The Solomon Islands has awesome diving. In addition, the scenery above the water line is magnificent and varied. Furthermore, visitors have the opportunity of staying in isolated places, which have changed little since the nineteenth century. In bush villages, brides are still paid for with shell money and pigs. Village elders will spellbind you with tales of their encounters with magic men and giants.
The island of Guadalcanal has mountains higher than Australia's Mount Kosciusko. Visitors venture out on guided hikes through dark rainforests harbouring spirits of antiquity and walk along the edge of ravines with stops at waterfalls that plunge precipitously. Of course, there are relics of World War II scattered here there and everywhere.
Since the 1960s, scuba diving has been the mainstay of the Solomons tourism industry. Much of the tourism infrastructure was built to service the needs of divers. Larger hotels and resorts are available in Honiara, Gizo and Munda, which are the major diving destinations. Prior to the 1990s there had been very little visitor accommodation available in other parts of the country. Adventurous travellers often had to rely on friendly locals to take them in. However more recently the increasing number of visitors seeking to visit: geophysical areas with active volcanoes or biological areas such as Morovo Lagoon, described by James Michener as the eighth wonder of the world. This has led to the development of a range of low-cost, "village style" accommodation facilities. Those travellers who are more interested in culture and environment than in luxury rooms with cable TV will find the accommodation quite satisfactory and the experience exhilirating.
Papua New Guinea Village Homestay
A combination package with more upscale accommodation and the opportunity to participate in village activities can be found by booking at
In Papua New Guinea, a scenic thirty minute drive inland from the coastal town of Madang, lying at the same latitude as the island of New Britain, is the village of Ohu offering accommodation to visitors. Ohu Village
The village is a 20 minute walk from Sumeh Falls, which you can hear long before you reach the forested gully where the falls plunge a respectable 300 feet. However, I do not consider it the main attraction. Nearby is the Ohu Butterfly Conservation Area,which has been planted with flowering shrubs, such as the hibiscus, favoured by butterflies. It would not be unusual for A Queen Alexandra Birdwing, which is on the US Endangered Species list, to alight on your outstretched hand.
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