Exercise caution — there are real risks that travellers should plan around. Public infrastructure and health services are limited outside the main cities.
Regional breakdown
The Solomon Islands is a chain of hundreds of islands spread across the South Pacific. The capital, Honiara, on Guadalcanal, is where most visitors arrive and where most reported crime happens. The official advisory guidance flags Honiara for petty theft, break-ins and occasional robbery, with more risk after dark. Travellers are told to move in groups at night and to avoid showing valuables in public. Outside the capital, the risk picture shifts from crime to weather and terrain. Western Province, including Gizo and the Marovo Lagoon. Is a draw for divers but sits in the direct path of tropical cyclones that roll through between November and April. Choiseul Province and Isabel Province are also called out by official advisory guidance in its April 2026 weather alert. Roads, clinics and phone coverage thin out quickly once you leave Honiara. Old battlefields from the Second World War add another layer. The official advisory guidance names Hell's Point, New Georgia, the Russell Islands and Tulagi Island as places where unexploded ordnance still turns up. Cleared zones are not always fully cleared. Stick to marked paths and listen to local guides, especially when diving wrecks or walking through bush.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance refreshed its Solomon Islands page on 5 April 2026. The update was driven by Tropical Cyclone Maila, which was bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms. Strong winds and rough seas across the country before tracking toward Papua New Guinea. Western Province took the hardest hit, with Choiseul and Isabel Provinces also flagged. The official advisory guidance pointed travellers to the Solomon Islands Meteorological Service, which updates its bulletin every six hours. And told people to check with airlines before flying. The official advisory guidance last reissued its Solomon Islands advisory on 29 April 2025 at Level 2, "Exercise Increased Caution". The reasons listed are health risks, unexploded ordnance, crime and civil unrest. Washington has not raised or lowered the level since. There is no ordered departure of US staff, and official advisory guidance has not told travellers to leave. Both governments note that political events, including parliament sittings and elections, can trigger protests that sometimes turn violent. As they did in Honiara in November 2021.
What travellers should know
Medical care is the practical worry most visitors underestimate. Honiara has a national referral hospital, but facilities on the outer islands are basic and often short of drugs and equipment. Serious cases usually need evacuation to Australia, which is expensive without insurance that covers medical repatriation. Malaria and dengue are both present year-round, so bring repellent, cover up at dusk and speak to a travel clinic about antimalarials before you fly. Plan around the weather and the calendar. Cyclone season runs roughly November to April, and inter-island ferries and small aircraft can stop without much notice when a system moves through. Cash is king outside Honiara, as card machines are rare and ATMs are limited to a handful of towns. Respect local land ownership rules, ask before taking photos in villages, and dress modestly away from resort areas. Register with your embassy if you are heading to remote provinces, and keep a printed copy of your itinerary with someone at home.