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Shortland Islands
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Explore the remote Shortland Islands of Solomon Islands for customary island life, tropical reefs, World War II history and sea journeys.

The Shortland Islands form the westernmost island group of the Solomon Islands, scattered close to Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. Their position gives the region a distinctly frontier character: the islands are politically part of Solomon Islands, yet geographically nearer to Bougainville than to much of the rest of the country. The group includes the larger islands of Fauro, Alu and Mono, together with the Treasury Islands and numerous smaller islets, reefs and mangrove-fringed passages. Travel here is remote, logistically demanding and best suited to visitors with strong local connections, specialist interests or a genuine appetite for expedition-style travel.
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The landscape is predominantly tropical and maritime. Dense vegetation covers much of the land, while narrow channels, sheltered bays, coral reefs and forested shorelines create a varied coastal environment. Fauro is the largest island in the group and contains the regional centre of Nila, while Mono and the Treasury Islands are associated with important wartime sites and local communities. Reef flats and surrounding waters support fishing and subsistence livelihoods, although weather, sea conditions and limited infrastructure can make movement between islands unpredictable.
The islands' history is visible in both living culture and wartime remains. Communities retain strong links to customary land and sea tenure, and local languages and traditions remain important alongside Solomon Islands Pijin and English. During the Second World War, the Shortland Islands were occupied by Japan and became part of the military landscape surrounding the approaches to Bougainville and the northern Solomon Islands. Remnants of airfields, coastal defences, wreckage and other military material may be encountered, but visitors should treat such sites as sensitive and never disturb objects or enter unstable structures.
Shortland society is shaped by village life, church communities, fishing, gardening and inter-island relationships rather than by a developed visitor economy. Accommodation and transport options are limited, and arrangements generally need to be made through residents, provincial authorities, churches, organisations or other trusted local contacts. Visitors should allow considerable flexibility for weather and boat availability, travel with appropriate supplies, and seek permission before visiting villages, customary land, beaches, reefs or historical sites. The reward is not a conventional resort holiday but close contact with a remote island region whose significance lies in its people, seascapes, cultural continuity and layered Pacific history.

When is the best time to visit Shortland Islands?

Best: April–June · 29°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January29400
February29350
March29300
April (best)29250
May (best)29200
June (best)29200
July29250
August29250
September29300
October29350
November29400
December29450

Getting to and around Shortland Islands

How to get there

The Shortland Islands are among the most remote destinations in Solomon Islands. International visitors normally arrive first in Honiara, outside the region, using Solomon Islands' main international air gateway, then arrange onward travel through Western Province, usually by domestic air and boat or by a privately organised vessel. Nila on Fauro is the regional administrative centre, but services are limited and onward connections are not comparable with those in Honiara. Routes and vessels can change, so confirm arrangements with provincial authorities, local contacts or an established expedition organiser before departure. Travel near the Papua New Guinea border also requires particular attention to current official advice and documentation.

Transportation

Boat travel is the practical foundation of movement between the Shortland Islands, with routes depending on local vessels, weather, sea conditions and customary arrangements. There is no developed tourist transport network, and roads are limited compared with the country's urban areas. Land travel generally involves walking or locally arranged vehicles near settlements, while reefs, channels and exposed crossings should be navigated with experienced local boat operators. Do not assume that a scheduled public service will be available on a particular day. Carry dry bags, drinking water, fuel or other agreed supplies, and allow generous time for delays.

Best attractions in Shortland Islands

The Shortland Islands' attractions are primarily environmental, cultural and historical rather than commercial. On Fauro and the surrounding islands, visitors encounter forested shorelines, mangrove edges, coral reefs, sheltered bays and open-water passages best explored with local boat operators. Fishing, snorkelling and small-scale coastal exploration may be possible where conditions, equipment and customary permission allow, but these activities require careful planning and should not be treated as resort services. Mono and the Treasury Islands are particularly significant for visitors interested in the Second World War, with overgrown airfield areas, defensive positions, wreckage and other traces of Japanese occupation and Allied operations. Such places are not formal museum sites and may contain unexploded ordnance or unstable structures. Village visits, local guiding, church communities and conversations about customary land and sea use can provide a deeper understanding of the region, provided they are arranged respectfully. The appeal lies in its remoteness, living communities and layered seascape, not in a dense concentration of developed attractions.

