No operator sells multi-day packages out of Honiara, so a stay of several days is a do-it-yourself plan. The dependable approach is to pick a hotel, then add guided outings. Prices are in Solomon Islands dollars (SBD), and the figures given are approximate. Step one: entry rules The rules are recent, so read the official wording before you book flights. A tourist visa comes through the Solomon Islands Immigration visa portal.

Walking in Honiara comes with conditions. The town is a ribbon of road with long gaps between sights, the heat is strong, and crime near the centre is a real concern. A brief daytime stroll works, and the longer walks all need a guide. The central stroll Four stops make a sensible short walk in daylight: the National Museum on Mendana Avenue, the Point Cruz waterfront, the Honiara Central Market and the Parliament building.

Honiara is a government town and a port, and it has no theme parks, beach resorts or play centres. Families here make do with a handful of low-key outings, and safety comes before sightseeing. Prices are in Solomon Islands dollars (SBD). Safety first Read this before choosing an outing. Fresh and saltwater crocodiles and sharks are common, and big crocodiles have been seen offshore at beaches near the capital. Never let children paddle at a river mouth, an estuary or a mangrove channel.

Couples should know what to expect. Honiara is a capital with a handful of good hotels and no resort strip, so a romantic stay here depends on the hotel, the table and the sunset. Everything below is simple and real. Prices are not given because they move, and the currency is the Solomon Islands dollar (SBD). Two hotels with restaurants Coral Sea Resort & Casino is on the waterfront and has two restaurants.

Honiara has three outings that fit comfortably into a day. Two need a boat, and one needs a long river trek. All of them need planning, a guide or a local skipper, and a pocketful of small notes in Solomon Islands dollars (SBD). At a glance Trip Getting there Guide needed Tulagi Boat across Iron Bottom Sound, about 1 hour Stay on tracks Savo Island Boat, 30 to 60 minutes Yes, for springs and climb Tenaru Falls Road, then a river trail Yes Tulagi Before the war, Tulagi served as the capital of the British protectorate.

Honiara, on the north shore of Guadalcanal, rewards visitors who like history, markets and walking with a guide. Five activities stand out. Each one has a practical catch, so the notes below start with the catch. 1. Snorkelling the Bonegi wrecks The catch: a cash kastom fee, reef shoes and crocodile warnings. Two Japanese transports, the Hirokawa Maru and the Kinugawa Maru, were run aground at Bonegi in November 1942. The site is about 12 km from town along the west coast road, and you walk in from the shore.

Honiara has few packaged tours, so visitors usually piece together a day from guides and taxis. These questions cover what can be arranged and where. Who arranges guides? The Solomon Islands Visitor Bureau, trading as Tourism Solomons, has an office in Honiara. Staff there book guides and trips to Savo Island. Start here for treks over customary land, such as Mataniko Falls, and ask what kastom fee the landowners expect, usually a small cash sum.