One of the last countries to jump on the tourism bandwagon; Solomon Islands' tourist infrastructure is nil except for a few small, remote dive resorts in beautiful settings like Uepi and Gizo islands, though several live-aboards dive these waters. . . . lots of wrecks from WWII, lots of pristine reefs and walls, plenty of fish, big ones too, and even more unexplored territory. . . . the Russells stand out because of dramatic underwater scenery of rocks, caves and cracks. . . . In the Florida Group don't miss a dive on Twin Shaft Pinnacles. . . . Diving is year-round with plenty of places to dive in the lee, but April and May are best months followed by October, November, and December. . . . The Solomons are a good add-on from Fiji (1300 miles to the south east) or Papua New Guinea (700 miles to the west); Honiara is on the main island of Guadalcanal; use it only for overnighting. . . . Solomon islanders produce fine wood carvings. . . . Serious malaria country. . . .

Adventure Sports/Gizo Hotel, February 1997, Sharon Landwehr, San Francisco, CA. "Well priced, once you get there. Won't find many Americans. Getting there is half the adventure! Accommodations: Gizo Hotel had air-conditioned rooms available. Dive operator: Dani Kennedy (ex Pat) and wife Kerrie. Staff of local divers; fit the site to the way you want to dive. Have been on the island 12+ years. Signature dive: Toa Maru sunk in 1943. Because of regulations forbidding the removal of artifacts, bottles and bullets are all right there. vis: 30­50 ft. water: 84 degrees. Interior can be done with a guide. Booked entire trip through Dive Discovery. They made too many mistakes to recommend."

Uepi Island Resort, August, 1997, John & Lee Scruggs, Loveland, CO. "Takes 45 minutes in a uncovered "bass boat" to get to the outer reef of Morovo Lagoon from Sege. Cottages clean, small efficiency kitchen, no air conditioning. Cottage on the lagoon side presented us with a gorgeous view and breeze. First dive was spectacular at the Elbow: turtle, large ray, 3 hammerheads, 3 whitetips and 3 gray reefs. Other dives disappointing because of currents (2-3 knots) and poor visibility. vis: 30-80 ft. water: 80-82 degrees. Divemaster didn't know when the tides were going out. Videoing was virtually nil and dragging the Ikelite housing over the coral (not a good environmental thing to do) was not fun. Resort has great potential but needs organization. People were friendly."

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