Asia and Oceania

Solomon Islands

Still current at: 08 January 2009

Updated: 10 December 2008

Terrorism

There is a low threat from terrorism in the Solomon Islands.  But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

 

For further information see Terrorism Abroad.

Crime

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force has limited resources and response times to calls for assistance are likely to be slow.  Law and order in the Solomon Islands is fragile. There appears to have been an increase in reported robberies with threatened violence in expatriate homes. Incidences of pick-pocketing and harassment against expatriates, particularly at the Central Market and around ATMs, have increased.

There is the potential for trouble due to civil unrest and drunken behaviour.  Foreigners and expatriates may be particularly attractive targets for violence. You should exercise caution if going to local nightclubs as instances of drunken attacks are not uncommon.  You should be aware that such venues rarely have adequate fire precautions in place.  

You should take security precautions at all times in Honiara, and maintain a high state of personal awareness.  You should also avoid travel around Honiara at night, where possible. There have been several security incidents recently, including vehicle hijacking, in squatter settlements around Honiara and the Lungga Bridge/Sun Valley and Henderson area (notably the route to the Airport). Reports indicate a re-emergence of improvised road blocks, sporadic rock throwing and more serious violent criminal acts, including sexual assault, robbery and vehicle hijacking. These areas should be avoided, particularly in the early hours of the morning and at weekends, though incidents are unpredictable and may not be confined to these times and could arise in other areas. If you plan to visit rural Guadalcanal, take day trips outside Honiara or visit the island of Malaita you are advised to check this advice before travelling. Visits to other provinces in the Solomon Islands are generally trouble-free.

For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad.

Political Situation

Solomon Islands Country Profile.

Since the wide-scale civil unrest that took place in the Solomon Islands between 18 and 22 April 2006, the political situation has remained relatively calm. At the time, rioting resulted in 90% of China Town and several other buildings in the capital Honiara, including one major hotel being destroyed.

Dr Derek Sikua became Prime Minister on 13 December 2007 following a vote of no confidence in his predecessor Manasseh Sogavare. Although the situation in recent months has been calm, the risk of civil disturbance remains. You should exercise caution and avoid unofficial public gatherings and large crowds and monitor local information sources.

 

Local Travel

Inter-island travel is by air to mainly grass and coral airstrips, or by ferryboats.

Road Travel

There are few roads in the Solomon Islands, 90% of these are on Guadalcanal and Malaita.  Only a few of the main roads are of reasonable quality.  The rest are very heavily potholed and in some areas the bridges have collapsed.  Standards of driving and vehicle maintenance are poor.  Be especially careful when overtaking any vehicle.  Solomon Islanders chew betel nut and frequently open vehicle doors, including on the driver's side, when travelling at speed, in order to spit out the juice onto the road.  Drivers should also be particularly careful when driving in and around town.  A lack of pedestrian discipline and cars travelling at speed has resulted in a number of fatal accidents.

 

As in the UK, if you are involved in a road accident the law requires you to stop and stay at the scene until the police arrive.  However, there may be circumstances where this is not sensible or wise, such as the gathering of a large and hostile crowd.  If you feel this is the case, then you should drive immediately to the nearest police station to report the incident and the police may accompany you back to the scene of the accident.

 

For further information see Driving Abroad.

Air Travel

Air safety has been good but reliability of services can be patchy and cancellations occur.  Domestic flights are particularly prone to disruption and visitors with international connections should note and plan accordingly.

Sea Travel

Salt water crocodiles are native to parts of the Solomon Islands, and there have been sightings on beaches.  Local advice should be sought before entering unfamiliar waters, including lakes.

Ferry services are usually crowded and safety regulations not always strictly applied.  It is advisable to bring your own lifejacket if contemplating sea journeys.  Journeys to small and/or remote islands are usually in small-motorised “canoes”.

 

For more general information see River and Sea Safety 

Drug use is illegal in the Solomons, and can lead to prison sentences.  Swearing is a crime and can lead to large compensation claims and even jail.

Dress codes, particularly for women, are modest and you will gain respect by dressing appropriately.  In certain areas there are ‘taboo’ sites only visited by men.

Solomon Islanders do not object to being photographed but you should ask permission first.

Land ownership in the Solomon Islands is an important and sensitive issue.  Walking and trekking off the beaten track, therefore, may require payment of a “kastom” fee to the landowner.

Homosexuality is illegal in many Pacific countries, including the Solomon Islands.  Open displays of affection between same-sex partners may offend local inhabitants and you could face a prison term if you are found guilty.

 

For more general information for different types of travellers see Travel Advice Relevant to You.

