Solo Female Travel Hawaii
In October, a fellow blogger asked me if I had ever been to Hawaii. My response:
"No, and I'm not sure if I ever will. It's just so expensive to fly to such a small island."
Fast forward two weeks and I was clicking submit on skyscanner.com for a three week travel plan. My first stop being Oahu, Hawaii.
Travel is so unpredictable. Places I never imagined are suddenly imaginable thanks to a lot of research and killer flight deals.
So last month I began adventuring, touring and discovering Oahu, Hawaii as a solo female traveler.
With no plans and no idea what the island had to offer, I had to start on some research....about two days before I showed up. I sat on the plane on my layover in Phoenix staring at my phone waiting to see if I could sleep on the couch of a friend of a friend my first night. God, I am such an awesome procrastinator. And for having little planned-not even a place to sleep, I have to say things went extremely well.
Solo female travel is extremely intimidating at first. Half of the people you meet will think you are completely insane and the other half with think you are the coolest person alive. Traveling alone opens you to meet amazing new people and to lead you on adventures you never knew existed. It also strips you of all your comfort and forces you to be in situations most would find uncomfortable.
For example: eating alone. Others tell me all the time they feel bad for people at restaurants who sit alone and that in fact they look lonely. With solo travel, be prepared for those "I feel bad for you" stares. But you are not afraid.
I took a tour on the island and was the only single traveler of the group. But I never felt alone. I paired up with some friendly guys from the Philippians and we had a kick-ass time biking the beaches of North Shore, SUPing, Kayaking and just hanging out. Plus everyone else wants to learn your story. Once they find out you're alone it's a flood of questions:
"Aren't you scared being a female and alone?"
"How long are you traveling for?"
"You're not seriously all by yourself...are you?"
But in the end, a majority give you major props. And hell, maybe I am a little crazy...but I like it that way.
So I show up to Hawaii and stayed with some amazing people from Advlo.com, who were more than kind to open their home for me for the first few nights. After that, I just started floating. A hotel here, staying with an old high school friend there. I usually discovered where I was sleeping the day of after being sent on the street with my backpack and no plan. I'll admit it was extremely stressful but extremely fun. I always love to be a little spontaneous. We should all learn to do that a bit more. (Note: make sure you're not traveling there during the Honolulu Marathon, as all hostels will be booked)
I also went on some KILLER hikes. The landscape here is absolutely insane. Jurassic Park meets Lost meets Avatar meets Narnia. All the locals stroll around and I'm there next to them staring up and screaming "BEACHES AND MOUNTAINSSSSSSSSSS".
Hawaii is absolutely one of a kind. The island of Oahu is no longer than 26 miles across, but the ecosystems are completely different based upon the area. The beaches are sunny almost everyday and see about 10 inches of rain per year. Some mountains are actually rain forests that can see up to 400 inches of rain per year with low clouds often lingering.
Did you know 3 of the top 10 rainiest places in the world are located on the islands of Hawaii?
The contrast explains why rainbows are so incredibly common here (At least one a day).
The absolute most difficult and annoying thing I had to deal with while traveling alone in Hawaii was lack of transportation. Unfortunately, I tried renting a car but those dreams were quickly smashed. Locals also told me how risky renting a car is, because if you take it out of the city islanders can spot rental cars and then break into them.
The bus system is quite slow (3 hours to get to the other side of the island) and hitchhiking may be common on the other islands, but Oahu is not the best place. Mopeds are probably the best solution, however that means you must travel light enough to carry everything from place to place on your back. The friend I couchsurfed with the couple days had a moped and we rode that around until we got pulled over by the police for riding two people on a one-seater. Oops.
Overall, I give solo female travel Hawaii 4.8 stars and am definitely returning in the future. I could spend 6 months there and not do every hike I wished. I never felt scared or intimidated and by traveling solo I made dozens of new friends in a matter of 7 days. Not bad, right?
Solo traveling will always lead you to fun and exciting adventures that wouldn't be possible otherwise. You will meet the skeptics who think you will end up on the side of a milk carton. You will meet the people who envy you because they've always wanted to do it. But most importantly it will teach you that the world is not scary and that good people outweigh the bad tremendously.
At any given moment, Shalee is either lost, hunting for ice cream, or obsessively planning her next adventure.
Born and raised in rural Michigan, she began exploring the shores of Great Lakes as a teen, often sleeping in her car to save money. Eventually, her urge to explore pushed beyond her Midwest borders. Today, Shalee shares her tips and stories to thousands of readers interested in adventure, outdoor, and sustainable tourism. Her pack now includes two spunky hiking cats and her partner, Josh. Learn more about her here.
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This was a great read! I go to Hawaii solo as a young female in about 10weeks, and there are a couple of hikes I want to do, but I don’t want to do them alone. Basically, I just was hoping you could give me some tips on meeting people!! Are there any places you recommend?
Thanks so much x
Hi Tori
I’ll be on the Big Island from December 14 to December 21. Maybe we can travel together and discover Hawaii :)!
X Clara
Hello, my husband died 12 months , 22 days ago. I tried doing the HI trip with some people we had met but that didn’t work out so well. Too much drama for me. I ended my trip and came home. I am a young 60 year old so if age doesn’t bother you, I too would love to try HI again.
Pan
pmeszaros1024@yahoo.com
Hi Shalee,
Wonderful post to read, makes me feel so much more excited about my trip to Hawaii in December! I am going on my own though, like you and staying in Waikiki. I am hoping you could give me a little bit of advice on places where I can meet new people! Can you recommend anywhere at all?
