Russell Islands

The Russell Islands are a small archipelago in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands, located offshore from Guadalcanal and part of the chain of islands that make up the nation. The group is best known for a handful of inhabited islands, local villages and coastal reef environments.

Islands such as Pavuvu and Mbanika are the principal landmasses and support small communities, coconut plantations and informal tourist activities like snorkeling and village visits. The islands retain visible traces of World War II-era activity in and around their shores.

Marine visitors typically arrive by inter-island boat services from Honiara or Guadalcanal; there is limited tourist infrastructure, with accommodation and services concentrated on a few islands rather than across the whole group.

The Russell Islands sit northwest of Guadalcanal in the waters of the Solomon Islands’ Central Province and form a local hub for fishing and small-scale tourism in the surrounding coral reef lagoons.

• Access and activities: The islands are reachable by boat from Honiara and nearby larger islands, and offer sheltered bays and coral reef snorkeling rather than large tourist infrastructure.

What to See#

• Pavuvu: Pavuvu Island, the largest island in the group, characterised by coconut plantations and sparsely populated villages; it was used as a staging area during World War II.
• Mbanika: Mbanika (Mbanika) Island, a smaller inhabited island with local villages and scuba/snorkel sites frequented by visitors from nearby Guadalcanal.

The Russell Islands are reached by sea from Honiara (the capital, on Guadalcanal). Passenger and cargo launches or charter boats depart Honiara’s wharves for the Russell Islands; crossing is a coastal/inter-island passage of tens of kilometres and typically takes several hours depending on the vessel and sea conditions.

There are no large commercial airports on the Russell Islands, so travel arrangements are normally made from Honiara by boat or by private charter.

• Arrange transport from Honiara (public launches, inter‑island ferries or charter boats) rather than relying on ad‑hoc options ashore-most visitors reach the Russell Islands via Honiara departure points.
• Visit in the drier months (roughly April-October) to avoid the heavier rains and higher likelihood of cancelled boat services during the wet/cyclone season.
• Many visitors come for snorkeling and WWII wreck diving but miss the chance to visit local villages and community‑run guesthouses-ask operators whether a village visit can be included in your itinerary.