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Voykit pocket guide · Solomon Islands
Honiara
Honiara is a morning city: do the market, the museum and the war memorial before the heat, rest indoors at midday, take a car after dark — and carry small Solomon Islands dollar notes.
Honiara is a hot, spread-out port town with broken pavements, minibuses on set routes and few taxis after dark. The sights are close to the centre, but the Second World War sites and the wrecks are a car ride away. Four clusters cover a first visit; a hired car with a driver joins them, and a stop of one or two nights is enough before flying on to the Western Province.
- Country
- Solomon Islands
- Best months
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
- Time zone
- Pacific/Guadalcanal
- Stay
- 2 days: Market and harbour front, museum and memorial ridge
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- SBD
- Money
- Cash is king: bring Solomon Islands dollars in small notes. Cards work only at larger hotels and a few shops; ATMs are limited, so withdraw in daylight and keep a reserve.
- Daily spend
- Budget SI$300–600 excl. bed · Mid SI$600–1,400 excl. bed · High SI$1,400+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Buy a prepaid SIM from a carrier shop with your passport; coverage is good in Honiara but patchy in the islands. Check that your phone is unlocked.
- Emergency
- Police 999 · Ambulance 911 · Hotel front desk ask on arrival
- Plugs
- 240 V; types I and G sockets (check). Bring an adapter and a surge protector.
- Tipping
- Not expected; a small tip for a driver or guide is welcome.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water, and avoid ice unless you know the source.
- Toilets
- Hotels, restaurants and some shops; carry tissues and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea | SI$20–40 |
| Market fish plate | SI$20–40 |
| Hotel restaurant main | SI$110–200 |
| Taxi, short town ride | SI$20–50 |
| Beer | SI$25–45 |
| Bottle of water | SI$10–20 |
| Driver for a day | SI$700–1,200 |
| Snorkel or dive fee | SI$100–300 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Honiara International Airport (HIR), Henderson Field
- HIR to Point Cruz: one pre-booked hotel pickup or airport taxi, 25–45 minutes — the risk is a flight that lands with no ride arranged, not the distance.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Honiara International Airport (Henderson Field) (HIR) | International flights (for example Brisbane, Nadi, Port Vila, check) and domestic flights | Hotel car or taxi 20 to 40 minutes |
| Honiara Port (Point Cruz port) | Inter-island ferries and cargo | Walk or a short taxi |
| Domestic flights (Solomon Airlines) | Gizo, Munda, Seghe and other airfields | Hotel car or taxi |
Typical fares
- Airport (HIR) to Point Cruz, hotel car or taxi
- About SI$150–250, 20–35 min (check)
- Short taxi ride in town
- About SI$20–50; agree first
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the centre in the morning, take a taxi or a hired car with a driver everywhere else, and use minibuses only if you know the route.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside the centre in the morning |
| Taxi | About SI$20–50 in town (agree first) | Short hops and after dark |
| Hired car with a driver | About SI$700–1,200 a day (2026 estimate) | Bonegi, the ridge, Vilu |
| Minibus | About SI$5–10 | Along Mendana Avenue and the highway |
| Boat | Agree first | Tulagi and nearby islands |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Agree the fare before you get in; hire a driver by the hour for the ridge and Bonegi.
- Late at night
- No rail. Taxis are few after dark: ask the hotel to book the ride back before you go out.
See and do
01Central Market at dawn
Fresh produce and the town at work.
Hours: best 06:30–09:00 · Price: Free to browse · Time: 30–60 minHours: best 6:30 AM–9:00 AM · Price: Free to browse · Time: 30–60 min
02American War MemorialUS War Memorial, Skyline Ridge
The view and the history.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free (check) · Time: 20–45 min · -9.4361, 159.9541
03Bonegi wrecksBonegi
Wrecks you can snorkel from the shore.
Hours: best Early morning · Price: Entry fee about SI$50–100 · Time: 1–2 h
04National MuseumNational Museum
Custom and shell money.
Hours: best Weekday · Price: Small fee (check) · Time: 45–60 min · -9.4326, 159.9558
05Vilu War MuseumVilu War Museum
War relics in the open air.
Hours: best Weekday morning · Price: Small local fee (check) · Time: 45–90 min · -9.4326, 159.8950
06Edson's RidgeEdson's Ridge / Bloody Ridge
A campaign battlefield with a guide.
Hours: best Dry morning · Price: Guide fee · Time: 1–2 h · -9.4550, 160.0080
07Point Cruz harbour frontPoint Cruz
Sunset and a breeze.
Hours: best Sunset · Price: Free · Time: 20–45 min · -9.4278, 159.9525
08A seafood lunch in ACHeritage Park Hotel
A reliable meal.
