INFORMATION TO KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY TO THE SOLOMONS

1. There are no ATMs at Henderson Airport, and the SIM card place is often unmanned. Change some cash before you go, and plan to get a SIM card in Honiara. It will be cheaper anyway. 

2. This is a very basic airport. There are toilets, a small cafe, and a souvenir shop. That's all. 

3. Book all your domestic flights directly through the Solomon Airlines Website. Flights often get cancelled and changed due to bad weather, and if you've got multiple flights, you may miss your connecting one. If you book through an external provider (i.e., Trip.com, GoToGate, Booking.com), you may have to liaise with a third party website to get refunded or rebooked, and it's just a headache. The airline staff can't access your booking if it's through a third party as easily as they can when you book direct. Just book straight through Solomon Airlines and if something goes wrong, you'll thank me later. 

4. There are 22 domestic airports in the Solomon Islands. If you have the time and funds, seriously consider doing a longer stay in the Solomon Islands, or just book a one-way ticket and make up the trip as you go. There are 63 distinct languages in the Solomons with up to 120 dialects, and all of these groups were arbitrarily grouped together and declared one country under colonial rule. The diversity in the Solomons is incredible, and the whole of the country is largely undiscovered and unknown. 

Honiara Airport (Henderson Airport) - HIR

Welcome to Honiara International Airport—your first gateway to the stunning Solomon Islands!

Known as Henderson Airport (named after a WWII US Air Force pilot), this airport is 12 km from Honiara’s city center. This is a 40 minute drive (google maps will tell you 20 minutes, but this doesn't account for potholes!). It's alternatively a 2.5 hour walk, which I strongly recommend against as Honiara is HOT!

Getting into town is easy—taxis cost around SBD$10 per kilometer, or you can hop on a public bus for about SBD$5 - you'll just need to walk out of the airport and onto the main road, then start walking left and flag down any minivan (public bus) passing by and driving towards Honiara city. I'd suggest walking 10-15 minutes towards Honiara (left) so that you're away from all the airport taxi drivers. 

You can't hitchhike safely around Honiara (especially not as a woman alone, sorry), and it is a really long and hot walk. If you're on a tight budget, just look out for any other foreigner on the plane and befriend them. Most foreigners flying into Honiara are there for work and most expats are usually happy for you to jump into the taxi - their work is paying for it anyway, and it's exciting to have an enthusiastic person join them for the ride!