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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Hello from Singapore! I am planning to stop by Hawaii for 4-5 days from 27 June to 3 July (tentative dates). This would be my first time travelling as a solo female! Looking for any hiking buddies :)))
Zi- Let me know when you finalize your dates! I’ll be going solo July 16-19! Would love to meet up and do some hiking!
Hi Zi,
Im looking at going 27th of July to 11th of July.
Aloha
Hey, I’m the guy you met on the beach at South Point camping in my van, with the Doberman and Great Dane girls you met.
Keep going!
You are an inspiration
Hi Bob! Thank you so much and thanks for reaching out 🙂
I am travelling to Oahu on the 27th June to 11th of July. My story is I met a fella online who is coming to australia in 2 weeks for a holiday. From chatting with him I decided to book flights and better yet I’ll be there for 4th of July. This is my first time travelling solo and am particularly nervous about whether to book some accommodation or take the offer of his to stay with him (would be cheaper) but sounds risky for an outsider (and my parents when I tell them haha).
Great article!
I’m planning a solo (or partly solo) trip to Hawaii in September for about 3 weeks after a couple of stressful months, and thinking Oahu, Maui and probably one additional island. I’m a little bit converted about the transportation side of things as I cannot drive, but my hopes are when there’s a will there a way 🙂
If anyone’s planning a trip around the same period, it’d be great to chat and potentially meet up!
I’ll be in Oahu 8/31-9/7!
hi nina,
what are your dates in sept. for maui? i’m eyeing that month as well, mid or end of the month.
-r
Hi, I am planing to be in Hawaii from 9-18 September. Solo female traveler. Let me know girls if you want to meet over there. L. my email -vnlala@gmail.com
Great Blog.
As a solo female traveler for the first time. Would you recommend Maui or Oahu for the 4th of July weekend/week?
This is a great article! I’m travelling to Hawaii 2nd half of October and i have not planned anything yet! I have a bucketlist of places that i wanna see and just decided to go for Hawaii this time.
Anyone planning to go there on the same timeframe? It would be amazing to mee new people!
I’m going to be in Oahu from October 20th to 25th. Also a first time solo traveller. Would love to meet there. Shoot me an email at anu.anto@gmail.com if our dates match.
This was a great read!! I’m traveling solo first week of September and staying at an airbnb. I’m still skeptical on the hostels bc I’ve heard so many stories of things getting stolen even while you’re sleeping!
Hi Katherine, I´m planning also a solo trip to hawaii the first week of September! I just decided that one week ago. Which islands are you thinking about?
Hi Bibiana! I’m staying on Oahu for the entirety of my trip. I didn’t even think about the other islands! Maybe next time around. But I didn’t want too many activities on my mind but im planning to visit several different beaches and hike a few trails/waterfalls. I’ve joined some meetup groups in Oahu on the meetup app. Feel free to do the same! If you want to connect, let me know. Hope you have a wonderful trip! 🙂
Hello 🙂
I too am travelling solo to Oahu from the 3rd September for 3 weeks. I I’m pretty nervous about it but I feel it’s going to be an amazing trip. I want to explore the beautiful island and meet lots of people and to feel safe! This is my first solo adventure so would like to meet people early on and share the adventure!
My name is Lydia, contact me via email if you want some company ! Lydia_Taylor@live.com
🙂
Hi Katherine,
Are you still in Oahu during the first week of sept? I’m here now until the 4th. Would love to meet up if you were looking for a hiking or activities buddy?
Hi! I’m arriving Wednesday! Please email me for a faster response if you’d still want to meet. Phuongk426@yahoo.com
Hello, I will be a solo traveler next week in Maui June 24th to June 30th. Any tips for me or fellow travelers around that way?
I love this article! I am going to Honolulu alone September 4-8th 2016 and am a bit nervous, but mostly excited. I’ve traveled solo here in the US close to home a few times but never without my dog. Sad to say I feel like I might be lonely and because I’m shy, I’m afraid i won’t meet too many people.
How do you branch out and meet new people while traveling solo without feeling awkward?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Karissa! My name is Katherine, and I will be solo traveling to Honolulu myself 8/31-9/7! I’m also nervous about meeting new people.. Or being lonely. I plan to explore the island. If you’re interested in meeting up, I’d be more than happy to accompany you! Email me @ phuongk426@yahoo.com
Hello 🙂
I too am travelling solo to Oahu from the 3rd September for 3 weeks. I I’m pretty nervous about it but I feel it’s going to be an amazing trip. I want to explore the beautiful island and meet lots of people and to feel safe! This is my first solo adventure so would like to meet people early on and share the adventure!
My name is Lydia, contact me via email if you want some company ! Lydia_Taylor@live.com
🙂
I’m thrilled to find this article. I’m a solo traveler and never been to Hawaii. I am also a bit nervous about meeting others or getting very lonely not having anyone to hang with for a week. I do have a friend that lives in Honolulu but they are going to be tied up with work, etc. Will be in O’ahu the 2nd week of October.