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Why to Visit Parangiju Lodge
Why to Visit Parangiju Lodge
Straight up, Parangiju Lodge is a must-visit when in Honiara. It's only an hour away and is a locally owned lodge high in the amountains. It is run by Amanda, an amazing lawyer who does incredible work for female empowerment in her village, as well as works with a not-for-profit set up to help chiefs and rural villages stay safe from Chinese-logging companies.
Amanda herself was my highlight of the Solomon Islands. Getting to spend 5 days with her and hear from her life and experiences taught me more than I can express. She is also fluent in English and one of the brightest personalities I could imagine! One of the biggest reasons I can't wait to come aback to the Solomon Islands is to spend more time with her and learn more from her.
Parangiju Lodge is owned by Amanda's family, and they often take on students from Don Bosco hospitality school (located nearby) to come and work at the lodge for their practical experience. There are several tours and trips you can do around Parangiju, and either Amanda or some of the staff will accompany you on your adventures. When I was there, it was just me and one local domestic traveller staying at the lodge, and a dozen staff. Nine of us went together on what is now one of my favourite hikes of all time, traversing through a river, passing under waterfalls, into a pitch black cave (still through the river) and up into the most verdant green canyon. The boys stopped to catch some river fish for dinner, and it was an amazing day. You'd be mad not to visit!
Contact details
Contact details
Location:
Facebook: Parangiju Mountain Lodge
WhatsApp: +677 71 81702 (Amanda)
Email: parangijumountainlodge16@gmail.com
Costings
Costings
Transport from Honiara to Parangiju - SBD$300 / AU$56
Bungalow at Parangiju - SBD$500 / AU$94
Dormitory at Parangiju - SBD$200 / AU$37
Camping (BYO Tent) - TBC
Breakfast - SBD$60 / AU$11
Lunch - SBD$110 / AU$20
Dinner - SBD$110 / AU$20
Guided hike to Tenaru Waterfall - SBD$150 / AU$28
Guided hike to Parasaia Cave - SBD$200 / AU$37
Bird watching - SBD$350 / AU$65
Village Tour (Hailelua Cultural Village) - SBD$700 per person if one or two people, SBD$350 per person if more than three people
Accomodation
Accomodation
There are a variety of rooms. I stayed in this Bungalow for SBD$250 / AU$46, although they also have basic dormitory rooms if you're on a budget. Notably, the Bungalows actually have extra beds for families too!
The Lodge
The Lodge
The lodge is absolutely spectacular, with breathtaking views from so high up. You can easily see the ocean, and the sunrise and sunset views are spectacular!
There's a massive common area for dining/kitchen, which has traditional thatched roofs. It's also a beautiful temperature, as opposed to the heat of Honiara, with the elevation providing the perfect breeze!
The Food
The Food
If you've read any of my other pages on travel to the Pacific, you'll know that food is often highly dependent on what is available, and when you're in more remote locations, it can be limited to rice and potatoes! Parangiju is the exception, and whilst you shouldn't expect a 5 star restaurant with heaps of options, the food was absolutely superb. Here's a picture of breakfast one day (pancakes, yum yum!) and dinner (river fish we caught on a hike, rice, and seasonal fruits!
Parasaia Cave & Grotto (Bat Cave)
Parasaia Cave & Grotto (Bat Cave)
The below beautiful photos are from Parasaia Cave and Grotto! The girls (and boys) from Parangiju Lodge and Don Bosco accompanied me on this incredible hike - probably the most fun I've had on a hike in several years.
From Parangiju Lodge, it takes about two hours each way to wade through the river and scrambling over rocks, past at least a dozen smaller cascades. You need to walk through the river for this hike as there is no footpath on the sides, and there are some snakes. I was grateful to have the boys with us, as they didn't mind picking up the snakes and throwing them back into the bush for us! You can either bring heavy duty hiking boots (as long as you've got at least 24 hours to dry them out afterwards/before your flight) for the best protection. Or, if you have river boots / water booties, that can be an easy option. The locals just wear sandals, but if you're not used to walking in flip flors, you'll probably lose them to the stream.
After 2 hours of pure fun walking through the refreshing river, you'll make it to this incredible waterfall. In the photo you'll see it's quite dark on the right side. That's the entrance to the cave. We left our bags at the waterfall here and 6 of us went in, while the other 3 decided to hang out at the river and fish for dinner.
Once you enter the cave, you then spend 5-10 minutes wading through the water in the pitch black to get to the grotto. The water is chest height at points (I'm 5"7 / 172cm), and it is a strong current, but we each managed to do it with one hand in the air holding our phones/cameras wrapped in plastic bags and out of the water!
This section is known as "bat cave", and there are quite literally thousands of bats screeching and fluttering above you. It's pretty incredible, because you're in the pitch black, covered in water, and listening to the rush of a very fast river and the sounds of the bats. Surreal, isolated, and beautiful!
When you get out of bat cave, you come to a beautiful green grotto/canyon. The locals still call this bat cave, but one of them did give me the name "Parasaia" - hence Parasaia Cave and Canyon. We did drive a car to the start point of the hike, but a few of our group walked to and from the start point and that only took an extra 45 minutes. All up, it was an 8-hour day trip for us, but you could do it in 6 hours with fewer stops. Of the dozen cascades along the river, we stopped to jump off 4 or 5 of them, stopped for fishing, did a bunch of photoshoots, had a picnic, and just enjoyed taking our time.
Parasaia Cave & Grotto - In Summary
Parasaia Cave & Grotto - In Summary
Starting Point: Parangiju Lodge
Hike Duration: ~2 hours hike through the river each way (6-8 hours total trip)
Route: Walking through the river, scrambling over rocks, passing multiple cascades
Footwear: River boots, water booties, or durable hiking boots (locals wear sandals)
Challenges: No footpath, strong river current, chest-high water, presence of snakes
Benefits: One of my favourite hikes. Ever.
Tenaru Falls
Tenaru Falls
This was a great one and a fun hike straight from Parangiju Lodge. It only takes 30 minutes downhill (it's very muddy and you'll want shoes with great grip), and then 30 minutes from the base of the hill through to the waterfall. Of course, on the way back, you have to go uphill through the mud, so it may take longer to get back.
The falls themselves are a 60 metre drop, and are absolutely gorgeous with a large swimming area at the base of them. I went with two of the girls from Parangiju and we brought a little picnic to spend a few hours chilling at the pool, swimming, and of course, talking about boys. This is a great trip and absolutely worth the short hike to get to the falls. Bring a picnic with you and enjoy!
Below is a picture of what to expect during the last 30 munites walking along the river, and the falls themselves!
Hotomai Cultural Village
Hotomai Cultural Village
If you're just doing a fly-in-fly out trip and only visiting Honiara (if you're travelling for work, I understand, but otherwise - stay longer!), then Hotomai Cultural Village is the most accessible place to go.
Located only 15 minutes from the airport is Hotomai Cultural Village. You can get here either with your own hire car (4 wheel drive strongly recommended) or via taxi. It's around a 2 hour walk from the airport and is very hot and dry. Even as someone who'll happily walk most everywhere, I don't recommend this.
Make sure you message them in advance so that they know you're coming. They will confirm when a good arrival time is.
Hotomai Cultural Visit is also located on the way to Parangiju Lodge, following the same turn off from the main road. Consider pairing a village to Hotomai on either on your way to or from Parangiju.
Hotomai Cultural Village
Facebook: Hotomai Cultural Village
Phone: +677 78 29559
Email: hotomaiculturalvillage@gmail.com
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