Solomon Islands (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) [Paperback]

Mark Honan (Author), David Harcombe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1997

Still the only guide to the Solomon Islands in English, this new edition contains up-to-date maps, customs, ceremonies, traditional art, tips on where to go diving, snorkeling, or mountain climbing, information on a wide range of accommodations from traditional villages to luxury resorts full details on travel between islands, a language section, and more. 35 maps. color insert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 3 edition (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864424051
• ISBN-13: 978-0864424051
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #888,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Travel > Australia & South Pacific > South Pacific

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars useful but must be taken with a grain of salt, February 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Solomon Islands (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Paperback)

Somewhat disappointing for a LP guide, lots of text but not as much "meat". After travelling in the Solomons and talking with others one gets the impression that the author did quite limited travelling throughout the islands and largely relied on other's reports. The hike to Mataniko Falls is way more strenuous and dangerous than hinted. (It is still an awesome sight, especially if you're a caver) Likewise a hike along the Weather Coast is more challenging than one would gather from the text, there are places where villagers go by boat because of the vertical exposure. Makira Island is only marginal habitat for salt-water crocodiles according to a Conservation International report and not as abundant as stated in the guide. Given the dearth of information about the Solomons it is still worth buying, but prudence is recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A decade later, still the best and only guide to the Solomons!, November 18, 2006

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Solomon Islands (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) (Paperback)

This is the last edition of Lonely Planet's Solomon Islands guide.
It has not been updated since the mid-90es, and has in theory been replaced by the publisher's 2005 "Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands" guide, which in reality only devotes fewer than 30 pages to the Solomon Islands, completely ignoring half the country's provinces, concentraiting on Honiara and a few popular tourist spots instead.

This edition (or the nearly identical 2nd edition), in contrast, covers the entire archipelago in amazing detail, all the way from the Treasury Islands in the West to the remote Polynesian outliers of Tikopia and Anuta in the East.
Each major province and island is described in good detail, and is shown on a good map.
Needless to say, some things have changed - however in the Solomons they have probably changed much less than in most of the rest of the World!
I travelled in the country in 2005, and found myself using this book almost all the time, with the then brand new PNG & Solomons guide quickly buried to the depths of my backpack.

If you want to actually travel around this least visited corner of Melanesia, rather than just have a short holiday on a resort island in Western province, and especially if exploring remote islands and hiking remote mountains and shorelines is your thing, this book is definitely the one to take.
It is also highly recommended for those with a general interest in the country, as travel practicalities apart, the background info on the culture, geography and fauna of the Solomons is still better than I have found in any other single book.