Visitor MS0201 
| Visitor |
| Sex? |
male |
| Profession/occupation? |
medical student |
| Home country? |
Switzerland |
| What made you want to go to
Solomon Islands? |
I met a friend who was planning an elective [in Solomon
Islands] |
| Arriving in Solomon
Islands |
| When did you arrive in Solomon
Islands? |
December 2001 |
| Did you encounter any
bureaucratic difficulties? |
no |
| What was your first impression
after arrival? |
a healthy climate |
| Living in Solomon
Islands |
| What did positively surprise
you? |
the likeable and warmhearted people |
| What did negatively surprise
you? |
the atmosphere of Honiara |
| What took longest to get used
to? |
the narrowness of Honiara compared with the overwhelming
wideness of the rest |
| What did you miss most in
Solomon Islands? |
you can't drink water from the tap |
| What should you have brought
along? |
The Lonely Planet Solomon Islands book is very
useful!!! |
| What did you do to prevent
malaria? |
Lariam |
| Place and province where you
spent most of your time? |
Gizo, Western Province |
| Where did you stay? |
Gizo hotel, Gizo; private, Honiara; guesthouses, Marovo
Lagoon; Sir Duddley College, Isabel |
| How long did you stay at each
location? |
Honiara, 1 week; Gizo, 7 weeks; Marovo Lagoon, 3 weeks;
Isabel, 1 week |
| How much did you pay for
each? |
CHF 10-20[/night], Gizo has got special conditions for
medical students |
| Where did you usually eat? |
home |
| What did you typically pay for
a normal meal? |
SBD [-] |
| What local food/beverage did
you like most? |
slippery cabbage with tuna, Solbrew |
| What local food/beverage did
you like least? |
can't remember! So many delicious things to eat!!! |
| Working in Solomon
Islands |
| How did you usually go to
work? |
on foot |
| Where did you work? |
Gizo Hospital |
| What was your occupation? |
medical student [elective] |
| What were your working days and
hours? |
Mon - Fri, 8.30am to about 4.00pm with lunch break, some
weekends on call |
| What was particularly difficult
in regard to your work? |
to be on call on your own on weekends (there was a phone
to call the doctor) |
| Did you feel accepted by the
locals? |
yes |
| What did you usually do in your
spare time after work? |
diving, spend time with friends, kick boxing |
| Leaving Solomon Islands and
looking back |
| When did you leave Solomon
Islands? |
April 2002 |
| How long was your stay? |
3 months |
| How do you judge the length of
your stay? |
just about right |
| What did you learn from the
locals? |
it's possible to make a lot out of a minimum |
| Your advice to prospective
visitors? |
reserve time to visit different parts of this
paradise |
| What did you miss most when
back at home again? |
the climate and the sea |
| What did you enjoy most when
back at home again? |
drinking water from the tap |
| Would you go back for another
stay? |
yes |
| Estimated total cost of your
stay (including travel costs)? |
CHF 7000 |
| Additional comments? |
These are the Solomon Islands where everything is
different! And I loved it so much! |
