Back to list of liveaboards

Bilikiki Liveaboard

4.3571428571429
(7 REVIEWS)

Destination: Solomon Islands

Itineraries: Solomon Islands (7-14 nights) | From $585/night

Book Now Button

Bilikiki Liveaboard Quick Pitch

The MV Bilikiki has been operating in the Solomon Islands for 27 years and was the first full-service luxury dive liveaboard to dive the Solomon Islands. Featuring 10 air-conditioned cabins with en-suite bathrooms for up to 20 divers, 3 hearty meals served buffet-style daily and ample, MV Bilikiki is just what you need to have a great dive liveaboard vacation in the Solomon Islands! 

 

Why You'll LIke Bilikiki Liveaboard

  • The 1st full-service luxury dive liveaboard in the Solomon Islands
  • Lots of space: 125-foot in length
  • Nitrox available
  • Rich variety of marine life 
 

Jump to:

Accommodations - Facilities - NEW! Schedule, Rates & Availability - Dive Info & Itineraries

Other Information - Booking & Inquiry

 

Liveaboard Locations

Embarkation and disembarkation are from the port near Honiara. Bilikiki provides transfers to and from Honiara airport (code: HIR). Fly via Fiji or east coast Australia.

 

Dive Overview

Sharks, mantas, dolphins, turtles, every tropical fish imaginable. Varied terrain including walls, reefs, passages, caverns and bommies.

[Read More: Solomon Islands Marine Life]

 

This Great Video Will Show You What It's Like to Dive with MV Bilikiki

Back to Menu  

 

Accommodations

Types of Cabins, Amenities and Photos

Book Now Button

MV Bilikiki Accommodation Details

  • Number of cabins: 10 cabins for up to 20 divers
  • Cabin Types:  10 deluxe cabins (8 with a double bed below and a single above, 2 with twin beds - no bunk)
  • Air Conditioning: Yes.
  • En-Suite Bathroom: Yes, with shower, toilet and hand basin.

MV Bilikiki Solomon Islands Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands

Cabins #3-#10 have a double bed + a single bunk (L) & Cabins #1 & #2 have two single beds (R)  

Back to Menu  

 

General Facilities

Book Now Button

MV Bilikiki Boat Features

  • Photo room, large camera tables and separate camera rinse
  • Large Screen Digital TV with USB port
  • Multi-format video/DVD system
  • Evening slide shows
  • Spacious sun deck
  • Food & Drinks: All-inclusive meals and snacks. 3 buffet-style meals daily.
  • Large dive deck
  • Shampoo and soap in all cabins and the dive deck showers. Hairdryers available

MV Bilikiki Solomon Islands Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands

Dining (L) & Dive deck (R)

 

MV Bilikiki Solomon Islands Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands

Sun deck (L) & salon (R)

Deck Plan

Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands  

Back to Menu  

 

Schedule, Rates & Availability

Bilikiki Liveaboard Schedule & Rates

Book Now Button 

Prices are in USD, per person and do not include taxes.

[See also: Inclusions & Exclusions]

Back to Menu  

 

Inclusions

  • Hotel or airport transfers in Honiara (within 3 days of the trip)
  • Onboard accommodation, meals and snacks
  • Unlimited diving
  • Weights, belts, tanks and air fills

 

Exclusions

  • Bar drinks
  • Personal purchases
  • Divers Alert Network Evacuation Insurance
  • Nitrox (S20/per diving day, for certiified divers only)
  • Dive equipment rental
  • Mandatory: USD $25 per person a night tax payable before the trip
 

RATES & AVAILABILITY

For more information on other departure dates, rates, and on availability email us at info@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!

Like the idea of a luxury liveaboard closer to home? Check out the Solmar V .

Back to Menu  

 

Dive Information & Itineraries

Book Now Button

This Awesome Video Will Show You Why You Should Dive the Solomon Islands!

