Find places in Solomon Islands

Must-Haves

• Honiara Central Market (Mendana Avenue)
  The country's busiest market, piled with fruit, root crops, betel nut and smoked fish brought in by canoe from nearby islands.

Off the Beaten Path

• Shell money stalls (Honiara Central Market)
  Strands of red and white shell money made in Malaita, a living traditional currency.

Must-Haves

• Solomon Islands National Museum (Mendana Avenue)
  A compact introduction to the islands' cultures, with canoes, shell money and traditional dress.
• National Parliament House (Vavaya Ridge)
  A cone-shaped parliament on the hill with a painted interior and views over the city.

Off the Beaten Path

• Vilu War Museum (Vilu, west Guadalcanal)
  An open-air garden of wartime aircraft, guns and memorials gathered by a local family.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Panpipe performances (Honiara)
  Look out for panpipe bands at events and hotels, a sound unique to the Solomons.

Must-Haves

• Guadalcanal American Memorial (Skyline Ridge)
  A moving memorial to the Guadalcanal campaign with sweeping views over Iron Bottom Sound.
• Japanese Peace Memorial (Mount Austin)
  A quiet hilltop memorial looking out over the battlefields and the sea.
• Bonegi I and II Wrecks (Bonegi, west of Honiara)
  Two Japanese transport wrecks lying just off the beach, perfect for snorkelling over history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bloody Ridge (Near Honiara International Airport)
  The site of a pivotal 1942 battle, best understood with a local guide.

Fun for Everyone

• Red Beach (East of Honiara)
  The black sand beach where US Marines landed in August 1942, with a rusting gun on the shore.

Fun for Everyone

• Mataniko Falls (Tuvaruhu, inland from Honiara)
  A guided hike through village gardens and forest to a waterfall pouring out of a cave.
• Tambea Beach (North west Guadalcanal)
  A calm beach with snorkelling and a village resort an hour west of town.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tenaru Falls (East Guadalcanal)
  A long, rewarding day hike to a tall waterfall in the rainforest.
• Mount Austin (Above Honiara)
  A viewpoint over the north coast and the battlefields, reached on the road past the Japanese memorial.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Honiara Botanical Gardens (Rove)
  Shady paths and tropical trees for a cool walk away from the main road.

Must-Haves

• Heritage Park Hotel (Mendana Avenue)
  A modern waterfront hotel with a pool and harbour views right in the centre.

Fun for Everyone

• Coral Sea Resort and Casino (Mendana Avenue)
  A resort-style waterfront hotel with a pool, restaurant and sunset bar.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Solomon Kitano Mendana Hotel (Mendana Avenue)
  A long-running waterfront hotel steps from the market and museum.
• Honiara Hotel (Chinatown)
  A practical, good value hotel with a pool, close to the Mataniko River.

Great for Date Night

• Pacific Casino Hotel (Kukum)
  A larger hotel with sea views and several restaurants east of the centre.

Must-Haves

• Point Cruz Yacht Club (Point Cruz)
  A relaxed waterfront club where expats, sailors and locals meet for a cold drink at sunset.

Great for Date Night

• Coral Sea Resort Bar (Mendana Avenue)
  Waterfront sunset drinks with a view of Savo on clear evenings.

Great for Date Night

• Heritage Park Hotel Restaurant (Mendana Avenue)
  Waterfront dining with fresh fish and international dishes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Chinatown eateries (Chinatown)
  Simple Chinese restaurants and takeaways that feed the city at honest prices.

Must-Haves

• Independence Day celebrations (Lawson Tama Stadium)
  Flag raising, parades and dancing every 7 July.

Fun for Everyone

• Christmas and New Year in Honiara (Citywide)
  Church choirs, family feasts and fireworks over the harbour.

Must-Haves

• Kennedy Island (Off Gizo)
  The tiny island where John F. Kennedy and his crew swam after PT-109 sank, with white sand and reef.
• Toa Maru Wreck (Kolombangara)
  A Japanese transport ship lying on its side in clear, shallow water.
• Dive Gizo (Gizo waterfront)
  The town's long established dive centre for reefs, wrecks and courses.

Fun for Everyone

• Hellcat Wreck (Near Gizo)
  An American fighter plane sitting upright on sand, shallow enough for snorkellers.

Off the Beaten Path

• Simbo hot springs and megapodes (Simbo Island)
  Volcanic vents, warm sand nesting grounds and old skull shrines on a day trip.

Great for Date Night

• Fatboys Resort (Mbabanga Island)
  Overwater bungalows and a famous jetty bar above the reef.

Fun for Everyone

• Sanbis Resort (Mbabanga Island)
  Beachfront bungalows with great snorkelling just off the sand.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gizo Hotel (Gizo waterfront)
  The town's main hotel, close to the market and dive shop.

Must-Haves

• Gizo Market (Gizo waterfront)
  Canoes pull up with fish, fruit and root crops every morning.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kolombangara crater hike (Kolombangara)
  A tough, muddy two-day climb into cloud forest with endemic birds.

Fun for Everyone

• Saeraghi Beach (Western Ghizo Island)
  A long white beach beside a Gilbertese village, ideal for a lazy afternoon.
• Grand Central Station dive site (Near Gizo)
  A busy reef where schools of fish and reef sharks gather.

Must-Haves

• Njari Island (Near Gizo)
  A dive and snorkel site famous for huge numbers of fish.

