This self-contained guest lodge lies a very short boat trip across the lagoon from Seghe airport.  Its convenient location makes it an excellent starting point for those arriving at the town by air or ship.

In its initial year of existence, Vanua Kino gained significant business from passengers stranded in Seghe en route to other destinations, flight delays and cancellations being not uncommon in this part of the Solomons.

Run by husband and wife team, Terry and Juliet, Vanua Kino provides 3 bedrooms accommodating up to 6 guests.  It has a well- equipped kitchen, roomy bathroom (overhead shower, flush toilet, basin with running water), lounge and deck areas.  There’s a traditional leafhouse and deck overlooking the lagoon, where guests may choose to eat their meals or relax in a hammock to read.

The Kimo family home is on an adjacent block of land, separated from the lodge by gardens, trees and vegetable plots.

Guests can enjoy the luxury of Juliet’s excellent cooking or choose the slightly cheaper option of cooking their own meals with supplied produce.

A popular guest activity is swimming and snorkelling the nearby Seghe Point plane wreck, a relic from WW2 easily visible through the clear waters of the lagoon.  Other activities include visits to the Seghe produce market, mountain walks to verdant vegetable gardens, traditional meals, custom dancing, bamboo music and singing at local villages.

Because of Vanua Kino’s recent entry to the tourism market and its desire to build up business, accommodation and meals are very reasonably priced at $50 per person per day.

Sea Lodge

Approximately 15kms up the lagoon from Vanua Kino, Sea Lodge is a cool and shaded 2 bedroom house accommodating 4 people,  built at the end of a mangrove inlet.  Its large, inviting deck overlooks the water to nearby islands.

Jerry Loleke has incorporated attractive palm leaf panels, carved pillars and shell ornamentation into the construction of his lodge.  A small kitchen, fully plumbed flush toilet and shower facilities complete the amenities.  Visitors can also enjoy the star-filled skies of an evening, sitting under the leafhouse at the end of the jetty.

Sea Lodge is both peaceful and private, while being only a 15 minute walk from the village of Chuchulu.  Here locals will be proud to show you their primary school, church and sacred sites, while explaining the region’s interesting head-hunting history.

Sea Lodge guests have other attractions to explore, some more adventurous and strenuous than others.  A steep hike up to the rolling plateaus and higher ridges leads to sacred sites and monuments.  For those preferring a gentler pace, there’s an easy walk through vegetable gardens and plantations to the nearby river, an idyllic spot for a cooling swim and picnic lunch.

A 15 minute boat trip from the lodge takes guests to a private island owned by the Loleke family.  Plans are in place to build some simple facilities on the island, but even now it’s a stunning place to snorkel and swim in the island’s warm, crystal-clear waters.

Guests can also take part in a traditional village feast accompanied by custom dancing and music. Self-catering is available to guests and, being a newly established lodge, tariffs are in line with those of Vanua Kino and Lombi Mulaka, with meals and accommodation $50 per person per day. A 15 minute boat trip from the lodge takes guests to a private island owned by the Loleke family.  Plans are in place to build some simple facilities on the island, but even now it’s a stunning place to snorkel and swim in the island’s warm, crystal-clear waters. Guests can also take part in a traditional village feast accompanied by custom dancing and music. Self-catering is available to guests and, being a newly established lodge, tariffs are in line with those of Vanua Kino and Lombi Mulaka, with meals and accommodation $50 per person per day.

Lombi Mulaka

Around the projecting promontory of Chuchulu village, Lombi Mulaka emerges from the coastal flats like a 2-storey fairy tale Hansel & Gretel cottage.  Its colourful and somewhat westernised exterior is a little incongruous, environmentally, but inside it’s entirely comfortable and well appointed.

There’s a kitchen and small lounge area on the ground floor, a small bedroom, outside covered deck area and flush toilet.  Upstairs contains both single and double bedrooms and a balcony, offering beautiful views across the lagoon.  The lodge can accommodate 4-5 people at any one time.

Lasa and Aroa have paid a lot of thought to small details, so there’s attractive linen and bedding,  windows and flywire screens throughout.  It’s all very welcoming.