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Best landmarks in Shortland Islands

The most recognisable landmarks of the Shortland Islands are tied to their geography and wartime history. Nila on Fauro serves as the administrative centre and an important point of reference in a group where settlements are separated by sea rather than connected by a continuous road network. Mono and the Treasury Islands are marked by remnants of the Second World War, including former airfield landscapes, defensive works, fragments of military infrastructure and scattered wreckage. These remains are historically important but are often concealed by tropical growth and should be visited only with local guidance. The surrounding channels, reef systems and forested volcanic islands are landmarks in their own right, expressing the group’s position at the western edge of Solomon Islands. Their proximity to Bougainville gives the Shortland Islands a distinctive geopolitical and geographical identity, while customary ownership means that many prominent places are also community-held environments rather than public monuments.

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Best restaurants in Shortland Islands

Dining in the Shortland Islands is generally organised through households, community contacts, small local shops or accommodation arrangements rather than a restaurant sector. Meals may draw on fish, shellfish where locally permitted, root crops such as cassava and sweet potato, taro, bananas, coconuts and garden greens. Rice and tinned or packaged provisions are also common parts of island food supplies, particularly where transport links make fresh produce irregular. Visitors should arrange meals in advance and bring suitable reserves, as choice, refrigeration and opening hours cannot be assumed. Sharing food is an important part of hospitality, but guests should follow local guidance about customary restrictions and payment. Honiara and larger provincial centres offer a wider range of restaurants before or after travel, but the Shortland Islands are better understood through locally prepared food and community hospitality than through formal dining.

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Best bars in Shortland Islands

The Shortland Islands do not have a developed bar or nightclub scene. Evening life centres on villages, family gatherings, church communities and informal socialising, with conversation and shared meals more typical than organised entertainment. Alcohol may be available through local channels, but visitors should not assume that licensed premises, late opening, music venues or reliable supplies exist, and should behave with particular restraint in small communities. Nights are often quiet because boat travel, weather, power supplies and communications shape the daily rhythm. Visitors staying with local hosts should follow household expectations, avoid drinking in a way that causes disturbance and ask before joining community events. Honiara, outside the region, is the country's principal centre for a broader selection of bars, clubs and live entertainment.

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Best nightclubs in Shortland Islands

The Shortland Islands do not have a developed bar or nightclub scene. Evening life centres on villages, family gatherings, church communities and informal socialising, with conversation and shared meals more typical than organised entertainment. Alcohol may be available through local channels, but visitors should not assume that licensed premises, late opening, music venues or reliable supplies exist, and should behave with particular restraint in small communities. Nights are often quiet because boat travel, weather, power supplies and communications shape the daily rhythm. Visitors staying with local hosts should follow household expectations, avoid drinking in a way that causes disturbance and ask before joining community events. Honiara, outside the region, is the country's principal centre for a broader selection of bars, clubs and live entertainment.

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Best shops in Shortland Islands

Shopping in the Shortland Islands is limited and practical. Small local stores and informal community trading may provide basic food, household supplies and fuel-related necessities, but visitors should not rely on finding specialist equipment, souvenirs or a dependable range of imported goods. Regional purchases may include locally made woven items, shell work, carved objects or garden produce, although availability varies and products should be bought directly and respectfully through community contacts. Ask before photographing or purchasing culturally significant objects, and never buy wartime artefacts, archaeological material, shells taken from protected or customary areas, or anything that could be unexploded ordnance. Bring most personal supplies from a larger Solomon Islands centre, particularly medicines, batteries, toiletries, snacks and waterproof storage. The most meaningful souvenirs are usually responsibly acquired crafts, locally produced foodstuffs and memories of community-hosted travel rather than mass-market merchandise.

