Honiara Central Market

The Central Market is the social and commercial heart of Honiara. It runs every day from early morning, with women from surrounding villages arriving before dawn to set up their stalls. You will find sweet potato, taro, cassava, local greens, fresh coconuts, tropical fruit, and a large fish section where the morning's catch arrives still glistening.

The atmosphere is lively and friendly. Beyond the produce, stalls sell shell money, woven baskets, coconut oil, betel nut sets, and handmade jewellery. It is the best place in town to buy local crafts at fair prices — cheaper and more authentic than hotel gift shops. Go in the morning when it is fullest and the produce is freshest.

things to do market
A story
The market sells shell money alongside sweet potatoes and betel nut — the same rattan strings of ground shells used for bride price throughout the Solomons. The betel nut here is chewed with a lime powder made from coral, which turns the whole mixture bright red and stains teeth and lips over years of use. About 70 percent of Solomon Islanders chew it daily.