Great for Date Night

• Fatboys jetty bar (Mbabanga Island)
  Sunset drinks on a long jetty over clear reef water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gizo Hotel bar (Gizo waterfront)
  A sociable spot for a cold drink with divers and locals.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gizo Market food stalls (Gizo waterfront)
  Cooked cassava, fish and snacks for a cheap, local lunch.

Great for Date Night

• Sanbis Resort Restaurant (Mbabanga Island)
  Fresh seafood served by the water, an easy boat ride from town.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gilbertese village visit (Titiana, Ghizo Island)
  Learn how families resettled from Kiribati keep their culture alive.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Skull shrine at Simbo (Simbo Island)
  An ancestral shrine visited respectfully with a local guide.

Must-Haves

• Skull Island (Roviana Lagoon)
  A sacred shrine of chiefs' skulls on a tiny coral islet.
• Peter Joseph WWII Museum (Munda)
  A large private collection of wartime relics gathered from the surrounding bush and reefs.

Off the Beaten Path

• Roviana custom shrines (Roviana Lagoon)
  Ancestral sites visited with village guides and custom fees.

Must-Haves

• Dive Munda (Munda waterfront)
  The local dive centre for walls, wrecks and lagoon snorkelling.

Fun for Everyone

• Airacobra wreck (Roviana Lagoon)
  A wartime fighter plane resting in the lagoon, a favourite with divers.
• Roviana Lagoon village tour (Roviana Lagoon)
  A boat trip through stilt villages, mangroves and islands.
• Munda airfield (Munda)
  The wartime runway that shaped the town, still in use today.

Off the Beaten Path

• Douglas Dauntless wreck (Roviana Lagoon)
  A dive bomber lying on the seabed, remarkably intact.

Must-Haves

• Shark Point (Outside Roviana Lagoon)
  A dramatic wall dive with reef sharks, barracuda and big fans.
• Tetepare Island (South of Munda)
  One of the largest uninhabited islands in the South Pacific, with rainforest and turtles.

Fun for Everyone

• Holupuru Falls (Near Munda)
  A cool swimming hole reached by a walk through village gardens.

Must-Haves

• Agnes Gateway Hotel (Munda waterfront)
  The town's main hotel with lagoon views and a dive centre next door.

Great for Date Night

• Zipolo Habu Resort (Lola Island)
  Simple bungalows on a private lagoon island with fishing and snorkelling.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tetepare Eco Lodge (Tetepare Island)
  Leaf houses on a protected wilderness island run by its descendants.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Munda Market (Munda)
  Fresh fish, fruit and betel nut sold under the trees.

Great for Date Night

• Agnes Gateway Hotel Restaurant (Munda waterfront)
  Lagoon views and fresh fish for dinner after a day on the water.

Great for Date Night

• Agnes Gateway Hotel bar (Munda waterfront)
  Sunset drinks on the deck over the lagoon.

Fun for Everyone

• Christmas church celebrations (Munda)
  Choirs, feasts and village sports across the lagoon.

Must-Haves

• Uepi Island Resort (Marovo Lagoon)
  A classic dive lodge on the outer barrier with drop-offs off the jetty.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Matikuri Lodge (Near Seghe)
  A village-owned eco lodge with leaf houses and lagoon views.

Off the Beaten Path

• Wilderness Lodge (Peava, Gatokae)
  Rustic bungalows near great diving at the southern end of the lagoon.

Must-Haves

• Uepi Point (Marovo Lagoon)
  A famous drop-off where sharks, rays and jacks patrol the passage.

Must-Haves

• Chea carvers (Marovo Lagoon)
  A village of carvers making shell-inlaid bowls and figureheads.

Off the Beaten Path

• Telina Island carvers (Marovo Lagoon)
  Watch master carvers shape ebony and kerosene wood.

Fun for Everyone

• Sunday church singing (Marovo villages)
  Powerful harmonies at a village service, open to respectful visitors.

Fun for Everyone

• Kayaking the Marovo channels (Marovo Lagoon)
  Paddle calm waters between islands, mangroves and villages.

Must-Haves

• Marovo snorkelling (Marovo Lagoon)
  Shallow coral gardens across the inner lagoon.

Off the Beaten Path

• Seghe airstrip (Seghe)
  A wartime airstrip that is now the gateway to the lagoon.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Carvings sold at lodge jetties (Marovo Lagoon)
  Carvers paddle up with their work so you can buy directly.

Off the Beaten Path

• Village feast days (Marovo Lagoon)
  Church and community celebrations with dancing and food.

Must-Haves

• Auki Market (Auki)
  Shell money, betel nut and produce from across Malaita.

Must-Haves

• Laulasi Island (Langa Langa Lagoon)
  Watch shell money being made by hand on an island village.
• Lau Lagoon artificial islands (North east Malaita)
  Islands built by hand from coral stones over centuries.

Off the Beaten Path

• Busu Island (Langa Langa Lagoon)
  Another shell money village with custom houses.

Fun for Everyone

• Panpipe music in Malaita (Malaita)
  The island is famous for its bamboo panpipe ensembles.

Fun for Everyone

• Auki to Honiara ferry (Auki wharf)
  A crossing that shows the islands from the water.

Off the Beaten Path

• Langa Langa Lagoon canoe trip (Langa Langa Lagoon)
  Paddle out to lagoon villages with a guide.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Auki market food (Auki)
  Cooked root crops, fish and snacks for a cheap local meal.