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Shortland Islands essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the Solomon Islands dollar, abbreviated SBD. Cash is the most dependable form of payment in the Shortland Islands, and visitors should obtain sufficient notes before leaving larger centres because reliable banking, card facilities and cash machines are not generally available in remote island communities. Agree clearly in advance how boat hire, accommodation, guiding, food and fuel will be paid. Keep money protected from humidity and seawater, and retain a reserve for an unexpected delay or change of transport.
Safety
The principal risks are remoteness, limited medical care, sea travel, tropical weather and difficult communications rather than conventional sightseeing hazards. Use properly maintained boats with life jackets, avoid unnecessary travel in rough conditions and follow local advice about currents, reefs and exposed passages. Heat, dehydration, insect-borne illness, cuts and water-related infections can become serious when medical assistance is distant. Visitors should use appropriate mosquito protection, take prescribed medicines and consider comprehensive travel insurance that covers remote evacuation. Never approach wartime ammunition, aircraft parts or unknown metal objects.
Emergency Situations
Emergency arrangements are limited and response times in the Shortland Islands may be lengthy. Solomon Islands' national emergency systems apply, but mobile coverage and access to police, medical care, fire services or organised rescue cannot be assumed in every settlement. Confirm current emergency numbers with local authorities before departure; 999 is commonly used for police in Solomon Islands, but visitors should verify the appropriate arrangements locally. Carry a charged satellite communicator or other dependable means of contacting a Honiara-based support organisation where possible, and share a written itinerary with trusted contacts before travelling between islands.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress modestly in villages and follow local guidance at churches, community gatherings and customary sites. Ask permission before photographing people, homes, ceremonies, military remains, gardens or culturally significant places, and never remove shells, artefacts, wreckage or other objects. Respect land and reef ownership, observe any local restrictions on fishing or access, and accept that invitations and permissions may need to come through recognised community representatives. Avoid promises that you cannot keep, do not distribute medicines or gifts casually, and discuss fees and transport arrangements clearly before a journey begins.
Local Tips
Treat the Shortland Islands as a community-based expedition rather than a conventional island resort destination. Local knowledge is essential for interpreting wartime remains, choosing safe anchorages and understanding customary boundaries. Solomon Islands Pijin is widely useful, while English is used in formal administration; learning a few courteous Pijin expressions can ease introductions. Pack lightweight, quick-drying clothing, sturdy footwear, a head torch, first-aid supplies, water containers and waterproof storage. Photography, internet access and refrigeration may be limited, so plan around the resources actually available rather than assuming that services found in Honiara will exist here.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloKia ora[kee-ah or-ah]
GoodbyeKia pai[kee-ah pie]
YesAroha[ah-roh-hah]
NoIu[ee-oo]
Please/You're welcomeTaku[tah-koo]
Thank youTenkyu[ten-kyoo]
Excuse me/SorrySori[soh-ree]
How are you?Oka a koe?[oh-kah ah koh-ay]
Fine. And you?Nae. A koe?[nah-eh ah koh-ay]
Do you speak English?Iu saik inglis?[ee-oo sah-ik ing-lis]
I don't understandMi no save[mee noh sah-veh]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseMi laik lukim menu, Taku[mee liek loo-kim men-oo, tah-koo]
I don't eat meatMi no kaen mit[mee noh kai-en meet]
Cheers!Taku for drink[tah-koo for drink]
I would like to pay, pleaseMi laik pe, Taku[mee liek pay, tah-koo]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Help![help]
Go away!Go awei![go ah-way]
Call the Police!Kol Police![kol po-lees]
Call a doctor!Kol dokta![kol dok-tah]
I'm lostMi los[mee loss]
I'm illMi sik[mee seek]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Mi laik baem...[mee liek bye-em]
I'm just lookingMi jus lukim[mee jus loo-kim]
How much is it?Hem hao moche?[hem how mo-ches]
That's too expensiveHem tu ekspensiv[hem too eks-pen-siv]
Can you lower the price?Iu save loea prais?[ee-oo sah-veh loh-eh prah-is]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hao taim hem?[how time hem]
It's one o'clockHem wan o'clock[hem wan oh-clock]
Half past (10)Half past ten[half past ten]
MorningMornin[mor-ning]
AfternoonAftanun[af-ta-noon]
EveningIvenin[ee-ven-ing]
YesterdayYestedei[yes-teh-day]
TodayTudei[too-day]
TomorrowTumoro[too-mo-ro]
1Wan[wan]
2Tu[too]
3Tri[tree]
4Fo[foh]
5Faiv[five]
6Siks[siks]
7Sevn[sev-en]
8Eit[ate]
9Nain[nine]
10Ten[ten]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Wea a/the...?[weh a/the]
What's the address?Wot hem address?[wot hem ad-dress]
Can you show me (on the map)?Iu save show mi (on da map)?[ee-oo sah-veh sho-mee (on da map)]
When's the next (bus)?When hem nex (bas)?[when hem nex (bus)]
A ticket (to ....)Wan tiket (to ....)[wan tee-ket (to ....)]

