November 3 - 18, 2019

November 4-18, 2018

What a two weeks trip we just had! This time on board MV Bilikiki we had a group of friends from Sun Valley and Seattle in the USA and we had tons of fun! The trip was a bit different compared with our normal diving trips since it was a little longer, there was lots of snorkelers and we only did three dives/snorkels a day. We got to visit some new areas and enjoyed doing a lot of different activities on the land too.

We started out in the Russell Islands and Marovo Lagoon, everyone loved the diving, snorkelling and veggie markets! The coral was amazing for snorkelling and we also saw rays, sharks, pygmy sea horses and ghost pipefish while diving. The uniquely sheer and beautiful Rapichana Cut was a big hit with everyone.

We then went onto the beautiful Tetepare, a protected area west of Marovo Lagoon. There was some great snorkelling and diving and we all enjoyed learning about the island on a couple of hikes into the untouched rain forest. We also visited the Arnavon Islands, another protected area and amazing place to spend a couple of days. The marine life was great and we saw manta and mobula rays, marbled stingrays, grey reef sharks, barracudas, bumphead parrotfish and even a leopard shark! During our surface time we went onto the white sand beaches and were lucky enough to see baby hawksbill turtles hatching, an unbelievable experience for all of us! 

Back in Marovo we went to some villages and everyone was very happy to discover the beautiful carved art. During our trip to Peava we were treated to a private tour, where one of our guests even became a volleyball referee for the afternoon! Back to the diving (and snorkelling and kayaking) and Kicha and Mbulo were two of our favourites.

On our way back we had a very special event at Mary Island: Terri and Frank's wedding! What an amazing afternoon and night we had, and what an incredible job our crew did decorating the Bilikiki for that special occasion. Thank you guys for choosing the Bilikiki for such an important moment in your lives!

On our return to the Russells, we went on an expedition to see salt water crocodiles and we luckily spotted one! We also dove at Karumolun's spectacular point and coral gardens. We then visited the village and saw some traditional dancing and singing while enjoying fresh coconuts. Our guests enjoyed it very much and were very happy to see how kind and amazing Solomon Islanders are! And for the last days of the trip we enjoyed the Florida Islands and the Boneghi wrecks off the coast of Guadalcanal where we took in some WW2 history and more great marine life. 

The macro life we saw on the trip was, as usual, spectacular and included convict blennies, orang-utan crabs, disco clams, ribbon eels, signal gobies, amazing nudibranches, sea moths, sea horses, ornate ghost pipes fish, peacock and spearing mantis shrimps, cuttlefish, demon stingers, scorpion leaf fish and crocodile fish!!!

And to finish a wonderful trip we had a very funny costume party where all our guests showed how fun it can be to just dress up with improvised outfits! It was a great trip indeed and thank you very much to everyone for being such a lovely, fun loving crowd! We hope to see you back soon!

And finally, thanks to our amazing crew for all their hard work and their effort to make this trip an unforgettable one!

Happy bubbles

Pato and Fernando

Posted by Sam and Kellie on November 19, 2018

What our guests say

"I did my 1000th dive on my second trip on the Bilikiki. Last time was in 2005 and then I thought it was the best liveaboard I had been on. It still is... Read More"

Alex Davids

"Just got back from a 10 day trip on Bilikiki with Tina and Oli. The whole Bilikiki team made our trip a memorable one, despite the temperamental weath... Read More"

Jonathan Rose

"I had an amazing 10 nights onboard the Bilikiki! The dive sites were so diverse and so beautiful, we had some amazing encounters with wildlife, the cr... Read More"

Lauren Thomas

"Just really, really, really enjoyed our trip!!! We really fell in love with Pato and Fernando. They did an excellent job guiding us! The crew is as go... Read More"

Darlene Myers

"Bilikiki is much more than a great dive boat with a fantastic crew sailing the remote Solomon Islands and discovering new and beautiful dive sites; it... Read More"

Thane Kreiner

"If I could rate them 6 stars I would!!! Amazing boat, crew, food and diving."

Brett Lobwein

"Second time and still finding new sights to see! Wonderful trip well worth the effort....."

Reed Nescher

"I have been on many Bilikiki trips over the past eight years, and I will keep going back again and again. I’ve dived in more than 15 countries and h... Read More"

Joanna O'Shea

"I can't think of a better way to spend 12 days than on board Bilikiki. It is absolutely spectacular diving amongst healthy corals, colorful fishes, st... Read More"

Karen Doby

"My bucket list trip. Outstanding crew and service. Superb diving. Stable and comfortable vessel and accommodations. The chefs do a marvellous job, eve... Read More"

Fred Catella

"I have just returned from a 10 night stay on board the Bilikiki. It was my first trip on the Bilikiki however friends we were with have been 3 or 4 ti... Read More"

Pearl Corker

"Always a great time on the Bilikiki. Spectacular diving, excellent food and an amazing crew. One of the best laid out boats I've been diving on."

Mike Aitken