Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises in
Solomon Islands

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Bilikiki Cruises: "Return to the Bilikiki", May, 2015, by Mary M. Laddis, TX, US ( 1 report with 1 Helpful vote). Report 8447 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This is one of my favorite dive trips. First, the Solomon Islanders are warm, welcoming people and I always spend a couple of days visiting Honiara, including the museum and the WWII memorial. The Bilikiki offers airport pickup and hotel pickup. Courtesy and competence begins at airport pickup and continues throughout the Bilikiki dive experience. The MV Bilikiki is a comfortable well-appointed vessel with a crew to match. The food is served buffet style and carnivores, vegetarians and special diets are all deliciously accommodated. The roomy cabins are comfortable, each with ensuite bathrooms. Even insulated water bottles are provided bedside. Now for the diving, the reason we're in the Solomons. I'll sum it up with" lots of critters!". See 'em here. Easy diving off a tinny. Gear is set up on the dive deck, with a basket beneath your spot for masks, fins, etc. The dive crew loads the gear onto the tinny where you complete your gear up. The crew is always ready and willing to help. Back on the boat post dive, rinse buckets and an on deck shower. Stacks of clean towels and surprise goodies - warm cookies, coffee, tea or hot chocolate. After the last dive of the trip, all gear is washed and dried and ready for packing. I haven't even touched on the dugout visits by the children, village visits and the chance to purchase handicrafts, mainly beautiful wood carvings. I have made this trip four times and for the frst time, experienced unseasonable heavy rains. It was still smooth sailing. The Bilikiki organization sends a packet with everything you need to know before you travel. I'll be back for a fifth trip. I do have a word of warning: the Mendano Hotel, our gathering point, sells tortoise shell items, made from the endangered and protected sea turtle, the Hawksbill. It is illegal to bring such items back to every civilized country in the world.
Websites	Bilikiki Cruises
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Cocos, Galapagos, Yucatan Peninsula cenotes, Papua New Guinea, Bikini, Truk, Palau, Red Sea, then islands of the Federated States of Micronesia, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Komodo, California, Florida, Texas, Michigan
Closest Airport	Honiara	Getting There	Easiest is fly to Brisbane, connect with Solomon Air to Honiara. I avoid flying through Nadi, Fiji, due to delays that can last for hours or longer.
Dive Conditions
Weather	rainy	Seas	choppy
Water Temp	-88°F / -31°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	- Ft/ - M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Off/on board name tags
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	I did not bring u/w camera gear; however, there is a designated rinse bucket and camera table. Camera gear storage was convenient in the salon.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises in Solomon Islands

Bilikiki Cruises: "Return to the Bilikiki", May, 2015,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises in
Solomon Islands