HomeSolomon IslandsEmperor Bilikiki, Solomon Islands
Gallery image
1 / 12

Emperor Bilikiki Liveaboard, Solomon Islands

4.9Excellent4 verified reviews
from
USD
471
per day

Bilikiki is the most spacious boat on the Solomon Islands and has been operating in this region for more than 25 years. She is equipped with a large carpeted camera table for photographers. Up to 4 dives can be made throughout the day and diving is exceptionally easy. Everything you wanted to see, you can find on Solomons: wrecks, spectacular reefs, caves, walls, seamounts, macro creatures.

Boat Interior
Bilikiki has 10 staterooms, all are equipped with private facilities. The cabins are located on the lower deck. Divers can book an entire cabin or share a twin stateroom with another diver. Also, each room has storage facilities, that can be useful during the trip. The salon area is large, it has the necessary facilities for you to feel comfortable, and relaxed after the day of diving, chatting with other divers on board. Meals are served in an open-air diving area, where you can also enjoy the gorgeous view. The sundeck has a number of sun loungers, it is ideal to observe the marvelous scenery.

Dive Deck
Bilikiki has a diving platform, with comfortable access to the water. It is big, and comfortable to prepare for the dive. Here divers will find numerous storage boxes for the gear and a camera table, comfortable to maintain your equipment.

Safety
To ensure your safety Bilikiki has life rafts and life vests, a first aid kit, fire alarm fire extinguishers, etc. The crew team is trained to manage emergency situations.

Photographers Friendly
The liveaboard suits photo enthusiasts. Its equipped with a large camera table. Besides, a boat has a separate camera room, and a dive deck supplied with a rinsing tank for a camera. The boat can offer trips dedicated to marine photography. Even divers with no experience can take part in expeditions with experienced photographers. Even if you haven’t much experience yet, you can still be a part of a trip.

Itinerary
One of the few boats that offer Solomon Islands itineraries. This destination is not very crowded, its nature is still unspoiled by tourists. Its reefs are full of different fish. Plenty of clownfish, angel fish, and butterfly fish live between coral reefs and walls of the Solomon Islands. This area is popular for macro diving. Manta shrimp, ghost pipefish, and pygmy seahorses inhabit this destination.

When to Go
Solomon Island is a year-round destination. The average water temperature is from 27С/80F. There is a period of the heaviest rainfall occurs from November to April

Cabins

Deluxe Cabin (#3 - 10)
Lower Deck

Deluxe Cabin (#3 - 10)

2 Guests
Boat plan
Boat deck plan

Boat Specification

Year built / Renovation
1966 / 2013
Number of cabins
10
Dive guides to divers ratio
10 : 1
Groups or charters
Yes
Gear rental
Surcharge
Wi-Fi
No
Nitrox
Free
Fleet/Managing company
Emperor Fleet
Length and width
38 m / 7.5 m
Capacity
20
Tenders
2 20ft aluminium
Material
Steel
Languages crew speak
English, French, German, Spanish
Power plugs onboard
415 V three-phase / 240 V single-phase (Australian style) / 110 V charging outlets (US style)
Engines
350 HP 3406 Turbo Charged Caterpillar Diesel
Generator
2x Cummins 110kW
Tech diving friendly
No
Handicapped Friendly
No
Nitrox Membrane
Nitrox system
Freshwater maker
3000 ltrs a day

Dive Facilities

  • Warm Water Showers
  • Compressors
  • Rinse Hosts
  • Tenders for Diving
  • Dive Deck
  • DIN Adaptors
  • Personal Storage Space

Boat navigation & safety

Full safety

Food & Drinks

  • Western Food
  • Local Food
  • Dietary Restrictions
  • Buffet Style
  • Alcoholic Beverages and Spirits
  • Hot & Cold Soft Drinks
  • Snacks All Day

Onboard Facilities

  • Onboard Kayaks
  • Audio & Video Entertainment
  • Air Conditioned Saloon
  • Sun Deck
  • Sun Loungers
  • Open Air Saloon
  • Indoor Saloon
  • Bar
  • Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
  • Fishing

Photographer Facilities

  • Camera & Photography Station
  • Separate Rinsing Tanks for U/W Camera
  • Camera Table
  • Special Storage for U/W Camera
  • Charging Stations