 

Typical Solomon Islands Itinerary with Bilikiki Liveaboards

  • There are no set itineraries, as there are so many dive sites in each area that we are able to go where the best diving is at any given time, and also cater to the type of diving that the guests on board prefer. In all cases rest assured that they will do their utmost to offer you the best diving available at the time.
  • MV Bilikiki dives primarily around 3 island groups: Florida Islands, Russell Islands, and Marovo Lagoon 
  • in the New Georgia Group, each with a vast array of dive sites. They also dive an isolated island known as Mary Island.
  • The 7-night trips will generally dive Florida Islands, Russell Islands and Mary Island, while 10 night and longer trips will also travel to Marovo Lagoon area of the Western Province.
 

Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands Bilikiki Liveaboard Solomon Islands

 

Typical Daily Schedule (Might Vary)

  • Breakfast is from 6:30-8am
  • Dive 1 briefing is at 7:45am 
  • Snacks are offered after the first dive
  • Dive 2 briefing is at 10:45am
  • Lunch is after the first dive at 12:30pm
  • Dive 3 briefing is at 2pm
  • Snacks and fruits are offered between dives 3 & 4
  • 6pm sunset nibbles (snacks) are offered on the sundeck.
  • 7pm dinner
  • 8pm night dive (dive 5)

 

What to See

The Solomon Island waters are very nutrient-rich, and they support the entire food chain from microscopic creatures to major predators. You can expect to see a variety of sharks, mantas, dolphins, and turtles, and barracuda in uncountable numbers. In shallower waters, you'll see almost every tropical imaginable, and some that will stretch your imagination.

[Read More: Solomon Islands Marine Life]

Back to Menu

 

Other Information

Book Now Button

Boat Specifications

  • Construction: Steel
  • Length: 125 ft
  • Beam: 24 ft
  • Voltages: 415 V three-phase, 240 V single-phase, 110 V charging outlets
  • Tonnage: 280
  • Main Engine: 350 HP 3406 Turbo Charged Caterpillar Diesel
  • Auxiliaries: 2 × 80 kW
  • Water capacity: 25000ltrs
  • Fuel capacity: 12000ltrs
  • Freshwater maker: 3000 ltrs a day

 

Practical Information

  • Time Zone: UTC+10 (PNG) & UTC+11 (Solomons)
  • Currency Accepted: USD or AUD (Other currencies might be accepted as long as it has been pre-arranged).
  • Language: English
  • Payment Onboard: Cash, Visa & MasterCard. 
 

Back to Menu

 

Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call us today at 310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

Reviews (7)

Bill1946
2 Reviews
Mark as helpful 
5
4
5
4

My wife and I just returned from a glorious trip on the Bilikiki where we truly enjoyed the boat and the diving. The boat is a refitted cargo vessel. That may take you aback, but it has real character and you will fall in love the spacious boat. The dive deck is very roomy with double camera tanks and two level camera table. The actual dives take place from “Tiny’s” that make for an extraordinary experience. When you pop to the surface the Tiny races you back to the boat, no waiting. The deck crew takes care of everything and all you need to do is rinse in a warm shower and hang your dive suits (if you wear them). The attention to you from the crew is the best!

The rooms are comfortable and have plenty of room to store whatever gear you want in your room. Since the voltage is 240V, you will need to take a power strip or plan to use the Bilikiki well stocked recharging room behind the pilot house. It has both 110v and 240v for those coming from anywhere in the world. There is an inside camera table for those that take lots of accessories and lenses so that you can rig your system as you like without any hassle. Each person has their own basket to hold your precious gear.

The eating arrangements were casual. Buffet style serving with great food and dining on the large deck. Eating is very healthy with many local vegetables (yummy) and low fat/salt main courses. Great custom made snacks between dives with plenty of fruit.

