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Bilikiki Cruises

About Bilikiki Cruises

Bilikiki Cruises has a 125ft long 24ft wide scuba diving liveaboard. They operate the vessel out of Honiara in the Solomon Islands. The 10 guest rooms are air conditioned and have ensuite bathrooms. They have 8 deluxe cabins with double beds and a bunk, and 2 deluxe cabins with single bunk beds. So, their 7-night cruise goes to the Russel Islands, Mborokua (Mary) Island, and the Florida islands. In addition, the 10-14 night cruises goes over to Marovo Lagoon in the New Georgia Islands. Enjoy our blog article on 110,000 Reasons to go Liveaboard.

Bilikiki Cruises Diving

On non-transit days, expect to get in 4 dives a day plus a night dive. So, they use tenders called "tinnies" to take you out to the sites and back to the liveaboard. Moreover, there are hundreds of dive sites around the 992 islands. Some of the popular hot spots include: Leru Cut, Mirror Pond, Mbulo Caves, and Cave of the Custom Shark, Mary's Island, Morovo Lagoon, Devil's Highway and Twin Tunnels. While on Bilikiki Cruises, you can explore a plethora of World War II and the battle of Guadalcanal wrecks. Some popular wrecks include: Bonegi I the Hirokawa Maru and Bonegi II the Kinugawa Maru. The Searpens, Wildcat F4F, Douglas Dauntless bomber, a Japanese I1 submarine, the H6K4 Kawanishi Flying Boat, Japanese supply ships, a B-17 Bomber, and “White Beach”. You might also like diving the Wreck of the Ann and the Uepi fishing pier.

Attractions and activities

You will be scuba diving pristine reefs, exploring tunnels, caves, wrecks and identifying multitudes of fish. However, there will be times between dives on Bilikiki Cruises to meet with local villagers, go kayaking or go snorkeling. Off the boat you can also visit archaeological caves, see the skulls of former head hunters, and/or view waterfalls and rivers. Moreover, you can visit the Vilu War Museum and the American War Museum, or purchase local foods, wood carvings, and experience local markets and customs. So, onboard there is plenty of space for photographers and their gear. The dive deck has a long-carpeted camera table. There are also camera only rinse stations. Between dives, the food is a culinary treat from the local islands, Europe, and America. Fresh fruits and vegetables are purchased from the local villages.
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Bilikiki Liveaboard - Solomon Islands

Deluxe Cabin accommodations (Double Occupancy), Airport or Local Hotel Transfers, Meals and Snacks Including Drinking Water, Teas and Coffee and 4 Dives Daily Plus Night Dive (Not Included $25 per Person per Night Solomon Island Tax) Travel Period: 2024 Price and Itinerary's: $4550 / 7 Nights' $6500 / 10 Nights' $7150 / 11 Nights' $9100 / 14 Nights' Travel Period: 2025 Price and Itiner...

