Visit the Solomon Islands
Fly into Honiara, then keep going by boat or small aircraft until the capital gives way to reefs, rainforest and scattered island communities. The Solomon Islands are spread across hundreds of islands in the western Pacific, so a trip here is shaped by water as much as land. You can dive on coral reefs and Second World War wrecks, visit villages and markets, explore Guadalcanal’s wartime sites, or head into the Western Province for lagoons and smaller islands where travel feels much more remote. The country has a particularly strong combination of natural and wartime history. East Rennell, on Rennell Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering the southern third of the island and surrounding marine area. It includes Lake Tegano, the largest lake in the insular Pacific, alongside forest and endemic wildlife. Guadalcanal adds a very different layer: the island became the focus of a major Allied campaign against Japan in 1942–43, and battlefield sites, memorials and wrecks remain part of the landscape today. Allow at least a week, and longer if you want to move beyond Guadalcanal. Domestic transport can be infrequent, weather-dependent and logistically awkward, so build the trip around a small number of islands rather than trying to cover too much. British citizens can currently visit for up to 30 days without arranging a visa in advance, but passports need at least six months’ validity on arrival. Check current local advice before travelling outside Honiara or into rural Guadalcanal and Malaita, where the FCDO recommends additional caution. Add the Solomon Islands to your list and experience a Pacific country where getting between places is part of the adventure.