Oravae Cottage is a private island retreat located just off the coast of Gizo in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Situated on its own small islet, the property offers an exclusive-use experience where guests have the entire island to themselves, making it an ideal choice for couples, families, or small groups seeking privacy and a slower pace of life. Surrounded by clear lagoons, coral reefs, and tropical vegetation, the island provides direct access to many of the natural attractions that make the Solomon Islands a rewarding destination for both divers and non-divers.
The resort combines simple island accommodation with a genuine local hospitality experience. Its location allows guests to enjoy reef diving, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, and cultural experiences while remaining within easy reach of Gizo. Nearby waters are home to healthy coral reefs, abundant marine life, and numerous World War II relics, offering opportunities to combine underwater exploration with the region’s fascinating wartime history.
Facilities & Meals
Facilities are designed to complement the island’s relaxed atmosphere while providing everything needed for a comfortable stay. Guests have access to an overwater verandah with hammocks and deck chairs, a traditional wooden canoe, gas-powered lighting, refrigeration, cooking facilities, and a selection of inflatables for use in the lagoon. All stays include freshly prepared meals showcasing local ingredients and Solomon Islands flavours, along with tea, coffee, linen, towels, and kitchen essentials.
Activities
Beyond scuba diving and snorkelling, guests can spend their time fishing, surfing, canoeing through the surrounding lagoons, hiking on nearby Kolombagara Island, exploring neighbouring islands, visiting local villages around Gizo, or enjoying guided rainforest walks. The calm lagoon also provides an ideal setting for swimming and relaxing directly from the accommodation.
Surfing
Surfing with Oravae Cottage offers an authentic Solomon Islands experience, with uncrowded reef breaks and personalised guiding just 20 minutes by boat from Gizo. The welcoming local family provides expert knowledge of the area’s world-class surf, with Jeremy—President of the Western Solomons Surfing Association—leading guests to renowned breaks such as Tatiana and Palonggi, as well as lesser-known reef passes. Flexible boat access allows surfers to chase the best Pacific swells according to the tides and wind, ensuring the best possible conditions while sharing the waves with only a handful of other surfers.
Tovania Trail
The Tovania Trail is a new initiative by Oravae Cottage, created to offer more than just a walk through the bush—it’s a journey of learning, connection, and understanding. This experience is designed to educate participants about the importance of our forest environment, the many ways it supports our lives, and why it must be protected. Along the trail, we share stories of how our ancestors relied on the forest for food, shelter, and medicine—knowledge that has been passed down through generations.
Staying Connected
Oravae Cottage offers an opportunity to disconnect from everyday life. Mobile reception may be available in some areas, but internet access is limited due to the island’s remote location, allowing guests to enjoy a quieter and more immersive island experience.
We Think . . .
Oravae Cottage is best suited to travellers looking for privacy rather than resort facilities. Its exclusive-use concept, peaceful surroundings, and proximity to excellent diving and snorkelling make it a good option for couples, families, and small groups wanting to experience the Solomon Islands at a slower pace.
Oravae Cottage is approximately 20 minutes by boat from Gizo in the Solomon Islands’ Western Province. International flights connect Brisbane with Honiara and Munda (once per week), approximately three hours from Brisbane. From Honiara, regular domestic flights operate to Gizo Airport. Upon arrival in Gizo, guests are met by the resort and transferred by boat to Oravae Cottage, with the journey taking approximately 20 minutes across the lagoon.
Oravae Cottage can accommodate groups of up to ten guests across three separate buildings. Although there are multiple accommodation options, the island is usually only booked by one group at a time, ensuring complete privacy throughout each stay.
Oravae Cottage
The main cottage is an open-plan timber bungalow built using locally sourced materials and positioned directly above the lagoon. It features one private bedroom with a double bed, while the spacious living area accommodates four additional single beds, making it suitable for families or small groups. The cottage also includes a kitchenette, indoor bathroom facilities, and an additional outdoor shower.
Its standout feature is the large overwater verandah, where hammocks and deck chairs overlook the lagoon, creating a comfortable space to relax between activities or enjoy the changing colours of the sea throughout the day.
The Penthouse
Located beside the main cottage, The Penthouse is an overwater bungalow designed for couples seeking additional privacy. It features a double bed, an indoor toilet, an outdoor shower, and a spacious timber deck positioned to capture the sea breeze while overlooking the lagoon.
The Treehouse
Currently under construction, available September 2026
Dive Services
Scuba diving at Oravae Cottage is conducted in partnership with Dive Gizo, one of the Solomon Islands’ longest-established dive operators based in nearby Gizo. Guests are transferred by boat from the island to Dive Gizo, where experienced local dive guides organise daily excursions to the surrounding reefs, walls, pinnacles, and historic WWII wrecks.