As for the diving, it was our first trip to the Pacific side. However, since the Bilikiki is the only boat operating in the Solomon Islands the reefs are virgin and astonishingly healthy. We saw every form of sea life we read about. Our most memorable were the Manta’s, huge schools of Barracuda, other large schools and the many varieties of Anemone Fish. We dove some of the most published photographed places in the Pacific such as those popularized by Stephen Frink (Leru Cut and others). We did not see any whales.

We meet people that were highly traveled divers that were making their 3-5th trips on the Bilikiki and were very clear as to why. We feel fortunate to have made this choice!!

Visited on 08/2014 - Submitted on 08/07/2014
reefgirl
1 Reviews
Mark as helpful 
4
3
5
4

great diving! pristine. really enjoyed the diving, incredible coral. They do a shark feed once which I don't support, but staff was great. very accommodating. boat is ok, had a rather large room in the bow, as liveaboards go, no complaints. well suited for couples and singles, no strong currents for us, landscape is stunningly beautiful. also, get to visit local villages and shop, really worthwhile.

Visited on 04/2017 - Submitted on 05/17/2018
  • Top Reviewer
helenmb
Los Angeles, CA
United States
8 Reviews
Mark as helpful 
4
4
4
4

When it comes to diving the Solomon Islands, the fact that (somewhat) sister boats Bilikiki and Spirit are the only game in town is not a bad thing. Neither of these boats would be called the prettiest girl at the ball, but they are very comfortable and well-suited to their task. At 125 feet, these large boats have plenty of space for the maximum 20 or so divers that they take.

Both indoor and outdoor common space is more than adequate and comfortably appointed. The camera room is not enormous, particularly for a full boat of hard-core photographers – but has adequate power points and can be made to work for a sensible group.

Rooms on the boat are comfortable (it is a boat and not a Four Seasons), with private baths and showers for most of the rooms. The staff onboard are very helpful and friendly, looking after any needs one might imagine. The food is great, with small but diverse buffets for lunch and dinner, and plenty of snacks (including fresh warm cookies) in between.

As with all live-aboards, a trip on these boats is about the diving, the diving and the diving. It is generally possible to do four or five dives a day, with bottom times of an hour at least. The diving itself covers everything from open water pelagics, to attractive reefs, to WWII wrecks to surprisingly attractive mangroves. The skipper and crew seem to choose wisely based on sea and weather conditions and the interests of the divers. The boats change location seamlessly in between dives or in the evenings, covering a long stretch of the island chain with no fuss or inconvenience.

Almost all of the diving is done from ‘tinnies’ – metal tenders that take the divers from the anchored boat to the nearby targeted dive site and this system really works. The local tinny captains are both friendly and highly competent at keeping track of their divers underwater. Diving can be done with a guide from the boat or just in buddy pairs – but regardless the tinny always seems to appear from nowhere when one reaches the surface.

The final bonus of a trip on these boats is the brief (optional) island visits, when the boat pulls up to fill its water tanks or buy fresh supplies from the local people. This is not the commercially packaged ‘village tour’ that one might expect from a cruise ship holiday. The lovely locals in these isolated islands are happy and welcoming in a manner that definitely makes this an additive part of the trip.

A journey on these boats begins and ends in Honiara, the very undeveloped capital of the Solomon Islands. While it is a basic place by any sensible measure, Honiara is worth a couple of days at the beginning or end of the boat trip – with an interesting WWII history for fans of such matters.

Visited on 07/2009 - Submitted on 01/16/2014
Archer fish, Solomon Islands
Lceski
1 Reviews
Mark as helpful 
4
4
4
5

To start with, the office staff and the boat staff provided incredible customer service. We missed our flight in Los Angeles (first day of U.S. government sequester and not enough Air Traffic Controllers to get us into LA in time...) and they coordinated the boat so that it was close enough to pick us up when we arrived 2.5 days late! Amazing service. Once on board, the crew and staff continued the great service.

