Solomon Islands: What to Know Before You Go

Cuisine Highlights

• Poi, taro cooked and pounded to a smooth paste; served alongside fish or meat at village meals
• Kumara (sweet potato), a staple across all islands, baked, boiled, or added to stews
• Coconut-based dishes, virtually every savory dish uses fresh coconut cream as the cooking medium
• Fresh fish and shellfish, barramundi, red snapper, and giant clams are caught and eaten daily
• Betel nut, chewed ubiquitously as a mild stimulant; offered as a gesture of welcome in many communities

Traditions & Festivals

• Independence Day (July 7), national holiday celebrated with canoe races, traditional dances, and cultural displays in Honiara
• Traditional shell money (tafuliae), red-and-white shell disk currency from Malaita is still used in bride price ceremonies and community exchange
• War canoe races, the elaborate ornamental war canoes of the Western Province are raced at cultural festivals
• WWII dive sites, Ironbottom Sound near Guadalcanal holds dozens of sunken warships; one of the world's greatest wreck diving destinations
• Kastom villages, traditional communities on Malaita live largely unchanged, with initiation rites and ancestral practices still practiced

Language & Communication

English is the official language, though Solomons Pijin (a Creole) is the true lingua franca between the country's 70+ language groups. English is used in government, schools, and tourism.

Learning a few Pijin phrases like "halo" (hello) and "tenkiu tumas" (thank you very much) is appreciated. Melanesian communication is often indirect, listen for contextual meaning.

Cultural Etiquette

• Always seek permission before photographing people or entering villages, kastom rights extend to land and cultural performances
• Remove shoes before entering homes and some community buildings
• Dress conservatively, bikinis and shorts are only appropriate at resort beaches; cover up when moving through town or visiting villages
• The islands are deeply Christian, Sunday activities are limited and silence during church hours is respected