Tetepare is a wilderness-lover’s paradise but a stay at the Tetepare Island Ecolodge can be as adventurous or relaxed as you like. Untouched by logging, Tetepare retains almost all of its primary tropical lowland rainforest, some of the last of its kind in the country. A visit also provides a unique opportunity for the adventurous visitor to participate in on-going conservation activities with the Tetepare Descendants’ Association’s rangers. Tetepare is uninhabited but please consider visiting the local villages on neighbouring islands to buy carvings or take a village tour to see how the locals live and grow their food. You will be supporting them by providing much needed income for school fees, soap and stable food items. Please be aware that activities – including all that involve the turtles and the dugongs – are subject to regulation by the conservation team on the island. Some activities may depend on conservation efforts, weather conditions, or other external factors beyond our control.
Follow one of the many hiking trails across the island, through Tetepare’s primary lowland rainforest – some of the last of its kind in Melanesia. Walks on Tetepare range from 10 minute strolls to strenuous full-day hikes. Take a guide and learn about the plants and animals encountered along the trail. Keep an eye out for the azure kingfishers, magnificent hornbills, flocks of cardinal lorys, coucals, megapodes in the undergrowth, and beautiful orchids. Walk with a guide and learn about traditional medicinal plants encountered along the rainforest trail.
Tetepare’s reefs teem with colourful marine life. The coral reefs of this region support high fish and coral diversity. Bring your mask and snorkel and take a dip in the lagoon among the schools of mighty barracuda, massive bumphead parrotfish, tornadoes of silver jacks, brigades of snapper, feisty little clownfish, green turtles and the myriad of colourful reef fish. You can snorkel from the beach in the lagoon, or take a boat trip to some unique snorkelling spots including the blue wall drop off, Sarevo, Vuzoho and Soe Passages, Kupa Point, Siebo and Livutana.
Wildlife watching opportunities are one of the key ecotourism attractions on Tetepare. A dazzling variety of animals make their home on Tetepare’s 120 square kilometres of primary lowland rainforest – some of the last of its kind in the Melanesia. A total of 80 bird species, 24 reptile, 6 frog and 16 mammal species have been recorded on Tetepare including several rare and endemic bird and bat species. From October to January, critically endangered leatherback turtles nest on three of Tetepare’s volcanic black sand beaches. Camp out on the beach in the hope of watching one of these rare and magnificent creatures lay her eggs. From January to March, the leatherback hatchlings emerge from their nests and make their way down to the sea – a sight that will delight wildlife-lovers. Year-round, green and hawksbill turtles can be seen swimming in the lagoon. They nest on Tetepare beaches from September to December. Crocodiles are occasionally seen on Tetepare, usually subadults, but they are shy and elusive. Locals have co-existed with them for thousands of years and guides always accompany guests for their safety.
Take a moonlight walk with your guide to see the world’s largest land-based arthropod. Tetepare is home to healthy populations of large coconut crabs – a species which has died out in many parts of the Pacific. This is an experience not to be missed by wildlife-lovers. We will tempt these enormous but shy creatures out of their hiding spots using their favourite food – coconuts. Bring a torch and your camera. Other night walks include the nocturnal firefly walk which brings opportunities to see fireflies, luminescent fungi and fauna such as cuscus, fruit bats, horned toads, giant frogs, crabs and geckoes.Â
Take a walk through Tetepare’s rainforest with one of our knowledgeable guides in search of the island’s fascinating birdlife. A total of 81 bird species have been recorded on the island, including the endemic Tetepare White-eye, hornbill and Solomon Islands nightjar.
Tetepare rangers monitor green and hawksbill turtles in the lagoon outside the ecolodge. Turtles are captured and tagged using the rodeo method. Our rangers dive from the front of a moving boat to catch a turtle on the fly. However, please be aware that TDA rangers only conduct these activities during regular monitoring sessions and not on demand. Over use of this method is not desirable as it can disturb feeding turtles.
A boat trip around Tetepare is a great way to appreciate the sheer size or this lush, rugged island. For a full day trip you can circumnavigate the island, stopping for a picnic lunch and a swim, visiting one of the many abandoned village sites on the island, keeping an eye out for one of the big pod of dolphins who live in Livutana Bay. Take lunch with you to cook on one of Tetepare’s beaches. If possible, ask for a ranger to accompany you and your guide to help facilitate patrols and monitoring. Other trips include a visit to tiny Sarumana Island, a visit to the freshwater pools at Barora and snorkelling the calm fringing reefs on the lee side (north side) of the island.
Visit the remnants of abandoned village sites from head hunting days. Learn about Tetepare’s mysterious past as you explore these sites which include stone fortresses, village walls and worship and burial sites. Listen to the custom stories told by your guide of headhunting raids and battles.
An evening boat ride through the lagoon to see feeding eagle rays and green and hawksbill turtles. You may also see one of our resident dugongs as they head into the seagrass meadows to feed.
Visit one of the local villages on neighbouring Rendova Island, to gain an insight into Solomon Islands village life. The talented carvers and artisans of these villages will be happy to show you their skills during your visit and you can purchase expert wooden items such as bowls, masks and local animals. Please ask to see the carvings when you arrive. Walk through the village and see traditional gardens and nut harvesting (if in season). Many of the people in these communities are Tetepare descendants and long-time supporters of the Tetepare conservation project.
Leatherback turtles nest on Tetepare Island but the black sand beaches on the neighbouring island of Rendova are the best place to see these giant sea turtles. They nest between October and March, and guests can stay at the traditional Baniata village and patrol the beaches at night to look for nesting leatherbacks. Although turtle sightings are not guaranteed, numbers have been gradually increasing since TDA initiated a conservation program at Baniata village. Your visit helps to support our leatherback conservation program, where local people are working to help conserve leatherbacks by protecting nests, hatchlings and nesting mother turtles. As well as nesting adult turtles, you may be lucky enough to see tiny hatchlings emerge and race down the wide black sandy beach to the water. Baniata is a one hour boat ride from Tetepare. To visit Baniata, please put in a booking request when you book your visit through our website. Enquire about current rates when you book. There is a once off custom fee regardless of the length of stay which into a community fund to fund village projects like schools.
Try your hand at weaving traditional baskets out of local bush materials. Walk and collect the bush materials from the rainforest and sit with local woman to leave weaving.
Explore the lagoon in a traditional dugout canoe made from the Teo Teo Ngo tree. Paddle across the tranquil waters, watching fish and turtles glide beneath you. Watch the sunset over neighbouring Rendova Island as you paddle across the palm-fringed lagoon in the golden late-afternoon light.
Relax with a book or look for harmless black-tipped reef sharks, snapper, grouper, goat fish, parrot fish and lionfish.