Visiting Western Province and Gizo

Your situation	Base	What draws travellers	Planning use
Diving with the simplest arrival	Gizo	Toa Maru wreck (7 m to 37 m), Njari Island reefs, Nusatupe airport nearby	Choose Gizo first if diving is the main purpose, and match the wreck to your certification.
Snorkelling plus wartime history	Gizo area	Kennedy Island, where the PT109 crew were shipwrecked	Add it as a boat excursion from Gizo.
Exploring the New Georgia side	Munda	Sea route over Munda Bar reef and through Diamond Narrows	Treat the passage from Gizo as part of the trip, not a transfer to rush.
Reef scenery, carving and a wreck dive	Marovo Lagoon	Lumalihe Passage soft-coral walls and caves, Nono Lagoon wreck, local carvers	Give the lagoon its own stay, since most of its appeal is on the water.
Volcanic scenery	Kolombangara	A volcanic island in the province	Use it as a scenery add-on rather than a main base.

Figures and place details above come from the Boat International guide to Western Province.

Western Province Solomon Islands travel works best when you choose one main interest first: Gizo for diving and easy access, Munda for the New Georgia side, or Marovo Lagoon for reef scenery and carving.

The province is a chain of islands rather than a single destination, so the base you choose shapes the whole trip. International arrival is covered in the planning hub on how to get to solomon islands, and this guide starts once you are heading west.

Trips built around diving

Divers should start in Gizo. It is the province’s best-documented dive base, and the airport at Nusatupe sits close by, which keeps transfers short at the start and end of a trip.

Gizo as a dive base

Gizo suits divers who want wrecks and reef variety from one place. The Toa Maru wreck dive starts at about 7 m and descends to a maximum of 37 m, according to Boat International. That is a ceiling, not a target. Ask the dive operator which part of the wreck suits your certification and experience before booking, and keep the shallower start of the profile in mind if you are less confident.

Njari Island is the reef alternative. The same guide reports that divers can often see more than 270 fish species in a single trip there, which makes it a good choice for people who care more about fish life than about wreck structure. Gizo is a poor fit only if you want a quiet, lagoon-style stay with few boats, which points toward Marovo instead.

Illustrative reef-diving scene with a coral wall and sand below; it is a generic image rather than a specific Gizo dive site.

Kennedy Island

Kennedy Island combines history with water time. The crew of PT109, including the future US President Kennedy, were shipwrecked there during World War II, and the island is now used for snorkelling and diving, as Boat International notes. It suits non-divers and mixed groups, because snorkellers can share the outing with certified divers.

Trips built around the New Georgia side

The New Georgia side suits travellers who want to see more of the province than Gizo and its reefs. The sea route there is part of the appeal, so build in time rather than treating it as a fast hop.

Munda

Munda is the base for the New Georgia group. From Gizo, the passage described by Boat International crosses the Munda Bar reef and runs through the Diamond Narrows. That detail matters for planning: conditions on a reef-crossing route can affect timing, so confirm departure plans with a local operator or your accommodation on the day. Munda suits people who prefer a different pace from Gizo and want to explore the wider province in stages.

Kolombangara

Kolombangara is a volcanic island in the province and an easy one to place on an island-hopping route. Its main appeal is the landscape, so it fits travellers who like scenery as much as water activities. It works best as an add-on to a Gizo or Munda stay, and local advice on access should come before any firm plans.

Trips built around lagoon scenery and culture

Marovo Lagoon suits travellers who want scenery, craft and a wreck dive in one stay. It is the best match for people who would rather drift past reefs and islands than follow a dive schedule.

Things to do in Marovo Lagoon

Marovo Lagoon offers cruising, diving and craft. Boat International describes a stunning complex of reefs and islands at the Lumalihe Passage, with soft-coral walls and caves. That makes the passage a draw for divers and for anyone who simply wants a boat trip through reef-fringed channels.

The same source notes that local carvers are famous for their craftsmanship and for creating diverse artefacts. A visit therefore has a cultural strand as well as a marine one, so leave room in the itinerary to meet carvers rather than treating the lagoon only as a dive stop.

Nono Lagoon wreck

Nono Lagoon holds the upright wreck of an old tuna fishing vessel, which Boat International calls a must-visit scuba spot. An upright wreck is easy to read underwater, so it suits divers who want a clear structure to explore. It is a good complement to Lumalihe Passage on a stay centred on Marovo.

Getting to Gizo and moving around the province

Reach Gizo through Nusatupe airport, which sits near the town and is named as the pick-up point for a Gizo yacht charter in the Boat International guide. Confirm current domestic flight times with the airline before fixing dates, because the rest of the province is reached by sea from there.

Linking the bases

Boats connect the bases, so plan the order of the trip around sea passages. Gizo to the New Georgia area crosses Munda Bar reef and the Diamond Narrows, while Marovo Lagoon is a water-based stay in its own right. A sensible decision guide looks like this:

Illustrative canoe scene on calm water at sunset; it is a general image and does not show Marovo Lagoon.

Choose Gizo if diving is the main purpose and you want the shortest transfer from Nusatupe airport.
Add Munda if you want to see the New Georgia side and are willing to spend time on the sea route.
Add Marovo Lagoon if you want reef scenery, carvers and the Nono Lagoon wreck, and can allow it a full stay.
Keep Kolombangara optional if you enjoy volcanic scenery but have limited days.

Extending the trip

A province-by-province trip can continue elsewhere in the country. The guadalcanal travel guide covers the island with the national capital, and central province solomon islands travel covers another province worth adding to a longer itinerary.

Frequently asked questions

Question	Answer
Is the Solomon Islands good for birdwatching?	The country’s tourism chief executive, quoted by Islesmedia, says the Solomon Islands has the best birds in the Pacific together with Papua New Guinea. The claim is national, so ask local hosts which sites in Western Province suit birdwatching.
Is there anywhere to shop before leaving Gizo?	Yes. Boat International mentions Gizo Town for last-minute shopping before returning home.
Does the province offer more than diving?	National tourism strengths listed by Islesmedia include world-class surfing, WWII wrecks and birdwatching alongside diving. Check locally which of these are available near your chosen base.