Top Things to Do in Honiara

Honiara, the small capital of the Solomon Islands, sits along the shores of Iron Bottom Sound on the north coast of Guadalcanal—an island whose name is etched into World War II history. This modest Pacific city of roughly 85,000 people is the way into one of the most remote and untouched island archipelagos on Earth, where pristine coral reefs, dense tropical rainforest, and living Melanesian culture remain largely unaltered by mass tourism. While Honiara itself is unpolished and practical rather than scenic, it rewards visitors with authentic encounters that manicured resort destinations cannot provide. The central market is the pulsing heart of the city, where women from across the province sell betel nut, tropical produce, and handcrafted shell money alongside everyday goods. For history ensoiasts, the surrounding hills and shorelines are scattered with WWII relics—rusting artillery, sunken warships, and memorial sites that mark one of the Pacific War's bloodiest campaigns. Honiara is not a destination for luxury seekers; it is for travelers who crave the genuine, the unscripted, and the profoundly remote.