This is a comfortable, interesting boat. Not a cookie-cutter dive boat, it has lots of wood trim and unique touches. It was very comfortable for the 7+ days we were aboard. The food was very, very good - locally grown produce bought on stops at the villages, and an incredible variety of offerings. Multiple entrees and salads for lunch and dinner. Good vegetarian options. The camera area was in the lounge and maybe not up to par for lots of big rigs, but everyone made do just fine, I think.

The diving included a wide variety as well. Wrecks (do the tuna boat - it is upright, bow down, along a wall!) (we missed some of the wrecks because we were late...), walls, pinnacles, coral gardens. Lots of fish and a wide variety; lots of nudis and small stuff, too. Caverns and caves, and an incredible site 20 miles from an underwater volcano that you can hear - a deep rumbling noise! I think the marine environment has declined in recent years - that was my impression - but also true of many other sites. I'd say that overall marine life was still very good.

The village visits were definitely worth it - from just pulling up to canoes selling produce and flowers, to having a traditional dance performance for us. A great opportunity to see incredible art/crafts (and purchase some, of course) and learn a bit about how people on small isolated islands live.

Visited on 04/2013 - Submitted on 02/04/2014
  • Top Reviewer
medas2005
Minneapolis, MN
United States
22 Reviews
Mark as helpful 
5
4
4
3

Getting here is not too bad. We flew to Brisbane from LA, stayed a couple of days, and then flew non-stop to Honiara which is only about a 3.5 hour flight away. We didn’t stay on land, but several people did. If you have an interest in WWII wrecks, there is plenty to see. Just be ready for Malaria protection as this is one of the worst places in the world for malaria.

The Bilikiki is a nice boat but not spectacular. We had a very unusual situation in that because of a group cancellation, there were only four of us on board. It was kind of fun to have a room all to ourself and we kind of designed each day as the four of us wanted to have it happen. The host and hostess were both dive masters and that was who led the four of us into battle. As could be expected, we were given total flexibility in our dive profile. I have remained friends with the other 2 divers for almost a decade now.

The boat had a great relationship with the natives. They would sell us vegetables and fish on many of our stops. We did 3 village stops during our 11 days and they were very authentic and lots of fun. We were likely the only outside civilization that they would see for a month. The welcome was always warm and sincere.

The food was consistently good, but not as good as some other boats I have been on. The breakfasts were nice, but the dinners were a little boring after a while.

The Solomons have a number of very lovely dive sites. My personal favorite was Custom Cave which is a long tunnel that ends in a large open cavern with an opening to the sun at the top. When the sun goes under a cloud, it gets dark and when the sun comes out, a light switch goes on and a beam comes from the ceiling. Very cool. Leru Cut is similar and is more famous. The shimmering light is very unusual.

Mary’s Island has diving similar to Sipadan. The premier dive site is Barracuda Point which attracts gray sharks and large schools of fish. It is quite deep and the best action is well below 100 feet.

Only the longer itineraries go to the Morovo Lagoon and the very best diving is definitely there. If you are going half way around the world, it is good to get to these dive sites. They are classic atoll dives with the best dives along cuts into the center of the lagoon. Amazing sea fans on several of the sites.

Back in the Russell Islands, a series of sites hover over the giant garbage dumps left by the U.S. after the battle of Guadacanal. Lots of critters here

Throughout the Solomons, the seas were warm and the clarity was very high. We found a very nice Mandarin Fish site here that was as good as any one that I have seen anywhere.

The overall impression of diving in the Solomons is variety. Nice WWII wrecks. Schools of fish at Morovo Lagoon and Mary’s Island. Some very nice critter sites. Leru and Custom Cave are highly unusual as well.

We were on the boat for 11 days and did 50 dives. It was a very good experience.

Visited on 07/2005 - Submitted on 02/12/2014
Show All Reviews (7)

BE THE FIRST TO GET NEWS AND SPECIALS

Sign up for the mailing list today