Solomon Islands Culture

The Solomon Islands are one of the most culturally diverse nations on earth, a scattered archipelago of Melanesian peoples speaking some seventy languages, where traditional ways of life, or kastom, remain strong. Village life, centred on clan, custom and the land and sea, endures across the islands, and rich cultural traditions flourish: the haunting, intricate bamboo panpipe music for which the Solomons are famed, spectacular and highly prized woodcarving, especially the nautilus-inlaid work of the western islands, traditional shell money still used in ceremonies, and, historically, the elaborate rituals surrounding ancestors, seen in old skull shrines. Encountering this living culture is a highlight of the islands.

What you actually see

• The panpipe music - the haunting traditional bamboo bands.
• The woodcarving - the prized shell-inlaid carvings.
• The custom villages - the traditional kastom village life.
• The shell money and shrines - the traditional money and old skull shrines.

When to go

May to October, the drier season, for the most comfortable travel to the islands and villages; cultural festivals and events, along with arranged village visits, offer the richest encounters with kastom, music and craft. A respectful approach, ideally through community-based tourism, gives the most authentic and rewarding experience.

Honest expectations

The Solomons' culture is a living tradition, so genuine encounters mean respectful, ideally community-arranged village visits rather than staged shows, and reaching the scattered islands takes time and effort in an undeveloped country with basic facilities; sacred sites like old skull shrines require particular respect and permission. For the reward of encountering one of the world's most diverse living Melanesian cultures, from panpipe music to master carving and kastom village life, though, it is deeply rewarding.

Nearby

The villages of Guadalcanal, Malaita and the Western Solomons are the places.