Malaita: shell money, artificial islands and custom culture

Getting to Malaita

Passenger ferries cross from Honiara to **Auki**, the provincial capital, in a few hours on most days, with fast boats and slower ships both running. Solomon Airlines also flies to Gwaunaru'u near Auki. Crossings can be rough when the trade winds blow, so pick a calm day if you can.

Auki

Auki is a small, green town on the north west coast with a busy market, a few shops, simple lodges and a waterfront where canoes arrive from lagoon villages. The **Auki market** is a great place to see shell money, betel nut, and produce from across the island. Simple guesthouses such as **Auki Lodge** are the usual base.

Langa Langa Lagoon

Just south of Auki, the **Langa Langa Lagoon** is famous as the home of shell money. Families on islands such as **Laulasi** and **Busu** still chip, drill, polish and string tiny shells into long strands used for bride price, compensation and ceremony. A guided visit lets you watch the process and learn its meaning. Laulasi also has custom houses where women may not enter, so follow your guide carefully.

The Lau Lagoon artificial islands

On the north east coast, the **Lau Lagoon** is dotted with dozens of artificial islands built from coral blocks piled on the reef by the Lau people over centuries. Families still live on some of them, though rising seas are forcing changes. Reaching them is an adventure by road and canoe from Auki, and you should arrange the visit through a trusted local contact.

Custom culture

Malaita has many language groups and strong rules about land, gender and sacred places. In the mountains, some communities still follow ancestral religion. Respect signs and taboo areas, ask before photographing people, dress modestly and expect to pay custom fees for visits. Done respectfully, a visit is a rare window into living tradition.

Nature

The island's interior is mountainous rainforest with rivers and waterfalls, and the coast has quiet beaches and reefs. **Kwaibala Waterfall** near Auki is a popular local swimming spot. Birdwatchers come for endemic species found nowhere else.

Practical tips

Facilities are basic. Bring cash from Honiara, though Auki has a bank. Road conditions can be poor in the wet season. Check current travel advice before visiting remote areas, and travel with a guide arranged through your lodge. See our places to visit list for ideas, and use the free trip planner to fit Malaita into your route.

A sample few days

On day one, cross from Honiara by ferry, settle into your lodge and walk around Auki market and the waterfront. On day two, join a guided canoe trip into the Langa Langa Lagoon to watch shell money being made and visit a lagoon village. On day three, swim at Kwaibala Waterfall or walk in the hills with a guide. If you have an extra day or two and good local contacts, make the longer trip north to the Lau Lagoon. Return to Honiara with at least a day to spare before your international flight, since ferry schedules can slip and sea conditions vary. Bring small gifts such as school supplies if you are visiting a village, and always ask your host what is appropriate before you hand them out.