Visas

 

Visas are not required for British nationals visiting the Solomons.  You should be in possession of a return or onward ticket.   We strongly advise all British nationals (including those residing in the Solomon Islands) to obtain a multi-entry visa for Australia.  See the Travel Advice for Australia for more details.

 

Passport validity

 

You should have at least six months validity on your passport.

 

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.

Medical facilities are very basic throughout the Solomon Islands.  There are limited hospital facilities and medical supplies are not always available.  Doctors are few and far between.  The National Referral Hospital in Honiara frequently runs out of blood supplies and presently has a very limited stock of oral re-hydration salts, paracetamol and basic antibiotics. You should take a basic medical kit with you when visiting rural and remote areas.

Dengue and malaria occur in the Solomon Islands. These diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes. There are no vaccinations against these diseases but there are preventative measures that you can take, as advised on the National Travel Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website. You should visit your GP to discuss malaria prevention tablets.

Scuba divers should be aware that there is a decompression chamber in Honiara, which is manned by volunteers. Registered dive operators can provide information on access arrangements.

There have been 12 reported cases of individuals contracting the HIV virus, this situation is expected to increase 3 fold over the coming year.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to the Solomon Islands and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Heath Network and Centre NaTHNaC or NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

 

For more general health information see Travel Health and for food/drink hygiene see Eat and Drink Safety.

The Solomon Islands are a part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire";earthquakes, tidal waves and volcanic activity can occur at any time.

 

The'ring-of-fire' is a horse-shoe-shaped zone of frequent earthquakes andvolcanic eruptions that surrounds the basin of the Pacific Ocean.  Itis 40,000kms long and is associated with a nearly continuous series ofoceanic trenches, island arcs, and volcanic mountain ranges and/orplate movements.

 

It is understood that 90% of theworld's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occuralong the Ring of Fire, which is a direct consequence of platetectonics and the movement of collisions of crustal plates. The islandof Savo, 35 kilometres North West of Honiara, is a cyclically activevolcano

 

Earthquakes

 

At 0740 local time on 2 April 2007 a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of the western Solomon Islands, close to Gizo.  The earthquake was followed by a tsunami.  Widespread damage occurred in the towns of Gizo, Noro, Simbo, Ranogga, Shortlands, Munda, Vella La Vella, Kolombangara, Taro and the southern coast of Choiseul, including Sasamunga.  There were more than 50 people killed as a result of the earthquake and tsunami.

 

Although destruction ofproperty was widespread, Gizo is slowly returning to normality, withall resorts and hotels open for business.  You should keep in touchwith your tour operator for advice on the local situation.

 

Tropical cyclones

 

Thetropical cyclone season in the Solomon Islands normally runs fromNovember to May.  You should monitor local and international weatherupdates form the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).  You can also access http://www.nhc.noaa.gov for updates.  See Tropical cyclones for more details.

Insurance

 

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  For the Solomon Islands this should include a provision for medical evacuation.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  See Travel Insurance for more details.

 

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then this is how we can help.

 

Registering with the British High Commission

 

You should register with the British High Commission on arrival (if necessary via your hotel reception).

 

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

 

Replacement Passports

The British High Commission in Honiara does not issue passports.  Applications for a new passport should be submitted to the High Commission for processing.  Where possible, you are advised to apply at least two months before your passport is due to expire.  You should be aware that you will not be allowed to retain your old passport whilst waiting for the replacement to be processed and returned.

 

Urgent applications will be forwarded by commercial courier to the British High Commission in Canberra, and the courier cost will be added to the passport fee.  You should be aware that our High Commissions will process your application as quickly as possible but, due to the distances involved, it is likely that there will be a delay in issuing you with a full replacement British Passport.  Less urgent applications will be forwarded to Canberra via the Diplomatic bag free of charge.

Where necessary the High Commission will issue an Emergency Passport.  Emergency Passports are valid for a single journey back to the UK using agreed transit points as necessary, or to Commonwealth countries provided a prior arrangement exists with the authorities of the Commonwealth country concerned.

The High Commission will be able to advise you which of these options best suits your circumstances.

There is a GSM phone service in the Solomon Islands.  Coverage, however, is limited to Honiara, Gizo, Munda and Noro.  You should contact your service provider for further details.  Solomon Telekom offers a hire service for their mobile phones and satellite phones.

There are a few Internet cafes in Honiara; costs range from SB$16 (£1.06) to SB$120 (£8) per hour.

 

Money

 

There are three banks operating in the Solomon Islands, but banking facilities outside the major towns are limited.  There are a small number of ATMs in the Solomon Islands, including one at Honiara Airport.  Current experience is that these operate efficiently.