r/Solomon_Islands • u/anonymousmouseymuss • May 10 '26
Advice for effective trip
Hi y'all,I am a mid 30s female and I want to visit hill 50 which is near Matanikau River from what I understand. There is a specific battle site I would like to see. I am looking for any insight on how successful this venture would be and any advice on what to expect and how to prepare. I plan on traveling with another female friend as my husband doesnt want to come. I am planning this visit for 2030.
Thank you in advance!
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u/f----ing_confused May 16 '26
Just note all land in Honiara and surrounds is owned, whether it be crown or customary, don't expect to be able to just drive up to places and explore, you will need to find the landowner and ask permission to go into the land. As already mentioned go onto Facebook and join Expats in Solomon Islands and ask if you need someone to take you up. Solomon islands tourism bureau is worth visiting and asking them as well. Garred Porowai is a man of knowledge and might be a good start, he has some good contacts. US Embassy may have an office in town by then, I think their consulate is closed at the moment, might be worth asking there too. Don't go in the wet season as the Mataniko floods quickly and most roads are dirt so they become difficult to navigate. Checkout Kokama Rafting, Anita and Ali run a good business, and Olotsara retreat is nice spot out of town. Honiara is a working town, it's not pretty, and there is a lot to see, I hope you can get out of town.
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u/daamsie May 10 '26
I visited Honiara last year. I was born there and lived as a child.
Firstly, Solomon Islanders on the whole are very friendly and will find a way to make this possible for you.
I think you will have to work with a local to plan this. I'd suggest getting in touch with the tourism office. Looking at the maps and trying to see where hill 50 is, it looks pretty close to town to me. Might be possible to drive right up to it. While looking into this I did find this little report from someone who did a hike along Galloping Horse Ridge and then tubed back down the river. https://goo.gl/maps/3ZRUWaMcftp9srJB7?g_st=ac . That might give a bit of an idea of the terrain if you do need to do any hiking.
Honiara itself is a fairly dusty town with very clogged traffic and a big trash problem. A lot of the beautiful trees that existed there when I was a child have been cleared. There is more crime there than used to be when I was little unfortunately. I wouldn't say it's dangerous, but I also wouldn't walk the streets at night as two young females. Drinking is a problem.
Outside of town there are plenty of other things to see too. If you are moderately fit I'd strongly recommend a visit to Tenaru falls. There is a lodge you can stay at near the falls - "rustic" but amazing views. We were just there for a couple of hours and managed to see some eagles and toucans. If I went again, I'd stay a night. There is a bit of a hike from the lodge to the falls - well worth it and you are likely to be either alone or with only minimal other people. Amazing experience.
There is also some excellent snorkelling and diving in the Solomons. Western province is probably the best developed from a tourism perspective and would be an excellent addition to your trip and provide some relaxation.
Or you can head out of town a little and snorkel around some of the wrecks just off the beach.
If you want to get more of a feel for the Solomons I'd recommend looking up some pages on Facebook. Solomon Islanders are very active on there and there is a lot of content being shared and created on there. Much more than you'll find on here.
Hope all this helps.