Small islands
Palms and beaches.
Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia — CC BY 2.0 · Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia — CC BY 2.0 · Xplore Dive from Mooloolaba, Australia — CC BY 2.0
Marovo is the largest lagoon in the world enclosed by a double barrier reef, in the New Georgia Islands of the Solomon Islands' Western Province. Clear, calm water in shades of green and blue, dozens of small islands covered in palms and forest, and white sandy beaches fill it. The lagoon lies between Vangunu and Nggatokae, two extinct volcanoes, and covers about 700 square km. Its name comes from Marovo island at its centre. It has rich coral reefs and bottlenose dolphins. Islanders live by farming and fishing, speak the Marovo language, and the men are known as skilled woodcarvers, including in ebony. You travel by boat between the islands, snorkel or dive over the reefs and sit on a beach under the palms. In the villages you find the carvers' wooden work. It is very quiet. The lagoon is about 233 km in a straight line west of Honiara, reached by small plane in about an hour or by weekly ferry in about 10 hours. It is free, and lodging is in small guesthouses booked ahead. Do not touch the coral.
Palms and beaches.
Diving and snorkelling.
A Marovo craft.
New Georgia Islands, Western Province, between Vangunu and Nggatokae
By small plane from Honiara or by ferry.
Yes, it is among the country's top dive areas.