Location: Honiara
Top Things to do in Honiara
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What to do and see in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island: The Best Museums
Located on the island of Guadalcanal, Honiara was built on land that saw some of the bloodiest battles of WWII. Now the capital and base of tourism to the beautiful Solomon Islands, this city offers something to satisfy the desires of history junkies, nature lovers, shoppers, and everyone in between. Spend your days picking up crafts at the outdoor markets or exploring the Botanical Garden's orchid collection, and your nights eating coconut crab and playing Pacific Poker, two local specialties.
Restaurants in Honiara
1. Vilu War Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 57 reviews
Reviewed By Marcia71 - Jerusalem, Israel
We had no idea what to expect from this war museum, especially after the long bus ride to reach it. The ride itself was fascinating because we saw how people live and work on this island. The visit was arranged by the cruise ship we were on and once the group entered the area, we thought we had come to a botannical garden.. The "museum" is outdoors and contains displays of the remains of planes, submarines, tanks and other artifacts of war. The pieces were collected by a gentleman who was extremely creative in his vision of how to present these World War 2 relics. Each item was either shot down or ambushed or in some way destroyed in battle. It is not hard to imagine what happened to the soldiers or sailors who were hit. The creative element in this museum is that exquisite shrubs, trees and flowers were planted next to, in front of, behind or interspered with the relics themselves, so the feeling one gets is that amidst the horror of war, there is still beauty. We spent more time than we thought we would because people in our group wanted to photograph the novel arrangement of war materiel in a virtual garden.
2. Solomon Islands National Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By petersgn33 - Melbourne, Australia
A way to learn about the history of the Solomon Islands, the civil unrest 20 years after independence
3. Japanese War Memorial
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 10 reviews
The Japanese Memorial site was erected in memory of the Japanese involvement in the Battle of Guadalcanal during WWII. Located on the ridge of Mt. Austin with picturesque view overlooking east Honiara. There are organized tours provided by tour operators or visitors can easily get there by taxi.
Reviewed By grandad88 - Clitheroe, United Kingdom
This is styled as a Peace Memorial rather than a War Memorial and it is a very peaceful place to visit. There are wonderful views in both directions, out to sea and into the hills behind Honiara that make it worth the visit alone. The memorial itself is very simple and plain with no decoration or words except for an explanation of its purpose and meaning. We found it very interesting that when one stands in the centre of the 4 walls and looks up there is the shape of a cross! I don't know whether that was intentional or not but we found it very moving and meaningful.
4. Betikama School War Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
5. Betikama Carvings and Copper
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
6. Crafts Market Center
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3 reviews
