In the midst of the South Pacific, the Solomon Islands is part of the Coral Triangle and home to some of the best, off-the-beaten track scuba diving in the world. There is an amazing diversity of marine life, and dive site environments - wrecks, pristine reefs, lagoons, caverns, walls - all a short flight from Australia or Fiji. MV Bilikiki has been operating liveaboard cruises in the Solomons for over 25 years and their experienced crew know the best dive sites that the islands have to offer.
The MV Bilikiki is 38 metres long and is steel-hulled. Her large size and stability are 2 main reasons why guests from around the world rate the Bilikiki as one of the most spacious and comfortable vessels that they have travelled on. There is a friendly and attentive crew of 12 plus 2 managers who are responsible for diving and operations. The liveaboard is well maintained and carries all necessary navigation and communication equipment. It maintains regular contact with its office in Honiara and there is a satellite phone for emergency or urgent communications.
There are 10 air conditioned deluxe cabins, each with its own en-suite bathroom. There is a large sundeck with loungers, open-air shaded areas, a photography room, and an indoor lounge with large tables, a bar, TV and an extensive library of marine reference and recreational reading books. Meals are served in a shaded area on the main deck and the galley staff produces quality, tasty meals and snacks. The boat also has a bar service with soft drinks, spirits, beer and wine.
Physically the diving will be the easiest you'll find. The immense dive deck give you lots of room for suiting up, and offers individual gear storage, racks and hangers for suits, freshwater showers, and easy access to the aluminium skiffs (called 'tinnies' in the Solomons). And if you're a photographer you'll appreciate the separate rinse tanks for camera gear, and the large carpeted camera tables right on the dive deck, where you need them for last minute adjustments. The liveaboard crew will load everything in one of the 2 skiffs for you, and are on hand to help you in and out of the water, and wait for you at the site. Bilikiki offers unlimited diving, with the dive day built around 5 dives. Complimentary nitrox will help you safely achieve this. The dive staff are always available to give guidance and a pre-dive briefing to outline the dive site and any special factors.
Bilikiki liveaboard awaits your visit to the Solomon Islands and will be the source of some great scuba diving, new friendships, and exciting and life-long memories.
There are 10 deluxe cabins on the lower deck - 8 cabins with a lower double bed and upper single bed, and 2 with twin beds. All staterooms have en-suite bathrooms
All the cabins have:
- Air conditioning and fan
- Portholes
- Private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
- Hand basin, towels and toiletries
- Hair dryer on request
- Reading lights
- Daily housekeeping
- Hanging space, coat hangers and shelves
- Smoke alarm
- Mains outlet 240 volts (Australian style sockets) - 24 hours per day
- Life jackets
- Luggage space
No. of bathrooms / showers - 10 /12 - hot water
Solomon Islands (Express)
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: Leru Cut, White Beach, Mirror Pond, Karumolun Point; Mary Island, Florida Islands: Twin Tunnels, Devil’s Highway, Maravagi Bay, Japanese Mavis Seaplane. Village visit to see custom singing and dancing and to see traditional life.
Day 1
You'll meet Emperor Bilikiki in Honiara for boarding and can arrive at any time on the first day, as the yacht won't leave port until the following morning. Upon arrival, the cruise managers will welcome you onboard the liveaboard with a fruit platter, show you to your cabin, and provide a comprehensive safety briefing. They'll also introduce you to the crew and explain the boat's features and the plans for the coming days. You'll have plenty of time to complete any necessary dive paperwork, familiarise yourself with the vessel, and get settled in. Snacks will be served, followed by dinner. After a night's sleep in your comfortable cabin, the diving will commence the following day.
Core Days
The Solomon Islands are an off-the-beaten-path diving paradise with an incredible variety of marine life and dive sites. You can explore everything from World War II wrecks to pristine reefs, lagoons, caverns, and walls. Divers can spot large creatures like pilot whales, sharks, and manta rays, as well as an abundance of macro wonders, including pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, and ghost pipefish.
The dive schedule is flexible and designed for unlimited diving. While each day has 5 scheduled dive slots, you can dive as much as you like. Before each dive, a briefing will cover what to expect, including potential marine life, currents, and recommended depths. All dives are conducted from 2 aluminium skiffs. Once you surface, a crew member will track your bubbles and pick you up immediately, eliminating long swims and waiting in the sun.
One of the most famous dive sites in the Solomon Islands, Leru Cut is a narrow, breathtakingly beautiful channel that slices deep into Leru Island. When dived at the right time of day, shafts of sunlight penetrate the water, creating a magical, ethereal atmosphere. Mirror Pond is a serene pond that reflects the jungle above. The main dive is on the outside of the pond, where a sheer wall is home to snappers, trevallies, pygmy seahorses, and beautiful gorgonian fans. The shallow areas offer a vibrant coral garden with crocodile fish, cuttlefish, and anemone fish. The Japanese Mavis Seaplane is a WWII wreck in the Tulagi area. A large, mostly intact Japanese seaplane rests upright on a silty bottom. The wreck is an artificial reef, home to glassfish and other marine life.
During your trip, you’ll have the chance to experience traditional village life firsthand, complete with singing and dancing. The crew often buys fresh fruit and vegetables directly from villagers who paddle up to the boat in canoes. For a more active experience, guests can use one of the 2 kayaks or even try paddling a local dugout canoe. If you enjoy fishing, the crew would be happy to take you out hand-lining for tuna in the early morning or evening, and your catch can be prepared that very night.
