note the provisions for Bougainville.)

Sports sailor

The first arrival must be in one of the following ports: Honiara, Korovou or Tara (Shortland Islands), Gizo, Ringgi, Yandina, Tulagi, Graciosa Bay or -10.682222165.8347221 Lata (Ndendo)(10 ° 40 ′ 56 ″ S165 ° 50 ′ 5 ″ E). You can only declare via this official one Port of Entry. It makes sense to choose Honiara. In other places it can be difficult to find the person responsible. Alcohol and firearms are sealed by customs.

The fees were increased sharply in April 2019. The fee is around SB $ 500 plus any weekend surcharges (basic fee SB $ 90-120 35 / hour). In addition, there is SB $ 200 for the health inspection (quarantine). (Travelers who require a visa are asked to pay an additional SB $ 800 for the residence permit.) Customs also charge SB $ 185 per meter of ship length. Only pets from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain are allowed on land, all others are quarantined. Since a return flight ticket is required for tourist entry at the airport, crew members who go on a boat must do so Director of Immigration Have it indicated in writing and approved in advance, stating the details ([email protected]).
Anchor fees on site, either lump sum or per day, are also due, you should insist on a receipt. In any case, the consent of the local “chief” (to be received by payment) must be obtained on the smaller islands, even if you want to swim, dive or fish!

There are repeated reports that burglars break into anchored boats.

mobility

There is left-hand traffic. Most of the country roads are in poor condition. In rural areas, it is common to hitchhike for a fee. Rental cars are only available on Guadacanal. Of the country's 1,300 km of roads, only 16 km were tarred in 2016, and around 800 km are private roads on plantations.

The main means of transport between the islands are ships or flights Solomon Airlines (Flight plans). The main landing sites besides the capital are Seghe, Munda and Gizo. Luggage is limited to 16 kg.

Regular passenger traffic exists between Honiara ↔ Auiki (Malaita) and once a week Honiara ↔ Gizo via Marovo. Overcrowding of the ferries is the rule, life jackets are not necessarily available (in sufficient numbers).

Local public transport, in the form of minibuses, is only available in the capital during the day. Taxis only run in Honiara and Auki. The price is to be agreed before the start of the journey.

Wikipedia provides a list of the small airports.

language

The official language is English. In addition, about ninety native languages ​​are used, with the pidgin being used among each other.

shop

A daily budget of at least € 60 in 2018 is realistic if you live in the cheapest accommodation and use the ferries instead of flights and boat charters. Food is comparatively cheap if you do without imported goods. One should add a quarter more to Guadalcanal. Those who like it a little more comfortable will not indulge in luxury even with € 100-150.

Exchange rates

€ 1 = SB $ 9.12; 1 US $ = 8 SB $(Apr. 2019)
When exchanging foreign currencies, Australian dollars (= 5.65 SB $) or British pounds (= 10.65 SB $) are preferred.

Banks open Mon.-Fri. 9.00-15.00. Credit cards are accepted (1-4% fee). EC cards with maestroSymbol can be used to withdraw money in the capital. ATMs are only available in a few cities.

activities

Many of the 28,000 annual visitors come to dive. In order to ensure a better quality standard, the association was founded in April 2019 Dive Operators Solomon Islands (DOSI) founded.

kitchen

Allow SB $ 35 for a meal in a simple restaurant. Tips are uncommon.

The local brewery is Solbrew, which is manufactured near the capital.

The food of the archipelago is little different from that of other South Pacific islands. So there is Poi, on fermented taro and the usual mix of tropical fruits. Cassava is an important source of starch. The tuna caught here, also an important export product, is often served with chillies with pasta or rice. In rural shops in particular, you can often only find canned food with spam or tuna.

nightlife

Gambling was developed as a major tourist attraction at a time when Australia was still severely restricted. There are therefore at least five casinos in the capital alone.

Prostitution is legal, but related activities (pimping, brothels) are not.

accommodation

Accommodation in the Solomon Islands is expensive. Even hotels designated as "budget" are not available for less than SB $ 400 (AUS $ 60) in 2017, the average hotel price is around twice as much (Overview). 10% “tax” is added.

On smaller islands, the local police station or pastor arranges accommodation (“village stay”).

security

Fire Brigade ☎ 999

Neither Germany, Austria nor Switzerland have representations in the country; the respective embassies in Australia are responsible Canberra for Germans the Consulate General in Sydney (☎ 61 (0) 2 8302 4900). In an emergency, EU citizens receive support from German honorary consul.

Possible power outages and water shortages must always be expected.

The Solomon Islands are of volcanic origin, they are one of the most earthquake-prone regions in the world. In the event of an earthquake, there is a risk of a tsunami. With every earthquake it is important to “win land” - one should immediately go at least ten meters above sea level, regardless of others.

