Things to do in Gizo
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Gizo
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season, the recommended window, with calmer seas, clearest diving and the fullest demand.
Shoulder into wet, cyclone season opens on 1 November, crowds thin and the surf season begins.
Wet and cyclone season, heaviest rain and disruption roughly December to March, with the best surf of the year.
What's on
- Independence Day 7 July
The national holiday, marked across the country including in provincial capitals such as Gizo.
Best things to do in Gizo
Toa Maru
A 140 metre Japanese wartime transport on its side in 7 to 37 metres, its holds still full of bottles and vehicles.
Grand Central Station
Currents meet off north west Ghizo and pile up sharks, jacks and batfish in exceptional numbers.
Kennedy Island
The tiny island, also called Plum Pudding or Kasolo, where Kennedy and the PT-109 survivors first swam ashore in 1943.
Skull Island
A kastom shrine island holding skulls of chiefs and warriors, visited only by boat with a guide and permission.
Njari Island
A small uninhabited island off northern Ghizo with reef snorkelling on both sides and a quiet picnic beach.
American Hellcat Fighter Plane
A wartime American fighter resting intact in about 10 metres of lagoon water, shallow enough to snorkel over.
Joe's Wall
A steep reef wall for slow drift dives, known for pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs and clear water.
Kolombangara Island
The near perfect volcanic cone across the water from Gizo, all rainforest, rivers and crater views.
Where to stay in Gizo
Gizo town
divers, the market, the cheapest beds
You sleep where the dive shop, market, bank and town restaurants are, and boat out each day.
Mbabanga Island and the nearby resort islands
the top end, house reefs, switching off
Small islands 10 to 20 minutes by boat from town, with the reef off the deck and meals in the rhythm of the place.
Best restaurants in Gizo
PT 109 Restaurant
A family run waterfront cafe named for the Kennedy boat, serving local fish dishes a short walk from Gizo Hotel.
Gizo Market
The waterfront market for tropical fruit, fresh fish, cooked snacks and the cheapest lunch in town.
Fatboys Resort Restaurant
The overwater restaurant at Fatboys, the splurge dinner of a Gizo trip: large portions of fresh seafood, reached by a short boat ride from town.
Sanbis Resort Wood Fired Pizza
Wood fired pizzas famous across the lagoon, with crayfish on pizzas and plates in season, reached by boat or a 25 minute kayak from Fatboys.
Outdoor things to do in Gizo
Dive Gizo
The long running dive shop in town, running two and three dive days to the wrecks and walls with an island lunch.
Simbo Island
An active volcanic island with megapode egg fields and hot springs, reached by a longer boat day from Gizo.
Mount Veve
The 1770 metre summit climb on Kolombangara, a serious guided trek with porters, custom fees and crater forest.
Titiana
A barrelling left hand reef break in front of Titiana village, boat access only and best on higher tides.
Pailongge
A long right hand reef break near Titiana that joins into one ride on bigger swells, for confident surfers.
Best hotels in Gizo
Fatboys Resort
Overwater bungalows and a famous bar deck on Mbabanga Island, the classic Gizo stay a short boat ride from town.
Sanbis Resort
Six private waterfront bungalows on their own island, quiet and uncrowded, with a jetty bar and house reef.
Oravae Cottage
A whole tiny island booked to one party at a time, with cottages, full board and the reef off the deck.
Imagination Island
A small private island eco resort with its own marine reserve reef and two sunken tuna boats to dive.
Gizo Hotel
The main hotel in town, with a pool, waterfront deck and the restaurant most visitors eat in at least once.
Rekona Lodge
A friendly family lodge in town with a shared kitchen, the best value base for divers on a budget.
Is Gizo expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | SBD 550 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | SBD 1,300 a person |
| Splurge | SBD 2,800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Toa Maru: a few days ahead
- Grand Central Station: a few days ahead
- Skull Island: a few days ahead
- Joe's Wall: a few days ahead
- Kolombangara Island: a few days ahead
- Vonavona Lagoon: a few days ahead
- Dive Gizo: a few days ahead
- Simbo Island: a few days ahead
- Book dry season flights, island resorts and dive packages weeks ahead.
- Book Dive Gizo dive days at least a few days ahead in the dry season.
- Leave a full no dive day between your last dive and flying out.
Is Gizo safe?
- Malaria is present across Solomon Islands. Take medical advice on preventive tablets and use repellent and nets.
- The only recompression chamber, in Honiara, is out of service. Dive conservatively and insure for evacuation.
- Do not touch wartime ordnance on land or on wrecks, and take local advice on crocodiles and unfamiliar swimming spots.
Gizo travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Expecting a luxury tier, fine dining or reliable card payment. None of that exists in Gizo town.
- Building a trip on one tight Honiara connection or one boat transfer with no buffer day.
- Landing on a small island unannounced. Island and shrine visits need permission and a custom fee.
Getting around Gizo: public transport and more
- Fly Honiara to Nusatupe Airport on Nusatupe Island, then take a boat of about 5 to 15 minutes to Gizo town or your island resort.
- Recent schedules show around five direct Honiara to Gizo flights a week, not a daily grid, and timings change seasonally.
- Boats are the roads around the lagoon. Agree price, fuel, fees, food and return time before departure.
Who Gizo suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Gizo your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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