After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the liveaboard begins its trip back to port.
Final Day
After a breakfast, you will depart Emperor Bilikiki. Transportation is provided to Honiara Airport and hotels.
Solomon Islands
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Russell Islands: Leru Cut, White Beach, Mirror Pond, Karumolun Point; Mary Island, Florida Islands: Twin Tunnels, Devil’s Highway, Maravagi Bay, Japanese Mavis Seaplane; Marovo Lagoon: Kicha, Mbulo Caves, Wickham Island, Japanese Maru #2. Village visits to see custom singing and dancing, traditional life, and wood carvings.
Day 1
You will board the Emperor Bilikiki liveaboard in Honiara. Feel free to arrive at any time on the first day, as the yacht won't depart until the next morning. When you arrive, the cruise managers will welcome you and give you a safety briefing and an introduction to the boat while you enjoy a fruit platter, then show you to your cabin. You'll also meet the crew, complete some paperwork and get settled in. Snacks will be served, with dinner during the evening.
Core Days
For those seeking a true underwater frontier far from the well-trodden dive trails, the Solomon Islands emerge as the Pacific's final frontier and a diver’s ultimate paradise. This is an off-the-beaten-path destination where history and hyper-abundant marine life collide; here, you can drift over pristine coral cathedrals attended by masses of fish, and penetrate the haunting wrecks of World War II, now transformed into vibrant artificial reefs. With visibility that stretches for miles and waters virtually untouched by mass tourism, the Solomons offer a raw, exclusive, and rewarding adventure in the heart of the Coral Sea.
The daily schedule maximises your time underwater, offering up to 5 guided dives daily. Before each adventure, a detailed briefing prepares you for the conditions and potential sightings. There are 2 dedicated aluminium skiffs for swift, comfortable access to the sites. Upon surfacing, the crew ensures a prompt pickup, eliminating long swims or waits under the sun.
Twin Tunnels are a seamount dive. Descend through 2 vertical lava tubes from 15m to a cave at 34m. The wall outside the cave has strong currents and pelagic fish, while the top of the seamount is a beautiful reef with diverse marine life. Devil's Highway is a drift dive, where strong currents attract feeding manta rays and large schools of fish. Divers 'fly' over a shallow reef, making it an action-packed experience. Maravagi Bay is a calm, protected bay, ideal for macro photography. The site is a haven for small marine life, including a huge variety of nudibranchs, pipefish, and scorpionfish. A small wreck attracts a school of batfish.
Mbulo Caves are a series of interconnected caves and swim-throughs with beautiful sunbeams filtering through the water. The dives also feature stunning hard coral formations and a variety of tropical fish on the outer reef. Japanese Maru #2 (Toa Maru) is a well-preserved Japanese cargo vessel sunk by American bombers during World War II. The wreck is a highly photogenic dive site, covered in black corals, and features a deck gun hanging over the side. Trevally and groupers are often seen hunting on the decks. The wreck is largely intact and contains artefacts such as a tank, a motorcycle, and various supplies. It rests on its side, with depths ranging from 7 to 37 meters, making it accessible to a wide range of divers.
You will visit at least one village to see traditional life, singing and dancing. In the Marovo Lagoon area you will visit other villages to check out and potentially buy handmade carvings and other art. There are also 2 kayaks for guests to use and, if you are keen, you can try in a local dug-out canoe. If you like fishing, the crew will gladly take you out for some early morning or evening hand-lining for tuna - plan on having your catch that evening!
After a morning of diving on the last full day of the trip, the liveaboard returns to port.
Final Day
After a breakfast, you will depart for Honiara Airport or a local hotel.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
A fruit patter is served on arrival, followed by dinner. All meals are served buffet style in the open air main deck dining area and Emperor Bilikiki can cater to most dietary requests, if they know ahead of time. They also purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from the villagers during the trip, so they always have a lot of fresh produce onboard.
• Breakfast is from 6 am until the first dive at 7:30 am. It always includes cereals, fruits, milk, juice, toast and spreads and oatmeal (porridge), plus everyday some type of hot breakfast. This usually rotates between such things as scramble eggs, omelettes, sausage, pancakes, bacon, baked beans or boiled eggs and muffins. They just mix up the hot breakfast each day.
• Snacks are served after the first dive.
• Lunch is around midday and is different each day. Sample dishes are 2 different types of pizza, usually a meat based pizza and a vegetarian pizza, 3 different types of salad, a green salad, potato salad and a watermelon salad. Other lunches include tacos, beef burgers, fish burgers, chicken burgers, quiche, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken wings, BBQ tuna, fish & chips, everyday is something different and everyday there are also about 3 different types of salad and bread and soup.
• Snacks are served after the 3rd dive.
• Nibbles (a big platter of cheese, biscuits, chips, salami, olives, vegetable sticks and dips) are offered on the sun deck at 6 pm. Depending on the fishing they also offer sashimi at this time.
• Dinners are usually at 7 pm with one type of main dish, rice or potatoes plus 2-3 vegetable dishes, salad and bread. Examples of the main dish is grilled fish with nail nuts and green pepper, devil chicken, beef fillet in tarragon wine sauce, apricot chicken, roast lamb, baked fish in coconut milk, chicken teriyaki, beef and vegetable satay sticks, roast pork, cashew nut chicken, beef stir fry etc. Freshly cooked/baked dessert is on offer every night too.
• Unlimited drinking water, tea, coffee are free of charge throughout the trip.
• Alcohol, soft drinks and juices are available for purchase onboard.
