Makira Outer Wall

Ulawa Atoll

Southern Province dining is remote and resourceful, centred on the sea and the garden. Tuna, reef fish, crayfish and the occasional turtle (where permitted) are prepared with coconut, taro and green leaves, and the atoll supplies abundant parrotfish and clams. Liveaboards provide imported staples, while village stays offer a genuine taste of subsistence cooking. Fresh fruit and the day's catch make every meal a simple pleasure.

Southern Province Liveaboard

Kirakira Guesthouse

Ulawa Village Stay

Heritage Park Hotel

Makira Expedition Lodge

Makira and Ulawa, in the remote Southern Province, are among the least-explored dive frontiers in the Solomon Islands, prized for pristine outer reefs that see only a handful of visitors each year. Makira's outer wall is a steep, current-washed drop-off alive with grey reef sharks, dogtooth tuna and a dense pelagic cast, while Ulawa Atoll offers untouched coral, clear water, manta rays, turtles and massive schools of parrotfish inside a classic atoll lagoon. Few operators venture this far south, which is precisely the appeal: you dive reefs that feel genuinely first-discovered, with coral coverage and fish biomass that speak to decades of protection by local communities. For self-sufficient, adventurous divers prepared to travel far from the usual circuit, Makira and Ulawa deliver a raw, unfiltered slice of the Coral Triangle.

Makira & Ulawa (Southern Province)

Reach Makira via a domestic flight from Honiara to Kirakira (Makira) or by liveaboard from the central provinces. Ulawa is reached by boat from Makira or by charter. Local operators are scarce, so most visits are arranged through a liveaboard or a pre-booked expedition.

Dive Sites in Makira & Ulawa (Southern Province)

Makira Outer Wall

Ulawa Atoll