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District · Honiara

Point Cruz and the centrePoint Cruz

The harbour, market, banks and most hotels are here; walk by day, use a car at night.

sleepmarketfood

Key facts

Suits
First visit, 1–3 nights
Room prices
$$
price band of 5
Sights here
3
Eats here
3

What it's like

Feels:
A hot, busy port town with a working market and a harbour
Suits:
First visit, 1–3 nights
Best time:
Early morning and sunset
Watch out for:
Midday and after dark on foot.
In short:
The harbour, market, banks and most hotels are here; walk by day, use a car at night.

About these names

Addresses are informal: landmarks, suburb names and hotel names are what taxi drivers know; house numbers are rare.

Honiara is a linear town along the coast road (Mendana Avenue), 10 to 15 km long; the harbour and market are at the centre, the ridge and the museum are just above, and the airport and Bonegi wrecks are at either end.

Where exactly

This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.

Point Cruz and the centre on the Honiara mapTap an area for what it is like and who it suits. Shapes follow this guide’s walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Chinatown and Kukum: Cheaper guesthouses and noodle shopsPoint Cruz: First visit, 1–3 nights

Point Cruz and the centrePoint Cruz

sleepmarketfoodPrice $$

The harbour, market, banks and most hotels are here; walk by day, use a car at night.

Suits: First visit, 1–3 nights

On the map: Point Cruz harbour front and yacht club

District guideWalk: Point Cruz, Central Market & Mendana AvenueSleep: Point CruzIn the districts table

Off the map: Honiara International Airport (HIR), Henderson Field (25–50 min by the usual route).

Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Airport and Henderson Field, Outer islands. See the table above.

Where’s what, as a list:

  • Point Cruz and the centre (Point Cruz): The harbour, market, banks and most hotels are here; walk by day, use a car at night. Suits: First visit, 1–3 nights. Price band $$.
  • Kukum and Chinatown (Kukum, Chinatown): East of the centre along the highway; the area was damaged in 2006 and 2021, and takes care after dark. Suits: Cheaper guesthouses and noodle shops. Price band $$.
  • The ridge and museum area (National Museum and ridge): Above the town; go by car in the morning. Suits: War memorial and views.
  • Bonegi coast (Bonegi): About 15 to 20 km west; a car is required. Suits: Snorkelling and the wrecks.
  • Airport and Henderson Field (Henderson): About 10 km east of the centre. Suits: Arrivals and departures.
  • Outer islands (Western Province and Malaita): Flights are few and can be delayed; keep a flexible plan. Suits: Onward trips by air.
  • Sleep area Chinatown and Kukum: suits Cheaper guesthouses and noodle shops, price band $$.
  • Sleep area Point Cruz: suits First visit, 1–3 nights, price band $$.
  • Honiara International Airport (HIR), Henderson Field, 25–50 min by the usual route.

Stay here?

How this district's sleep area scores for five kinds of traveler, ranked against the other Honiara districts that have scores. Scores are this guide's 1–5 judgements.

  • First visit

    best of 2

    The market, harbour front and museum are close.

  • Families

    best of 2

    Central, with restaurants and AC rooms.

  • Light sleepers

    best of 2

    Traffic and a few bars; generally quiet at night.

  • Night owls

    best of 2

    A few hotel bars; take a car for anything else.

  • On a budget

    2nd of 2

    Higher prices than the highway; a small spread of hotels.

    Better for this: Kukum and Chinatown

See

Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.

  • Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural CentreGo

    A small national museum on Mendana Avenue with shell money, carved canoe prows, tools and Second World War displays: 30 to 60 minutes indoors, a useful orientation before you book a driver for the ridge.

    Hours:
    Weekdays daytime; closed or limited at weekends. Check with the Visitors Bureau.(check)
    Entry:
    a small fee (2026 estimate: check)
  • Central MarketBook a time

    Go in the morning for fruit, vegetables, shell jewellery and carvings, before the heat; small notes; keep bags at the hotel.

    Entry:
    Free
  • Point Cruz harbour front and yacht clubBook a time

    A waterfront strip beside the port and the Point Cruz Yacht Club, with benches, a breeze and an evening drink: a 20 to 45 minute stop for early morning or sunset, not the middle of the day.