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The Solomon Islands are in the South Pacific just south of the equator and not too far from Fiji and Australia. Most of our guests arrive via Nadi, Fiji or Brisbane, Australia.
Diving evacuation insurance (DAN or equivalent) is mandatory for the trip. We also very strongly recommend people get comprehensive travel insurance that covers Covid related issues as well as the normal possible problems of travel.
The short answer to that question is not really. It is possible to access the internet by the local mobile towers in a few locations on the trip but it is quite unreliable and slow. It is best to check with your provider on whether roaming in the Solomons will be possible, whatever they tell you it probably won't be but buying a local SIM in Honiara is possible. There is internet access in Honiara before and after the trip otherwise the Solomon Island's remote nature and low population density make internet availability rare.
We accept all major currencies, Solomon dollars and credit cards (Mastercard and Visa). There is no fee for using credit cards but they are processed in Solomon dollars so may be subject to exchange rates and fees from your credit card company. Please note that in the Solomons generally MasterCard is often not accepted.
Yes, there is shampoo and soap provided in all the cabins and also on the dive deck showers. We also have hairdryers, if you require one for the trip please ask the managers onboard and they will provide one for you.
Power throughout the ship is 240 V 50 cycle, using Australia style 3-prong outlets. There are also plenty of American style 110 V 60 cycle outlets for charging cameras, strobes, dive lights, etc. These outlets are only for charging purposes so if you intend to use hairdryers, shavers, etc. you will need to bring adapters.
Not directly but if there is an emergency then they can send our office an email or give us a call. We will then pass a message onto them, the details for that are below. We have a satellite phone onboard if you need to call home (charged per minute). Mobile towers are becoming more common but are still not in most places and quite unreliable. Check with your mobile provider but roaming with most companies does not work.
Boarding time on the first day is normally around 4PM. Disembarkation is around 8AM on the last day. All of our departures are designed to work with the incoming and outgoing flights so in general overnights are not required. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the vessel, or if your flight is earlier than the boarding time to a nearby hotel where you can relax. On the last day you generally have a few hours to look around town before we transfer you back to the airport, many people opt to do one of the interesting World War 2 history tours of Honiara. Of course, not all flights from all ports of entry arrive and depart on our charter dates so depending on when you choose to fly overnights may be required.
Located just a few degrees below the equator, the climate is tropical year round although it is moderated by the sea air. Being tropical it is generally sunny with frequent but short bursts of rain. Humidity is usually high, particularly inland, but is significantly lower on the smaller islands and aboard ship. We do not operate in January and February when it tends to rain the most, instead we use this time for maintenance and well deserved crew holidays. This ensures that our boats are always in top notch condition, that the crew is relaxed and efficient, and that the customers will be guaranteed to be diving in the best seasons possible.
We visit villages to see local singing and dancing as well as see the amazing carvings in the Marovo Lagoon area (on trips 10 days or longer). We also have two kayaks for guests to use and if you are keen we can arrange a 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 for sashimi that evening.
Yes, there is great snorkeling on nearly every dive site and snorkelers are more than welcome to join our regular dive trips. Please check out our page on The Diving for more information.
Yes. We arrange a village visit at least once on every trip. If we're anchored off a village the islanders will come out in their canoes to sell us fruit and vegetables, or just to check out what's going on. The children are a real delight, they are naturals playing about in the water or in their dugout canoes. On a 10 night or longer trip we will also visit some villages to see the famous wood carvings of the Marovo Lagoon area.
Yes, we have a selection of rental equipment on board. It is available to rent for the whole trip or on a daily basis. If you'd like to rent equipment for the full trip it is best to book in advance.
Water and air temperature are pretty much constant and vary only 2 - 3 degrees all year long. The water temperatures range between 28-30° C (80-86° F) all year with the "cooler" time of year from June to August. Most divers are comfortable in a 3mm wet suit or just a lycra but it really depends on how much you feel the cold. Please keep in mind that although the water and air is warm, if you are doing 4 - 5 dives a day some thermal protection is recommended.
Physically the diving will be the easiest you'll find anywhere. Our immense dive decks give you lots of room for suiting up, and if you're a photographer you'll appreciate the large, carpeted camera tables, right on the dive deck, where you need them for last minute adjustments. Our crew will load everything you need in the skiff for you (we call the skiffs 'tinnies'), and help you into your gear when the tinnie gets on site. Then you just roll over the side and enjoy the dive. When you finish your dive the tinnie will be right there, with the crew ready to take your gear. Then you just walk up the ladder and the tinnie whisks you back to your ship. There are two tinnies and one is always on site so there is no need to wait for other divers before heading back to the Bilikiki which is standing off only a couple of hundred metres away.
We offer unlimited diving, with the dive day built around five daily dives. We know you've come to dive and we try not to hinder you with a lot of restrictions, so within the bounds of common sense and safe dive practices, divers are permitted to set their own dive profiles. Our dive professionals are always available for those that want or need the guidance and of course a pre-dive briefing will always be offered to outline the dive-site and any special factors.
The diving in the Solomon Islands is spectacular and amazingly varied.
Wreck dives are offered on every cruise and the number we do depends on the interests of the people on board. We don't have that many wrecks to choose from as most of them are far too deep, even for well experienced divers. Those we do dive include The Ann in the Russell Islands (a more recent wreck, not W.W.II), Japanese transports in Marovo Lagoon, the Japanese Mavis Seaplane and the famous WW2 dump site called White Beach.
Our 7 night trips go the Russell and Florida Islands and Mary Island. Trips of 10 days and longer also go to Marovo Lagoon. We do not have a fixed itinerary in terms of the dive sites but go to the best places possible depending on the conditions and group.
Very unlikely. There are some favorite spots that we do nearly every trip but with hundreds of dive sites to choose from you'll get to experience new and different dive sites too.
Vaccination against measles is required for entry into the Solomon Islands. Most people are vaccinated as children against the measles. Proof of vaccination is no longer required on entry though so as long as you can tick that you are vaccinated for measles then there are no other requirements.
Yes, we do have fish and critter ID books onboard, plus some about corals and Solomon Islands WW2 history. We also have a small fiction library onboard that you are welcome to borrow from to read onboard or take a book and leave a book type deal.

Solomon Islands

Climate: The Solomon Islands has a tropical climate, with the average air temperature being between 25 – 27°C / 74 – 80°F

Water Temperature: 28 – 30°C / 84 – 86°F

Time: UTC + 11:00

Language: English is the official language; however Melanesian pidgin is the everyday language of the people. There are also over 120 indigenous languages.

Currency: Solomon Islands Dollar – SBD

Electricity: 220 Volts

Airport(s): Honiara International Airport: HIR

Hyperbaric Chamber: In-The-Zone Medical Clinic

The Solomon Islands are the third largest archipelago in the South Pacific with 992 islands. Divers love this area because in a short amount of time you can go from shallow to deep coral gardens, volcanic to coral islands, to World War II wrecks, then on to amazing drop offs, ledges and gutters. This allows for seeing the most underwater features in the shortest amount of time. Sharks, turtles, mantas, reef and pelagic fish are all drawn to this area.

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110,000 Reasons to Go Liveaboard

110,000 Reasons to Go Liveaboard! There are more than 110,000 islands in the world and many pinnacles that rest just below the surface and each and every one of them may be filled with multitudes of critters and creatures that seldom come in contact with humans. Sure, some of these islands may be inhabited, but most require transportation via some sort of marine vessel to get there and it ma...

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