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Tibara is a remote village in the southern part of Marovo Lagoon, which is itself remote. Getting to Tibara can be an adventure!
Guests are strongly advised to take out Travel Insurance that includes cover for cancellations or other interruptions to travel.
Coming from nearby resorts like Uepi or Driftwood
Coming from nearby resorts like Uepi or Driftwood
Tibara is just a boat ride away from other accommodation in Marovo Lagoon. Tibara Lodge can organise transport from and to these other accommodation venues, with costs dependent on numbers of people, distance, and amount of gear being transported, and the amount of fuel required to make the journey (petrol in the Lagoon is very expensive: $20SBD per litre). Costs range from $800SBD pp return to $1200SBD pp return.
Travelling specifically to come to Tibara
Travelling specifically to come to Tibara
International Flights
International Flights
Solomon Airlines flies between Brisbane and Honiara four days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays [via Munda] and Sundays) for around $1200AUD return. There is a lot to see and do in Honiara [and in Munda] while waiting for transport to Marovo Lagoon.
Flying to Marovo Lagoon
Flying to Marovo Lagoon
Solomon Airlines flies to and from both Honiara and Munda to Seghe – the regional airport for Central Marovo Lagoon – on Mondays and Wednesdays (ex Honiara) and on Saturdays there is a round trip from Honiara via Munda. Costs vary but are around $5000SBD return (i.e. $1000AUD). Seghe is a large town with a range of accommodation should your flight times require an overnight stay.
Sailing to Marovo Lagoon from Honiara
Sailing to Marovo Lagoon from Honiara
The Fair Glory/Fair Lady is a freight and passenger ship that plies between Honiara and Gizo once a week, stopping at Bunikalo, a port just 3km from Tibara. The boat takes 12-14 hours and costs around $2000SBD pp return, or double this for a cabin (which may or may not be air-conditioned). These boats are not comfortable and the conditions on board are challenging. It is certainly an adventure to use this transport! The Fair Glory/Fair Lady departs Honiara at 9am Sundays, and returns from Bunikalo around 8pm Tuesdays.
The Pelican Express runs from Honiara to Bunikalo on Fridays (7am) and takes only 6 hours. This is a more comfortable boat than the Fair West boats, but there are no guarantees of a seat. It is important to arrive early. It returns to Honiara on Sunday afternoon.
The timing for the boats is not ideal for a stay at Tibara. The Pelican arrives as everyone is busy preparing for the Sabbath and it leaves at Sunday lunchtime, which does not allow much time for holidaying at Tibara. The Fair West boats arrive on Sunday night and leave Tuesday night, leaving only two days for holidaying at Tibara.
There are no boats from Munda to Marovo Lagoon but the Fair Glory’s final destination is nearby Gizo. Planes fly from Munda to Gizo.
Transfers from Seghe or Bunikalo
Transfers from Seghe or Bunikalo
Whether you arrive in Marovo Lagoon via Seghe or Bunikalo, a motorised canoe from Tibara can provide transfers. The time required for transport depends on the number of passengers and the amount of gear to be transported. The cost of fuel (at $20 SBD per litre) makes transfers expensive.
Seghe to Tibara: 2-4 hours $2400SBD pp return.
Bunikalo to Tibara: 20-30 minutes $200SBD pp return
It is possible to travel from Seghe to Bunikalo on the Pelican and the Fair West ships. Please contact Annie to discuss these options. They are complex.
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