Honiara · SB

Honiara Botanical Gardens

Honiara Botanical Gardens is the Solomon Islands' capital's largest green space — a 19-hectare urban forest in the Rove suburb, just two kilometres from the city centre. Founded in 1965 by tropical botanist Professor Tim Whitmore, the gardens hold a rich collection of local and exotic plant species, including the largest assortment of Solomon Island orchids, and shelter native birds, reptiles and insects beneath a canopy of forest trees. Described by its director as 'a Forest in the City', the gardens are beloved by residents as a place for picnics and quiet walks along Rove Creek. The gardens have faced decades of decline due to limited resources and competing land uses, but a serious restoration effort is underway. Backed by international projects, a landscape master plan and community clean-up campaigns are gradually returning the gardens to their original vision. Visitors today find a place of genuine ecological interest with a growing sense of momentum — a raw, green heart in the middle of a small Pacific capital.