Audio walk · Honiara
National Museum & the US war memorial ridge
Put your phone in your pocket and walk. Your phone reads each stop aloud, then waits while you walk to the next one; tap “I've arrived” to carry on. Everything it says is written out below, so the walk works without sound too.
- 3 stops
- about 5 min of listening
- about 40 min between stops
- Cluster guide
3 stops · about 5 min listening · about 40 min between stops
Before you start
Voice and speed
The script is in English. On-device voices keep working with no signal once this page is open or saved.
Transcript
Everything the tour says, in order. Read it instead of listening if you prefer.
Before you start
Welcome to the National Museum & the US war memorial ridge audio walk in Honiara. 3 stops: Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre, American War Memorial (Skyline Ridge) and Edson's (Bloody) Ridge. Half-day cluster: the museum and the Second World War memorial on the ridge above town; go before 10:00, the ridge road is steep and open.
The museum area and the memorial viewpoint above the centre (approximate box). Underfoot: road and stone steps; slope: steep; shade: low.
Honiara is a capital that was made by a war. It began as a US supply base on Guadalcanal in 1942, and it still sits between the memorials, the wrecks and the market.
Before you start: Unexploded ordnance remains in the country: stay on paths and never touch old munitions. Keep your eyes on the street, and pause the audio before you cross a road.
1. Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre
National Museum
Stop 1 of 3: Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre. Locally, National Museum. Arrival point: Short taxi or a walk along Mendana Avenue from the town centre (check the exact route and heat before walking).
A small national museum on Mendana Avenue with shell money, carved canoe prows, tools and Second World War displays: 30 to 60 minutes indoors, a useful orientation before you book a driver for the ridge.
Thousands of Americans, Japanese, Australians, New Zealanders, Fijians and Solomon Islanders were killed. Solomon Islanders served as scouts, carriers and labourers, and many villages were caught in the fighting. Almost all land in Solomon Islands is held under customary ownership, passed down through family or clan lines rather than sold on a market.
Ask before photographing people or sacred objects. Quiet most days; school groups may visit on weekday mornings. Ask before photographs; keep voices low near sacred objects.
Walk:Next, stop 2: American War Memorial (Skyline Ridge). It's about 18 minutes on foot, about 450 metres to the south-west. Route: Walk (little shade). The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre: hours, tickets and rules →
2. American War Memorial (Skyline Ridge)
US War Memorial, Skyline Ridge
Stop 2 of 3: American War Memorial (Skyline Ridge). Locally, US War Memorial, Skyline Ridge.
A memorial above the town to the American, Australian, New Zealand and Solomon Islander forces of the 1942 to 1943 Guadalcanal campaign, with panoramic views of the coast and Ironbottom Sound: go early in the day and take a car, not a walk.
For a visitor, the places to see are the American War Memorial on the ridge, the Bonegi wrecks, the National Museum, the Vilu village museum and, with a guide, the ridge where the Marines held their line.
Memorial site: quiet voices and covered dress. Quiet most days; larger groups visit around 7 August (Guadalcanal Day). Quiet voices; covered dress; stay on paths. Go with a driver who will wait: taxis are scarce on the ridge. Little shade: bring water and a hat. Keep to the paths; unexploded ordnance remains on Guadalcanal. Do not touch old munitions.
Walk:Next, stop 3: Edson's (Bloody) Ridge. This leg is usually a ride, not a walk: hired car with a guide, about 22 minutes. The next stop is about 6.3 km to the east. The tour waits here. Tap I've arrived when you get there.
American War Memorial (Skyline Ridge): hours, tickets and rules →
3. Edson's (Bloody) Ridge
Edson's Ridge / Bloody Ridge
Stop 3 of 3: Edson's (Bloody) Ridge. Arrival point: Hired car with a local guide, about 15 to 30 minutes from the airport area (check the route).
The ridge south of Henderson Field where US Marines held off Japanese attacks on 13 to 14 September 1942: a guided visit of about one to two hours by car and a short walk, for readers of the campaign.
On the ground there were attacks and counter-attacks on the ridges south of the field, including the Battle of Edson's Ridge (Bloody Ridge) on 13 to 14 September 1942.
Do not touch or pick up old munitions. Very quiet; visits are by arrangement. Stay on the path; no picking up relics. Go with a local guide who knows the land and the landowner. A memorial stands on the ridge; the ground is open and hot. Unexploded ordnance remains in the country: stay on the path.
End of the walk
That's the end of the National Museum & the US war memorial ridge walk. To carry on, Point Cruz, Central Market & Mendana Avenue is about 10 minutes away (car north). To carry on, Chinatown & Kukum road is about 12 minutes away (car east).
Built from this site's place pages, walking times and city deep dive; nothing is added that isn't on those pages. Opening hours, prices and rules change: check each place page before you go. Walking times are typical (median) and assume a steady pace.