Thanks so much, Tori x
Hi Shalee!
Wonderful post, makes me feel so much more confident about travelling to Oahu on my own in December! I am worried about meeting people though, as there are certain hikes that I would like to do that I won’t be able to do on my own! Is there anywhere that you would recommend to meet people, or even any tips?
Thanks!
Tori x.
Hi, im going to honolulu alone on the end of this month. I have some ideas about the places to go but im a kind of nervous. Can u give me some guidances about transportation. Is it safety
Hello!
I’m planning a trip to the Big Island from December 14 to December 21. I was wondering if anyone is interested in travelling with me :)! It would be awesome to meet some independent and adventurous friends. It’s always interesting to exchange stories. Can’t wait to hear from you guys.
Xx Clara
Clara! I’m thinking of going from the 9th-19th of December. I haven’t finalized anything yet but if I go let’s meet up. It’d be fascinating to see others in this situation.
Alyssa
Lucky_719@msn.com
Hi Alyssa
I sent you an email (claravanautreve@hotmail.com) :).
Xx Clara
I loved this read! I am actually traveling solo, to Hawaii, in less than two weeks! A lot has happened in my life, plans have fallen through, tons of disappointments and sadness. And I thought, hey, something is telling me to do some serious soul searching! So I bought a ticket, found two AirBnB places, and I am now planning how to pack for the trip. I am in my 20’s and thinking, well, lets do this! Your post gives me even more to look forward to. Thank you for posting!
When are you there?? I’m 23 and I’m there from the 3rd December 🙂
Hi Metisse!
When and where are you going? I’ll be in Maui from 11/23 to 11/28. I’ll most likely be there by myself. Maybe we can have some fun together? 87758663@qq.com
LOL you are soooo right that half of the people you meet will think you are completely insane. 2 years ago I visited Hawaii alone. I was at the end of a relationship and this journey saved me. People really thought that I was crazy. But I met one of best friends now. She was traveling alone , too. Best regards!
Hi Shalee,
I stumbled across your blog while planning a super last minute solo trip to Hawaii. I guess I’m super excited about solo travel, but also….super nervous. I hope I don’t back out. I am planning on being there starting this Saturday/Sunday and into the New Year. After reading your post, I think I’m going to try to find living arrangements once I get there. Do you think that’s too risky? Or should I just go ahead and book something before I go?
Also, fellow solo travelers, if you see this and are in the area this next week, please let me know!
Best,
SJ
Hi SJ,
I will we traveling solo to Hawaii after new years too! Im leaving my email if you want to keep in touch. maneoa@hotmail.com
Elena
Hi Elena!!! Thank you so much for the reply. It looks like we’ll miss each other. I’m planning to fly out on the 2nd :/ are you getting to Hawaii after the 1st?
SJ
This is an awesome blog! I’m actually going to Hawaii as a traveling therapist in a couple weeks. I’ll be there for probably 5 months and I don’t know a soul. My supervisor is saying to just find a place to live when I arrive … Nervous and so excited haha. Really stepping out of my comfort zone, considering I live all the way in New York. Any advice about where to live would be great!
Hi Katie,
I am fascinated that you get to travel to Hawaii for your job. What does being a traveling therapist mean and entail? I stayed in Pearl City which is in the center of Oahu and it makes going everywhere so much easier (assuming you have access to a car).
SJ
Hey SJ,
Sorry! I just saw this. I just got back from a 6 month travel therapy job in Maui. As a speech pathologist, I am able to take contracted jobs basically anywhere in theUS. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was provided a car and found a place to stay three days after arriving. The company I worked for assisted me. While there, I worked at an elementary school and hopped from island to island:)
I absolutely love this blog! I am planning a solo trip to Hawaii
i’d say around March of this year i’m so nervous i never thought i’d do
something like this, i just got out a really bad relationship & feel the need
to find myself.
I want to meet adventurous people and put myself out there i am 21 yrs old
If anyone is planning a trip around the same time feel free to email me 🙂
Any tips would really be great !
Hi Maricruz!
I’m kinda in the same situation. I’ll visit Hawaii next spring, starting May 3rd on Big Island, and I’m looking for tips and also people to share this adventure with.
This is also my very first trip by myself, so it’s pretty scary but I also feel so excited about it!
Hi maricruz!
Im in the same situation… Just broke up a relationship and will take a trip alone to find myself.
I’m going to Oahu from feb 29th to march 7th… Shoot me an email if our dates are similar!
Mariana, i will be in oahu 29feb-3mar, alone as well and staying in a hostel in waikiki. We should meet!
Hi girls! I will be in Oahu from 29th of Feb till 3rd of March. I’m travelling solo, too. would looooove to meet you!!!!!! Shoot me an email: aysesutcu33@gmail.com. Eve, it would be great if we end up staying in the same hostel in Waikiki, lol!
Mariana, I am going on a solo trip to Honolulu the EXACT same timeframe as you (Feb 27-March 5 2016)! You didn’t put your e-mail address, but if you see this, please e-mail me at trisha335[at]yahoo[dot]com (Had to spell it out so that spambots don’t start sending me spam e-mails!) It would be great to meet up!
Hi ladies I am also in the same situation and planning to go in this time frame. I’m also turning the big 3-0. It would be nice to meet up!