Things to do in Malaita Island
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Kwaio Village visits
Ready for a culture shock? Consider visiting the traditional 'bush' Kwaio, who live in eastern-central Malaita's mountainous interior. This area is very seldom visited by Westerners and the 1000 Kwaio people who live in the mountains near Atoifi and Sinalanggu have rejected the modern world in favour of the traditional life and religion of their ancestors.
These Kwaio, as opposed to the Christian 'coastal' Kwaio, believe the ancestral spirits are omnipresent, and they practise magic and sorcery. Unmarried girls and women go naked and smoke pipes, while married women wear minute T-pieces. This is not your average 'cultural experience'; you do have to come prepared to avoid…
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Langa Langa Lagoon
Scene: Langa Langa Lagoon at dusk. Close up: you're sipping a glass of bush lime on your private terrace at Serah's Lagoon Hideaway, while a small fleet of traditional canoes is gliding past on the calm waters just in front of your bungalow. Soundtrack: hauntingly beautiful chants resonate from nearby villages. Paradise.
This is undisputedly one of Malaita's highlights. Extending from seven to 32km south of Auki, the lagoon is famous for its artificial islands, particularly Laulasi, Alite and Busu. Langa Langa Lagoon is a strong centre for traditional activities, especially shell-money making. It's also renowned for shipbuilding. The only thing that might mar the experien…
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Riba Cave
An hour's walk east of Auki is Riba Cave, but you can make it shorter by taking a taxi then walk the final stretch (about 20 minutes) down to the entrance. It's a haunting cave, with stalagmites, several large subterranean chambers and an underground river. Caveat: it's very slippery. Take a powerful torch (flashlight) and wear sturdy walking shoes.
You'll need a guide to visit Riba Cave, which is on private land and difficult to find. Contact Silas Diutee Malai (tel: 40389), a freelance guide who charges. Make sure that kastom fees are included in the prices he quotes. He can also arrange cross-island treks and 'river drifting' on a tyre down the Fiu River.
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Kwaibala Waterfall
If you need to refresh yourself, nothing can beat Kwaibala Waterfall, about 3km from the centre. Take a taxi to the Kwaibala River; from there, a 25 minutes' walk will bring you to the falls. Niagara-like thundering falls they ain't; expect modest cascades with a few pools where you can take a bracing dip.
You'll need a guide to visit Kwaibala Waterfall, which is on private land and difficult to find. Contact Silas Diutee Malai (tel: 40389), a freelance guide. Make sure that kastom fees are included in the prices he quotes. He can also arrange cross-island treks and 'river drifting' on a tyre down the Fiu River.
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Artificial Islands
One of Malaita's features is the large number of artificial islands, particularly in Langa Langa and Lau Lagoons. Some of these islands date from the 1550s and new ones are built each year. Stones and dead corals from the lagoons are piled on a sand bar or reef, then sand is spread around, houses are built and coconut palms are planted. The islands serve a dual purpose: protection from head-hunters and freedom from mosquitoes.
The largest islands exceed 1 sq km in size and can be very crowded; some are surrounded by a coral wall. Most, however, are tiny.
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Auki
Curled around a wonderfully shaped bay and surrounded by jungle-clad hills, laid-back Auki is a delight to approach by sea. Otherwise Auki is a nondescript little port town, with a few low-slung buildings that aren't going to capture many hearts on their own. Luckily the sea lapping its shores and houses on stilts offer something to please the eyes. Wandering its quiet streets, you wouldn't guess it's the Solomons' third-largest town; everything moves slowly except at the lively market and the bustling wharf, at the town's southern end.
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Lilisiana
Auki is more a place to experience than a succession of tourist sights, but there's actually a smattering of natural sights outside town that will keep you entertained. One definite must-see is the friendly fishing village of Lilisiana, about 1.5km from the centre. With its traditional-style houses raised on stilts over the shore, it's photogenic to boot.
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Malu'u
The 'north road' leaves Auki and follows the coast from Sisifiu to Sisolo, providing lovely sea views. Long stretches of white-sand beach line the shore. The welcoming subprovincial headquarters of Malu'u is an obvious stop between Auki (four hours over 82km of passable road) and Lau Lagoon at the 'head road' two hours away.
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Rarasu Restaurant
The only independent restaurant in town is a good surprise. Choice is very limited, but the dishes are fresh and copious. The poached fish in coconut cream sauce does a good job of satisfying your hungry tummy. The vaguely barn-like surrounds ooze a ramshackle charm.
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Osi Lake
Beside Lilisiana beach is Osi Lake. With its murky water, it's not really a place to don your swimming kit and get wet, but it's a nature-lovers' paradise, home to colonies of seabirds. You might be asked to pay a kastom fee.
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Lilisiana Beach
Lilisiana's peaceful beach is a narrow, long, golden sand spit beside coral shallows. It's immediately to the north of the village and is the closest one to Auki.
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trekking
For the fit and the adventurous, various customised trekking options in northern Malaita can be arranged through Makario Tagini who works as lawyer in Honiara.
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Lau Lagoon
This 35km-long lagoon contains more than 60 artificial islands. There's no formal accommodation, but you can arrange your stay in a village; ask the chief.
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