    Hours:
    Public waterfront; yacht club hours vary (check).(check)
    Entry:
    free

Eat

What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.

  • Central Market food stalls

    Fresh fish, root vegetables, fruit and cooked snacks at the covered Central Market on Point Cruz: a cheap morning meal or a snack, best before 10:00.

    Price: A plate of fish and root vegetables costs about SI$20 to 40 (2026 estimate).

  • Heritage Park Hotel restaurant

    A hotel restaurant and bar on Mendana Avenue with air-conditioning, seafood and international dishes: a safe, seated meal with a driver-free walk from the town, useful at lunch or a first dinner.

    Price: A main dish runs about SI$110 to 200 (2026 estimate).

  • Point Cruz Yacht Club

    A harbour-side club bar and terrace with cold beer and simple meals at sunset: a relaxed drink close to the town, but check visitor access and hours before you go.

    Price: A beer costs about SI$25 to 45 (2026 estimate).

Sleep

  • Point Cruz$$

    First-timers: the market and the harbour front are a short walk; choose a hotel with a 24-hour desk, a generator and a car door.

    Rooms: SI$1,800+ (check)

    Skip this if: Pricier than the outskirts; power cuts are handled by generators, not always at once.

    4–8 min walk to Point Cruz, Central Market & Mendana Avenue

Drink and nightlife

Lines from the Honiara drinking guide that name this district.

  • Point Cruz Yacht Club · A harbour-side club bar · until about 22:00 (check)A sunset drink; ask about visitor access.
  • Hotel bars on Mendana Avenue · Air-conditioned bars · until about 23:00 (check)The safest place for a drink.

Shopping

Markets and shopping streets from the Honiara buying guide that name this district.

  • Central Market · Fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, betel nut, some crafts · Early morning to afternoon; limited on Sunday (check) · haggling: lightGo before 09:00 for the best stock and the cooler air.
  • Betel nut (buai) and lime · Central Market and street stalls · DaytimeA local habit; the red spit stains pavements.

Getting there and around

Where to get off

  • Car to the market entrance · for Central Market
  • Walk along Mendana Avenue from the market (about 5 minutes) · for Point Cruz harbour front and yacht club
  • Central Market, Mendana Avenue side, a 5-minute walk from the harbour front · 5 min walk to Central Market food stalls
  • Mendana Avenue, a short walk or taxi from the town centre · 8 min walk to Heritage Park Hotel restaurant

Walks inside the district

  • Central Market → Point Cruz harbour front: 8–15 min on foot (Walk east along the harbour front)
  • Central Market → Central Market food stalls: 2–4 min on foot (Walk within the market)
  • Point Cruz harbour front → Point Cruz Yacht Club: 4–7 min on foot (Walk along the harbour front)
  • Central Market → Heritage Park Hotel restaurant: 9–14 min on foot (Walk along Mendana Avenue (daylight only))

On to the next area

Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.

Walking loop

A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.

About 98 min in all: 23 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 4 stops, back to where you started.

1234
  1. Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural CentreStart here · stop about 30 min
  2. Heritage Park Hotel restaurant4 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
  3. Point Cruz harbour front and yacht club7 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min
  4. Central Market food stalls1 min walk (estimate) · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
  5. Back to Solomon Islands National Museum and Cultural Centre: 11 min walk (estimate)

Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.

Half-day walk

In the day plans: Day 1 — Central Market, harbour front, a 12:30 lunch table (Honiara in 3 days)

Photo and sunset spots

Streets in this district

Street names that appear in the addresses of this district’s places and eats: useful to type into a map or show a driver.

  • Mendana Avenue

Safety at night and noise

  • Point Cruz and the centreday: oknight: caution

    Bag snatching; broken pavements; take a car after dark.

  • Quiet nights

    Traffic and a few bars; generally quiet at night.

  • Nightlife

    A few hotel bars; take a car for anything else.

  • Late arrival

    Larger hotels have night desks and can arrange a car.

Nearby districts

Built from this guide’s Honiara districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.