Bonege Beach

Bonege Beach is a popular beach for day trips from Honiara for divers, snorkelers, families and anyone wanting to get away from town for a while.


There are actually three beaches known as Bonege Beach - Bonege 1, Bonege 2 and Bonege 3. Bonege 1 and 2 and are accessed through a gateway with a hut beside the entry way. All beaches are on custom land owned by the people of Bonege village - thus the name - and you are required to pay a small "custom fee" to use the beaches.


Bonege 3 is further up the road and is more isolated. The villagers don't attend that beach and it is not visible from the road. I wouldn't recommend going there except to dive the B17 plane wreck there.


To get to Bonege 1 you turn to the right after the custom fee hut and follow the track along until you come to the beach. Take it slowly along the single car track as there is often a vehicle coming the other way.


Bonege 1 has a large tree covered beach front and a coral/gravel beach. It is always cool there due to the sea breeze. The view is from Honiara to the east, across to the Florida Group of islands (Ngella), to Savo Island and then further west along the coast of Guadalcanal.


Looking out over this picturesque and serene seascape, it is difficult to believe that this area was once the scene of one of the most savage and bloody sea battles of World War II. This expanse of water is called Iron Bottom Sound due to the number of ships, planes and submarines which were sunk here during the war. Some older Solomon Islanders who were children during World War II describe the noise and the fighting as terrifying, even though it wasn't directed at them.


There are coral covered rocks scattered across the waterfront shallows from right to left as you face the beach. If you follow the rocks or the drop-off along to the west you come to an underwater wreck which has a large section in relatively shallow water which is great for snorkelers. My son first snorkeled that area when he was five. He seemed more excited about finding Nemo than seeing part of the wreck. The wreck then tapers off into deeper water, which is great for divers.


There is a hut at this beach with bench seats which are useful for gearing up for a dive.


Bonege 2 is reached by turning to the left close to the waterfront and then driving along the beachfront until you reach a spot to park and set up. This beach has a wreck which is still partially above water, so it is easy to locate for diving and snorkeling.


There is a shady patch close to the beach around the spot where there is a portion of the wreck on the high tide mark. On the western side of this portion of wreck is a sandy beach which is suitable for smaller children and others of us with delicate pads of our feet.


Both of these beaches are fairly popular on weekends. The mornings are best for swimming and diving, before the sea breeze picks up and creates a bit of chop on the water.



Where is it and how do I get there?


The Bonege beaches are west of Honiara on Guadalcanal Island in the Solomon Islands. Allow just over half an hour to drive there. You can also get there with dive operators on guided dive tours.