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 so inspiring!
This will be my first trip as a female alone and I’ve never been so excited! I will be in Oahu Jan18th-Jan26th 2016 and would love to meet with any other solo travelers! Thank you for the post.
Hi Brittany! I’m actually thinking of booking a trip on the 17th to Honolulu! I have been reading different solo travel blogs and came across this one. Shoot me an email. 🙂
I will also be traveling solo to hawaii. I will be there from Jan 10th – 24th. If you are going those same dates, shoot me an email. jkispal@hotmail.com
Hi there!
I only visited the Big Island. It was actually very easy to get around. Contact as many couchsurfers as possible! Also start discussions on couchsurfing (in order to find transportation etc.). Below you can find places to see and places to spend the night:
– Waipio Valley and Waterfalls (Wasabi Tours are very good!): http://www.wasabitourshawaii.com/waipio-valley-and-waterfalls-tour/
– Mauna Kea (try to go with a couchsurfer or other travelers)
– Volcano park (an organized tour is better than going on your own because the park is pretty big): http://www.viator.com/tours/Big-Island-of-Hawaii/Big-Island-Hawaii-Volcano-Adventure/d669-2360HAWAII2
– City of refuge and Two Step beach (next to each other). You need a car or someone who wants to drive you there.
– Hilo farmers’ market (Wednesday and Saturday): in downtown, next to the bus station
– Painted church (you need a car or you need someone who can drive you there)
– Dolphin tour and manta ray tour: http://hawaiiexperiences.com/
If you don’t have a car, try to meet people in Hostels or on couchsurfing.com (I didn’t have a car and I managed to get around without a problem).
Places to stay
– Koa Wood Hale hostel in Kona: very good, pretty clean, easy way to meet people, 10 min (by foot) away from downtown
– Hilo Hostel: Hilo is very rainy(!!), not very clean, in downtown Hilo
– Couchsurfers
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me (claravanautreve@hotmail.com).
Ps: Everyone told me it was impossible to get around without a car, this is not the case at all! Hawaiians are very very nice and they will give you a ride for sure! Tons and tons of solo travelers in Koa Wood Hale hostel who are looking for a companion. Don’t be shy and ask to join them on a trip :)!
Hi guys, Am also planning a solo trip to Hawaill in April for my birthday. I plan on going 28th to May 2nd and this will be my first solo trip but am also scared. I would really love to meet other solo travelers.
Such a cool post! Really inspiring 🙂
I am also going to Hawaii the 27nd of March and I am so excited (and a little nervous). I am going to be there for 3 weeks. Anyone else going to Hawaii at that time?
Hey how long you will stay? I will arrive on the 12th 🙂
Thanks for the lovely post. I’m going to Oahu on 29th February until 3th and it was very relieving to read your experience. I will be all by myself and kinda excited and worried, mixed up feelings. My main concern is I can’t drive well and I will have to be stuck with tour companies or pay expensive cab fares to get all those amazing hikes or places. I really would love to meet some fellow solo travelers, make new friends, explore the island together and have some fun. Shoot me an email at; aysesutcu33@gmail.com.
I look forward hearing you ladies. Lots of love from Alaska, xoxo
Hi ladies! I am planning to go on a solo trip as well for my 28th birthday coming up on March 15th.. Anybody else interested in meeting up? Or doing fun stuff together? I want to be there for a week or maybe 2-3 weeks .. It all depends lol! I want to go to Oahu and have signed up for couch surfing, Airbnb, or maybe some hostels! It’s so exciting knowing there are other solo female travelers out there, and I hope I can meet some lovely solo travelers out there 🙂 love this blog by the way! If you ever need a down for whenever travel buddy let me know haha
Hi! Im going there on the 12th! Are you still there? Any advice on where to go and meet other solo travelers?
Traveled Europe solo in my 20’s and am now at the other end of the spectrum and ready for some new adventures. Will have five days after my son’s graduation in San Francisco in May and decided to go to Hawaii. Heard Oahu is great, but have also been told that Maui is absolutely amazing. Planning on using airbnb or hostels. Any suggestions on which island to go to- would both be pushing it in such a short time?
Hi ladies, I’ll be in Kona, Big Island next week Apr 2-8 (likely travelling solo unless any spontaneous friends want to join me). I have a place and car, but I am looking for hiking and/or diving buddies. Both are safer with buddies. If anyone is interested in meeting up, I’d love to hear from you.
My plans fell through for visiting and staying with a friend, and he moved back to Utah due to a family emergency. So I was going to cancel my flight three days ago, and as I was in the process, just had a thought to just go anyway. I am leaving on Monday April 4th and staying for 10 days
So I am very nervous, only 18. I have never done anything like this before. I hope to stay with a friend at school and wonder about staying in the hostel there at the North Shore. My Dad is very against that and says it will be dangerous. Please advise.
Going to hawaii from april 12 to april 26th. Anyone there?