The main port of entry into The Solomon Islands is at Henderson Field on the island of Guadalcanal, situated approximately 20 minutes drive from the capital of Honiara. The town is situated on the northern coastline and incorporates a small picturesque seaport at Point Cruz.

Getting Around In Honiara
Made easy with public buses that run along the main road. Mendana Avenue. A destination card is displayed on the front window and fares are modest. Taxi cabs are not metered but can be booked or flagged down in the street and the fare should be neqotiated before engaging them.

Shopping
Honiara town centre is level, shady and interesting, with a bustling air and interesting shops, some specialising in local handicrafts," .""' others in duty free goods. The range of products is however limited. Here also is the centre of commerce, banks, postal service, Telekom, restaurants, tourist information centre and local tour operators.

A wonderful opportunity to mix with the locals presents itself at the several colourful outdoor markets around the town. Here you will find an interesting array of local goods and produce, from fresh fish and vegetables, fruit, peanuts and betel nuts, to carvings, basketware, calico laplaps and shells.

Restaurants
A good selection of restaurants offer a variety of different cuisine. Some hotel restaurants feature cultural nights with local musicians and groups performing traditional song and dance. There are a number of Chinese restaurants and others that specialize in fresh local seafood such as Coconut Crab and Lobster. French, Japanese, Thai and Italian dishes can also he found on the menus of Honiara.

Clubs
Both the Point Cruz Yacht Club and Guadalcanal Club are situated downtown and welcome overseas guests for drinks and light meals. Activities include regular dances, film nights, sailing and boating, and gol tournaments. Several casinos in Honiara cater for both the causal and serious punters who enjoy Baccarat, Blackjack, Roulette and the famous Pacific Poker.

Worth Visiting
The National Parliament building, opened in 1993, is a distinctive conical building overlooking the main town centre. A tour of the entire building can be arranged with the Sergeant at Arms. The National Museum also located in the town centre is open daily with displays of dance and body ornamentation, traditional currencies, weaponry, and archaeology. The Central Bank is a large modern building containing some interesting displays of red feather money and other local currencies and very fine wood carvings. Located past the national prison is the Botanical Gardens and herbarium with a display of local orchids, and a selection of bush plants and trees mostly typical of rainforests in the country. The Honiara Central, Rove and Kukum markets are the country's food markets where produce comes in from outlying villages, and is worth visiting for the atmosphere alone. Both the VS Memorial, atop Skyline Ridge, bearing a detailed description of the battles fought during the Guadalcanal Campaign and the Japanese Peace Memorial, with it's four white monoliths on Mt Austin offer panoramic views of the capital, Iron Bottom Sound and the Florida Islands.

	THE NATIONAL MUSEUM: Found opposite the Mendana Hotel, the National Museum houses the finest collection of custom and traditional artefacts, photographs and historical materials.
	CULTURAL CENTRE: The different traditional architectural styles of the eight Solomon Islands Provinces are seen in the leaf houses built behind the museum in a parkland setting.
	NATIONAL ARCHIVES: The most extensive collection of historic material in the country is collected and maintained at the archives next door to the museum and is open to the public.
	NATIONAL ART GALLERY: The former Old Government House has now been newly converted to a National Art Gallery and Cultural centre.
	Exhibitions of paintings and other displays have been made possible by the artists themselves and other interested people. Café facilities are also available on request.
	PUBLIC LIBRARY: Situated on the main highway just behind the office of the Public Works Department.
	BOTANICAL GARDENS: Found close to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) studios in front of the gate to the prison at Rove. Go through the prison gate and follow the road to the gardens.
	MARKETS: A thriving and busy collection of market vendors selling vegetables, fruits, fish, betel nut and custom shell money and jewellery can be found Monday to Sunday at the main market near the wharf and at Rove and Kukum, a short distance from town. Rove market opens on Sundays as well.
	CHINATOWN: One of the first established trading centres in Honiara, this busy commercial centre just across the Matanikau Bridge is still today a predominantly Chinese centre of business activity. Chinatown's main street is lined with stores built in the traditional 'colonial' style with verandahs and iron roofs.
	FISHING VILLAGE: People originally from Lau in Malaita have established a fishing way of life on the main highway approximately five kilometres from town. Their fish market operates every day except Saturday.