Emperor Bilikiki Reviews

4.9
Excellent
4 verified reviews
Cabins & Facilities
Food & drinks
Guiding & Safety
Service & Infrastructure
4.8
Yes …. Just do it!
It’s a no frills boat and is just like its picture. It is very comfortable and so organised. The couple who run it. Pato and Fernando are amazing and Yola the other instructor is lovely too. They run a tight ship. They also make every dive sound so exciting, as if they had just started diving there. Which they haven’t. The crew are all amazing and happy. They buy their fruit and vegetables from the locals who come up from the different islands in canoes. All fresh and home grown. So delicious. They do 5 dives a day and fit in a village tour and craft market stops at islands. The diving is varied. Walls. Slopes. Swim throughs/caverns. Lots of macro and large schools of fish. Some species we have never seen, especially on the night dives. They do laundry for you. The food is delicious too. Excellent cook and variety of food. My vegetarian friends were so well catered for. They said it’s the best they have ever had. So definitely worth it.
Service & Infrastructure
Guiding & Safety
Food & drinks
Cabins & Facilities
2025-09-23by N. Jill 
5.0
An incredibly diverse trip!
I had an amazing 10 nights onboard the Bilikiki! The dive sites were so diverse and so beautiful, we had some amazing encounters with wildlife, the crew are phenomenal and have so much energy and enthusiasm for what they do, and lastly it is so well organized and run which allowed us to dive to our hearts content. The dive deck is spacious and well sorted making suiting up and getting back on the boat so easy. We will be heading back next year!
Service & Infrastructure
Guiding & Safety
Food & drinks
Cabins & Facilities
2017-04-08
5.0
Diving like 30 or 40 years ago...
Solomon Islands is still one of the least dived and visited archipelago where diving is still excellent and where pollution is minimum. When diving with Bilikiki, one of the rare diving boat, the highlight is that you step back in the past by visiting isolated islands where people are still practising a traditional life. It is a pleasure between some dives to see these friendly people canoeing around the Bilikiki to sell their fresh food. Bilikiki despite his age is still a comfortable diving boat with an excellent local crew and foreign management. Service and food are excellent. As a non professional photographer but responsible diver (Just using a GoPro) I have appreciate the fact that I could dive solo when I wanted, exploring the reef the way I have been doing for years. This is not always possible with many dive companies...and dives could be boring when you are forced to team with macro photographers! I have also appreciate the fact that the Owner (Kelly) and the managers have rerouted the boat the second night to sail back to Honiara to collect my luggage as it did not arrive the day before on my arrival. I was feeling so miserable the first day without my diving gear and personal belongings. Thanks a lot! Solomon islands is still a destination with few international flights , so I advise the divers to arrive one or two days before the departure of Bilikiki in case something goes wrong. Flight delay, lost baggage, etc... Because of the configuration of this archipelago, the islands and their people, the dives, this was certainly my best live aboard experience. One of the last diving frontier, authentic and not crowded... So enjoy the Solomon islands with Bilkiki
Service & Infrastructure
Guiding & Safety
Food & drinks
Cabins & Facilities
2016-10-02

Similar Liveaboards

SpoilsportAustraliaSpoilsportfrom
Black PearlPalauBlack Pearlfrom
OceaniaPapua New GuineaOceaniafrom
Pacific MasterMicronesia (Truk Lagoon)Pacific Masterfrom
FebrinaPapua New GuineaFebrinafrom
Solomons Master (Truk Master)Solomon IslandsSolomons Master (Truk Master)from
ThorfinnMicronesia (Truk Lagoon)Thorfinnfrom
Aquatiki IIFrench PolynesiaAquatiki IIfrom
Palau Aggressor IIPalauPalau Aggressor IIfrom
Palau SirenPalauPalau Sirenfrom
ScubaPro I, II, IIIAustraliaScubaPro I, II, IIIfrom
Nai'aFijiNai'afrom
Ocean Hunter IIIPalauOcean Hunter IIIfrom
Solitude OnePhilippinesSolitude Onefrom
Rodney FoxAustraliaRodney Foxfrom
Coral Sea DreamingAustraliaCoral Sea Dreamingfrom
Spirit of FreedomAustraliaSpirit of Freedomfrom
Solitude GaiaPalauSolitude Gaiafrom
Aquatiki IIIFrench PolynesiaAquatiki IIIfrom