Robberies are not uncommon on Guadacanal. "Trips (also by taxi and bus) from Honiara to the east across Alligator Creek and west further than White River are not permitted. The popular beach of Boneghi should only be visited with local guides. "^[2]

climate

The climate is tropical. Typhoon season is from the beginning of November to the end of March. The average daytime temperature is around 29 ° C, at night it rarely gets colder than 21 ° C. The annual rainfall is 2500-3000 mm. In Honiara there is a "dry season" with rain amounts of around 100 mm / month and a "wet season" (Nov.-Apr.) With a good 300 mm. The rains are more evenly distributed on Santa Cruz.

health

Tap water, if at all, should only be filtered or boiled.

Divers should be aware of the dangers posed by sharks, including aggressive species. There is no decompression chamber in the country. In bad years, up to fifty people in the country are harmed by saltwater crocodiles.

"In the Solomon Islands there is a high risk of malaria all year round (especially on Guadalcanal and Honiara, slightly lower risk on some remote islands in the east and south), mainly due to Pl. Falciparum (approx. 60%) and Pl. Vivax (approx. 40% ) with possible resistance to common drugs. ”Even the smallest wounds that are not immediately and cleanly sterilized fester and heal extremely slowly in a hot and humid climate.

There are around twenty species of snakes, some of which are poisonous. Potentially fatal poisonous snakes were first observed in 2013, specimens introduced from New Guinea that were quickly fought. Bites of the autochthonous poisonous snake Salomonelaps par (Coral snake) are not fatal, but require treatment (possibly artificial respiration), which is problematic in view of the poor medical supply situation away from the capital.

If you want to hike on the mountainous islands, you should wear sturdy shoes and socks despite the heat, as the often muddy paths require this.

respect

Homosexuality is illegal (up to 14 years in prison). According to UNAIDS 2016, the proportion of HIV infections is minimal (less than 0.2%).

As everywhere in the South Pacific, land tenure customs are strict. It makes sense to ask in the nearest village before hiking or visiting remote beaches; kastom- Usage fee required.

Most of the natives were Christianized by evangelical missionaries of the American type. This makes for an extremely conservative worldview and the fact that Sunday Quietday is. Women in shorts don't go at all.
The residents around the frequented by divers -8.48158.071 Marovo lagoon(8 ° 28 ′ 48 ″ S158 ° 4 '12 "E) are fanatical 7-day Adventists whose Sabbath is from Friday sunset to Sunday morning. During this time, outsiders are not welcome.

public holidays

In addition to the usual Christian Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, May 1st, Queen's Birthday on June 10th and Independence Day on July 7th.

Practical advice

A high-speed cable to Sydney should enable fast internet at least in the capital from September 2019 (delays expected).

Post and Telecommunications

• Post offices. Open: Mon. – Fri. 8.00 a.m. or 9.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m., Saturday until 12.00 p.m.last change: not specified

Landline numbers are five-digit. Mobile seven digits, starting with 74, 77 or 78.

There are two mobile phone providers, some of them still with GSM-EDGE in 2018, who sell SIM cards. Roaming agreements only have these for the Pacific region. 4G began to be introduced in Honaira in 2017.

• Our Telecom (there are also WiFi hotspot passes)
• B Mobile (Vodaphone).

literature

• US military maps

• Brillat, Michael; South Seas; Munich 2014; ISBN 9783865744227
• Gerber, Hans-Ulrich; Peace in the Pacific? Bougainville, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and West Papua; West Pacific island states between insurrection and peace solutions; Neuendettelsau 2008 (Pacific Information Point)
• Newell, Reg; Operation Goodtime and the Battle of the Treasury Islands, 1943: the World War II invasion by United States and New Zealand forces; Jefferson NC 2012; ISBN 9780786468492
• Mückler, Hermann; Austrians in the South Seas: researchers, travelers, emigrants; Vienna 2012; ISBN 9783643503909
• of historical interest: Paravicini, Eugen; Trips to the British Solomon Islands; Frauenfeld 1931 (Huber)
• Smith, Graeme; Chinese Reactions to Anti-Asian Riots in the Pacific; Journal of Pacific History, Vol. 47 (2012), No. 11, pp. 93-109
• Walter, Richard; Sheppard, Peter; Archeology of the Solomon Islands; Honolulu 2017 (University of Hawaii Press)
• Solomon Islands Compendium Travel guide for sailors, compiled from experience reports from 2016-9

Web links

• Solomon Islands Tourist Office (engl.)
• Solomon Chamber of Commerce (Chamber of Commerce; Eng.)
• List of the islands of the Solomon Islands
• Solomon Times News page, engl.
• Wildlife of the Solomon Islands (Photos for determination)
• Solomon Historical Encyclopaedia 1893-1978

Individual evidence