Main Menu
Join Undercurrent on Facebook

The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975 | |
For Divers since 1975
The Private, Exclusive Guide for Serious Divers Since 1975
"Best of the Web: scuba tips no other
source dares to publish" -- Forbes
X
 

Dive Review of Bilikiki Cruises/Bilikiki in
Solomon Islands

Bilikiki Cruises/Bilikiki, Nov, 2012,

by ann mcgrath, VA, US (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 25 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 6826 has 2 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

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

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity 3 stars
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments I have no criticism of Bilikiki Cruises. They do an excellent job, and have been for many years. The boat is perfect for diving. The cabins have plenty of room, and there is always p,entry of hot water ( unless several showers are running simultaneously).

The cooks do an excellent job also. I don't eat meat, and they accommodated me nicely. There is plenty of fresh fruit and always a big salad at lunch and dinner. There are fresh baked cookies after the morning dive, and a platter of things to nibble on before dinner. They buy more fresh produce and fish from the locals as we cruise. They bought a tuna one day, and we had sashimi that evening. The crew caught a Spanish mackerel another day, and it was nicely prepared at dinner.

The dinghies are roomy for 8 divers with cameras. The boat drivers are very good at picking up divers, no matter where they surface. The crew doesn't talk much, but they are good at their jobs, and will help out when asked.

The boat managers, Sam and Kellie, are fantastic. One of them dives on every dive, and they are amazing at finding critters on the reef. They helped me get video of some things I didn't yet have, which is always appreciated.

Bilikiki is the only live aboard in the Solomon Islands. Luckily, it's one of the best! Because the dive sites are infrequently visited, they are pristine and the coral is perfect. We saw only one eel, which is different from the last two times I've been there (2002 and 2007). There used to be blue ribbon eels everywhere, but no more. Devil's Highway had great manta action, so we didn't mind surfacing in washing machine! Just watch the down current there! There was virtually on current on other sites.
Websites Bilikiki Cruises   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving [Unspecified]
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 80-82°F / 27-28°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 20-100 Ft/ 6-30 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Nitrox limits, some dives 1 hour if the boat needed to move.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins Schools Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales 1 or 2
Corals 5 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

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

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 4 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments Camera charging room is big enough for all the photographers in our group. Crew rinsed all camera gear after every dive.
Was this report helpful to you?
Report currently has 2 Helpful votes
Leave a comment (Subscribers only -- 200 words max)
Subscribers can comment here
 

Subscribe Now
Subscribers can post comments, ask the reviewer questions, as well as getting immediate and complete access to ALL 116 dive reviews of Solomon Islands and all other dive destinations. Complete access to all issues and Chapbooks is also included.

 
Featured Links from Our Sponsors
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Bilikiki Cruises
Bilikiki Cruises
Bilikiki Cruises is a long running, well regarded operator running superb live-aboard diving in the remote and beautiful Solomon Islands.
Reef & Rainforest, Let our experience be your guide -- Reef and Rainforest
Reef & Rainforest
is an agency for travelers that scuba dive. Consider us THE experts for planning your diving vacation to Solomon Islands.

Want to assemble your own collection of Solomon Islands reports in one place?
Use the Mini Chapbook Facility to create your personalized collection.

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

Undercurrent Home


Get more dive info like these and other important scuba updates sent monthly to your email.
And a FREE Recent Issue of Undercurrent

Free Undercurrent Issue
Get a free
monthly email and
a sample issue!


Find in  

| Home | Online Members Area | My Account | Login | Join |
| Travel Index | Dive Resort & Liveaboard Reviews | Featured Reports | Recent Issues | Back Issues |
| Dive Gear Index | Health/Safety Index | Environment & Misc. Index | Seasonal Planner | Blogs | Free Articles | Book Picks | News |
| Special Offers | RSS | FAQ | About Us | Contact Us | Links |

Copyright © 1996-2024 Undercurrent (www.undercurrent.org)
3020 Bridgeway, Ste 102, Sausalito, Ca 94965
All rights reserved.

Page computed and displayed in 0.09 seconds