Hours: best Lunch · Price: SI$120–300 · Time: 1 h · -9.4310, 159.9540
09Sunset at the yacht club
A drink by the harbour.
Hours: best Late afternoon · Price: SI$80–200 · Time: 1 h · -9.4279, 159.9530
10Market breakfastCentral Market (Point Cruz)
A cheap local meal.
Hours: best Before 10:00 · Price: SI$15–50 · Time: 20–30 minHours: best Before 10:00 AM · Price: SI$15–50 · Time: 20–30 min · -9.4283, 159.9520
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bonegi wrecks | Hired car, about 30 min west | Half day, leave 06:30Half day, leave 6:30 AM |
| Vilu War Museum | Hired car, about 40–60 min west (check) | Half day |
| Tulagi and the Florida Islands | Boat across Iron Bottom Sound, 1–2 h | Full day |
| Mataniko Falls | Car then a walk with a guide | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Market food stalls | Fish and root vegetables · Central Market | SI$15–50 | Budget |
| Kukum Highway noodle and rice shops | Fried rice or noodles · Kukum Highway | SI$40–100 | Budget |
| Chinatown waterside food stalls | Noodles and fish · Chinatown | SI$40–100 | Budget |
| Heritage Park Hotel restaurant | Seafood or a hotel main · Mendana Avenue | SI$120–300 | Mid-range |
| Point Cruz Yacht Club | Beer and fish and chips · Point Cruz | SI$80–200 | Mid-range |
| Hotel seafood dinner for a group | Set menu or fish of the day · Central hotels | SI$300–600 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in Solomon Islands dollars. Many places are closed or limited on Sunday.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | SI$400–700 | Kukum and Chinatown | Guesthouses and small hotels |
| mid | SI$800–1,600 | Point Cruz, Mendana Avenue | Mid-range hotels |
| splurge | SI$1,800+ | Point Cruz waterfront | Larger hotels |
Per room per night in Solomon Islands dollars, 2026 estimate; Independence Day week and Christmas are much busier.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HaloHAH-lo |
| Thank you very much | Tagio tumastah-GEE-oh too-MAHS |
| Sorry / excuse me | SoriSOR-ee |
| How are you? | Hao nao?how NOW |
| How much? | Hao mas?how MAHS |
| I do not know | Mi no savemee no SAH-veh |
| Delicious | Hem gud tumashem GOOD too-MAHS |
| See you | Lukim iuLOO-keem yoo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Dress: Cover shoulders and knees, especially at the market, in churches and at memorials.
- Custom land: Land and reefs are owned by families: ask before entering a beach or a village and pay a small fee if asked.
- Greetings: Say "halo" and smile; take your time before business.
- Sunday: A day for church and rest: avoid loud activity and expect closures.
- Photographs: Ask before photographing people, houses or sacred sites.
- Betel nut: Do not comment on chewing; do not spit on the pavement.
Red lines
- Memorial sites: quiet, covered dress.
- Ask before photographing people, and before using a beach or entering village land: land is under customary ownership.
- Do not touch old munitions.
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxi drivers who name a price after the ride: agree the fare before you get in, or ask your hotel for the going rate.
- Guides or "landowners" who ask for a fee at a beach or a site: small local fees are normal on customary land, but ask your driver or hotel who is authorised.
- Bag snatching at the market and waterfront: keep bags in front and leave valuables at the hotel.
- Souvenir sellers of shells, turtle shell or carvings that may be restricted: check export and import rules before buying.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover. Skip: Bonegi and Vilu: they need a half-day.
- 06:306:30 AMCentral Market
- 08:308:30 AMAmerican War Memorial
- 10:3010:30 AMNational Museum
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch in a hotel
- 17:305:30 PMSunset at Point Cruz
2 days
A first visit with a wreck morning. Skip: Bloody Ridge.
Day 1 — Town and ridge
- 06:306:30 AMCentral Market
- 08:308:30 AMMemorial
- 10:3010:30 AMNational Museum
Day 2 — Bonegi
- 07:007:00 AMBonegi wrecks
- 10:0010:00 AMVilu War Museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (official): www.visitsolomons.com.sb/
- Wikivoyage — Honiara: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Honiara
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Honiara
Plis tekem mi go long ples ia (check with locals)
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- US War Memorial, Skyline RidgeAmerican War Memorial (Skyline Ridge)
- BonegiBonegi wrecks
- National MuseumSolomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre
- Vilu War MuseumVilu Village War Museum
- Edson's Ridge / Bloody RidgeEdson's (Bloody) Ridge
- Point CruzPoint Cruz harbour front and yacht club
- Police999
- Ambulance911
- Hotel front deskask on arrival
Many embassies are represented from Canberra, Wellington or Port Moresby; the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions are in Honiara (check).
Give the hotel name and the nearest landmark; house numbers are rarely used.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/honiara). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.