History of Shortland Islands

Ancient settlement and customary island societies

The Shortland Islands have been inhabited for centuries by Melanesian communities whose lives developed around gardening, fishing, inter-island exchange and customary control of land and sea. The island group sits within a wider cultural and trading world linking the western Solomons with Bougainville and neighbouring parts of the Bismarck and Solomon seas. Local languages, kinship networks, oral histories and customary authority remain important ways of understanding place. Archaeological evidence and traditional knowledge together point to long periods of movement and exchange across the surrounding islands, rather than an isolated history confined to individual shores.

European contact and colonial incorporation

European navigators entered the Solomon Islands from the sixteenth century, followed by traders, missionaries and colonial administrators in the nineteenth century. The Shortland Islands became incorporated into the British Solomon Islands Protectorate established in 1893, although effective administration in such a remote western area was limited and uneven. Mission activity and the expansion of commercial networks brought new religious, educational and economic influences, while communities continued to organise much of daily life through customary systems. The proximity of Bougainville also gave the islands a distinctive position within regional movements of people, goods and ideas.

Labour, missions and changing colonial economies

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the wider Solomon Islands were drawn into plantation agriculture, maritime trade and the colonial labour system. People from island communities were recruited or compelled into forms of wage labour elsewhere in the Pacific, while copra production, small-scale commerce and mission institutions altered connections between villages and the outside world. In the Shortland Islands, distance from the principal administrative centres limited large-scale development, but churches, schools, trading links and colonial governance still reshaped local society. These changes formed part of a broader transformation that affected customary authority, mobility and patterns of settlement.

Japanese occupation during the Second World War

The Shortland Islands were occupied by Japanese forces in 1942 as Japan expanded through the northern Solomon Islands and the approaches to Bougainville. The group became strategically important for seaplanes, shipping, coastal defence and the movement of troops and supplies. Military construction altered parts of the landscape, while local people experienced requisitioning, displacement, labour demands and the disruption of ordinary community life. The physical evidence of this period, including wartime infrastructure and scattered debris, remains part of the islands' historical landscape, although many sites are overgrown, unstable or hazardous.

Allied operations and the Treasury Islands landings

In late 1943, Allied forces landed in the Treasury Islands, particularly on Mono and Stirling, as part of the campaign to advance towards Bougainville and secure positions in the northern Solomon Islands. The operation involved naval forces, troops, aircraft and local logistical support, and it turned the Treasury Islands into an important Allied base area. Fighting and military construction left lasting traces, while the wider campaign brought heavy pressure on communities and the environment. Today, wartime remains in the Treasury Islands and elsewhere in the group require respectful interpretation and careful attention to unexploded ordnance.

Self-government, independence and provincial identity

The Solomon Islands moved towards self-government in the 1970s and became independent from Britain in 1978. The Shortland Islands were administered within Western Province, one of the country's large and geographically dispersed provinces. Since independence, the region has continued to balance national institutions with strong customary relationships and practical links to neighbouring islands and Bougainville. Limited roads, communications and public services have left many communities dependent on boats and local networks. The islands' contemporary identity therefore reflects both their place within the sovereign Solomon Islands and their distinctive western Pacific geography.

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Famous for its crystal-clear waters and vibrant marine life, the Shortland Islands offer a plethora of activities. Dive into the azure depths with a guided snorkeling tour, or explore the lush landscapes with a hiking experience. Savor the local cuisine at renowned eateries like the Coral Reef Cafe. Evendo ensures you get the most out of your visit with curated local tips and travel essentials.

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