Solomons Master

Solomon Islands Trip information

Arrival & departure airport: Honiara International Airport (HIR)

 Flights and Transfers

For your convenience, a transfer between Honiara airport or a local hotel and the boat will be provided free of charge on embarkation and disembarkation days. Pick-up from hotels is generally between 7:30 and 18:00 on embarkation day. If you are staying in a hotel in Honiara before your liveaboard our reservations team will provide pick-up and embarkation transfer details in your departure pack.

Guests arriving in Honiara on the day of embarkation will be met at the airport by a representative of Master Liveaboards and/ or Coral Sea Resort upon arrival of their flight and transferred to Coral Sea Resort where they can spend the afternoon relaxing, or visit one of the local museums, until it is time to board Solomons Master.

PLEASE NOTE: Most of the Master itineraries operate with no break between trips; therefore, early embarkation or late disembarkation is not possible as the crew are on a tight schedule to turn the boat around. Disembarkation will be no later than 09:00, after a light breakfast.

Advice on International Flights

Ideally, you should plan to arrive in the Solomon Islands one day before the start of your liveaboard itinerary to allow for potential flight schedule changes and to ensure that you start your diving holiday well rested. Book international flights to and from Honiara International Airport (HIR);

Flight routes include:

Via Fiji (NAN) – flights with Fiji Airways, Solomon Airlines, Air Niugini

Via Brisbane (BNE) – flights with Solomon Airlines (codeshare with Qantas) and Virgin Australia

Via Papua New Guinea (POM) - with Air Niugini

IMPORTANT: Guests travelling via Australia, Fiji or PNG may require a transit visa

Here's an easy way to see all the Flight Connections

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the period you intend to stay in Solomon Islands and you should carry an onward or return flight ticket. Citizens of EU countries, U.K., the U.S., Canada, and most other Western countries do not need a visa to enter the Solomon Islands. Upon arrival they will be issued with a visitor’s permit with 3 months validity.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the proper entry permits for the entirety your travels, including transit. We suggest referring to the IATA Travel Centre website for current visa requirements for the countries you will be travelling to (including transit): www.iatatravelcentre.com/SolomonIslands passport and visa requirements.

For participation in a Best of Solomons or Taste of Solomons itinerary, we recommend guests are certified as PADI Advanced Open Water* divers, or equivalent, with at least 40 logged dives.

*Advanced Open Water certification may be possible on board, dependent on the itinerary. Please ask for confirmation.

For WWII Wreck itineraries, it is mandatory for guests to have PADI Advanced Open Water and Deep Diver certification, or equivalent, and a minimum of 75 logged dives.

You will need to provide copies of your certification card(s) as part of your pre-embarkation API, and may also be asked to show them, and a record of your logged dives, as proof of experience when you board.

Any guests who do not meet the minimum certification and experience requirements, or who the crew feel have insufficient experience or skills in certain conditions, may be denied participation in some or all dives.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the diving conditions and the mandatory certification requirements, please get in touch.

The Solomon Islands has an equatorial climate typical of many tropical areas. It is usually hot and humid all year round. The average air temperature is around 27° Celsius with only marginal changes from season to season. However, there are two distinct seasons:

Dry season - May to October

Wet season - November to April

The wettest months are January and February. Although uncommon, cyclones can occur in the wet season, however, they usually bypass the Solomon Islands and veer toward Vanuatu or down the coast of Australia.

Water Temperature and Exposure Suits

Water temperatures average around 28°–30°C (82°F to 85°F) all year round. The majority of our guests will find a 3mm wetsuit provides sufficient warmth. However, you may feel chilly after multiple dives per day, so you may wish to bring a 5mm wetsuit, or additional thermal protection if you tend to feel the cold quickly.

Rental wetsuits on Solomons Master are 3mm, full-length. They do not allow the use of dive gloves.

The local currency is the Solomon Island dollar (SBD). Currency from other countries can be
exchanged at Honiara Airport, or at any of the banks in town. The majority of established
hotels and restaurants will accept credit card payments, usually with the addition of a
surcharge, although smaller establishments often only accept cash payments.
We suggest carrying a small amount of SBD to make purchases when we visit villages or local
markets. The exchange rate is approximately 8 SBD to 1 USD. Most guests find that $750 SBD
to $1,500 SBD is adequate to cover incidental costs.

There are two associated plug types, types G and I.

• plug type G is the plug with three rectangular pins in a triangular pattern
• plug type I is the plug with three flat pins in a triangular pattern.

The Solomon Islands operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

Dive guides are complimentary during your trip. If you are wanting to dive beyond recreational limits on CCR's then you will need to dive with a buddy that has equivalent qualifications for the dives you wish to perform. CCR divers without buddies will be limited to the dive times of air-breathing recreational divers.

Nomadic Scuba says… At any given opportunity we will always use local
guides. Not only does this elevate your dive experience but it also
supports the local economy. Nine times out of ten it's a free service
too, so why not? That’s our take on the subject anyway.

Of course! Simply, let us know and we can get you pencilled in.