Dive Gizo provides professionally guided boat dives suitable for both recreational and experienced divers, with dive sites selected according to weather, tides, and diver experience. Full scuba equipment rental, tanks, weights, and comprehensive dive briefings are available, while refresher programs and certification courses can also be arranged. Their extensive local knowledge allows guests staying at Oravae Cottage to experience the remarkable diversity of Gizo’s underwater environment while enjoying the privacy of an exclusive island retreat.
Diving Location Features
The waters surrounding Gizo are recognised as some of the most diverse in the Solomon Islands, combining pristine coral reefs with one of the South Pacific’s highest concentrations of accessible WWII wrecks. Reef systems range from shallow coral gardens and protected lagoon reefs to steep outer walls and deep channels where nutrient-rich currents attract larger pelagic species. The relatively low level of tourism means many dive sites remain uncrowded, allowing marine life to thrive in healthy reef ecosystems.
Divers can encounter an impressive variety of marine life throughout the region. Healthy hard and soft corals support colourful reef fish, butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, fusiliers, anthias, and schools of snapper and trevally, while macro enthusiasts regularly find nudibranchs, shrimp, pipefish, ghost pipefish, and a variety of crustaceans. Larger encounters may include reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles, barracuda, tuna, Spanish mackerel, and seasonal visits from dolphins. The combination of reef diving, wreck diving, and occasional pelagic encounters makes Gizo one of the Solomon Islands’ most rewarding dive destinations.
Best Time to Dive
Diving is possible throughout the year thanks to consistently warm tropical waters, with temperatures generally ranging between 27°C and 30°C. Visibility commonly exceeds 20 to 40 metres, while sheltered reef sites often remain diveable even during periods of changing weather.
The dry season from May to October generally offers the calmest sea conditions, making it an excellent time for exploring offshore reefs, outer walls, and the region’s famous WWII wrecks. Between November and April, warmer water and occasional rainfall coincide with increased fish activity and excellent opportunities for underwater photography, although sea conditions can be more variable. Because many of Gizo’s dive sites are naturally protected by surrounding islands and reefs, diving remains rewarding throughout the year.
Dive Sites
Japanese WWII Wrecks
The waters around Gizo contain numerous Japanese aircraft, barges, and military relics dating back to the Second World War. Over decades these structures have become artificial reefs supporting colourful soft corals, sponges, and reef growth. Schools of glassfish frequently shelter inside the wreckage, while snappers, sweetlips, lionfish, moray eels, and juvenile reef fish now inhabit the twisted metal, making these dives equally interesting for history enthusiasts and underwater photographers.
Grand Central Station
Grand Central Station is one of the region’s best-known reef dives, where several reef systems converge to create an environment rich in marine life. Strong currents often attract large schools of barracuda, trevallies, tuna, and fusiliers, while reef sharks patrol the deeper sections. The coral formations support numerous reef fish, making every dive slightly different depending on tidal movement.
Toa Maru Wreck
The Toa Maru is a Japanese transport ship resting in relatively accessible depths near Gizo. The wreck is now heavily colonised by hard and soft corals, creating shelter for schools of snapper, batfish, soldierfish, groupers, and moray eels. Macro photographers also search the structure for nudibranchs, shrimps, and other small reef creatures hiding among the coral growth.
Reef Walls and Coral Gardens
The fringing reefs surrounding the nearby islands feature gently sloping coral gardens that descend into deeper walls. Extensive hard coral coverage supports butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish, and anemonefish, while hawksbill turtles and eagle rays are regularly encountered cruising along the reef edge. These sites are suitable for both relaxed diving and snorkelling due to their excellent coral condition and generally calm conditions.
Lagoon Reefs
The sheltered lagoon around Oravae Island offers shallow reef diving and snorkelling suitable for all experience levels. Colourful coral bommies provide habitat for damselfish, wrasse, gobies, octopus, and numerous macro subjects, while the sandy areas between the reefs are home to garden eels, stingrays, and juvenile reef fish. Night dives reveal a different side of the lagoon as crustaceans, hunting octopus, and sleeping parrotfish become active after sunset.
Pricing for Oravae Cottage with Dive Gizo
| Valid to 2027 | AUD | ||
| 7 Nights Penthouse Bungalow Double with 12 dives | 3050 | ||
| 7 Nights Penthouse Bungalow Single with 12 dives | 3925 | ||
| 7 Nights Oravae Family Bungalow Double with 12 dives | 3050 | ||
| 7 Nights Oravae Family Bungalow Quad with 12 dives | 1957 | ||
| Inclusions: Include 3 meals per day Transfers to and from the Airport or Gizo Town Complimentary water is provided daily in all bungalows. |
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| The per person pricing above is indicative only: we show 7 night with 12 dive packages at high-end and lower-end rooms for the purposes of comparison. We can give you a price (and availability) for any combination of nights/dives you wish to undertake, which will include any discounts due to you as part of that package, and any exclusions, or items payable at the resort. Please use the [Enquire Now] tab to give us your exact requirements and we'll give you the best deal we can. | |||
