Rennell and Bellona

Rennell and Bellona are two remote raised coral islands that form the southernmost province of Solomon Islands, centred on the small capital settlement of Tigoa on Rennell Island. The islands belong to a group of Polynesian outliers, so local culture, language and traditions are distinctly Polynesian rather than typical of Melanesian Solomon Islands.

Settled by Polynesian voyagers who, according to oral tradition, arrived in two canoes, the islands retain a strong sense of ancestral identity. Islanders call Rennell Mugaba and Bellona Mungiki, and the local Rennellese language remains central to daily life. Traditional religion persisted until a mass conversion to Christianity in 1938, and church and community events still shape island life.

The most famous attraction is East Rennell, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Lake Tegano forms the largest lake in the insular Pacific. This brackish lake, limestone forest, caves and surrounding reefs support endemic wildlife such as the Rennell fantail, pink-spotted fruit dove, Rennell shrikebill and Rennell flying fox, making the area a serious destination for birdwatchers and nature travellers.

Most settlement is strung along the road near the coast, with Tigoa serving as the administrative centre around the airfield and a few clinics, shops, police facilities and simple guesthouses such as Moreno Guesthouse in Tegiku. Villages rely on fishing, coconut and garden crops, and services such as mobile coverage, power and medical care remain limited.

Rennell and Bellona suit independent, nature-focused and culturally curious travellers rather than mainstream tourism or business events. Access is by scheduled flight from Honiara to Rennell/Tingoa Airport, and careful planning with local contacts is essential, but those who make the journey find one of the Pacific's quietest and most distinctive island landscapes.