Beaches in Solomon Islands

Nearly a thousand islands strung across the Coral Triangle, with Marovo Lagoon — the largest saltwater lagoon in the world — at their centre; it has stood on the UNESCO tentative list since 1988, delayed by the difficulty of agreement across many landowning groups. Land is held under customary title almost everywhere, so a beach belongs to a clan and access is arranged rather than assumed, usually through a lodge or a village chief. The Second World War left the sea floor around Guadalcanal filled with wrecks, and Iron Bottom Sound is among the most concentrated naval graveyards anywhere; the diving here is as much wreck as reef, and the reef itself sits in the most species-rich waters on earth. Infrastructure is minimal and the country receives a few thousand leisure visitors a year, so prices reflect the absence of scale rather than any luxury. Practically: Honiara is the entry point and domestic flights to the provinces are limited and frequently rescheduled. Unexploded ordnance from the 1942–43 fighting is still found on land and in the shallows and should never be handled. Malaria is present and prophylaxis is the standard advice. Saltwater crocodiles are present in river mouths and mangrove, and local guidance on where to swim is not advisory. The dry season runs May to October.