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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Going to be in Oahu by myself for 4 days first week of Nov before a wedding if anyone is looking for a snorkeling/hiking buddy! First time visiting Hawaii and hoping to escape the cold rainy Vancouver weather for a week 🙂 Any reviews on the Waikiki beach hostel?
I’m Asian and will be travelling solo to Oahu for about 10 days from 13-23 October. Would love to make some new friends and go adventure together. I have not plan anything, just feel free and easy.
I’ll be there solo, but meeting friends for a couple of days while I’m there from Oct. 19-24. I’m 48 and like to stay active. I’d love to meet up to do an adventure! I’m thinking of hiking Turtle Bay on the north shore, maybe the Palolo Trail, Haunama Bay, the Sea Life Park, etc. Let me know if you’re interested.
Hi there,
I’ll be in Waikiki for a week solo next year – just wondering how safe you found it? I’m from New Zealand and have never been to the US before.
Thanks!
Hey! glad to hear from you Amy! I will be staying at Waikiki. I would love to meet you 🙂
Hi! I’m traveling solo to the Big Island for the first time Nov 12-20. I’m renting a little cottage on a coffee farm through airbnb.
I’d love to meet up with other solo women travelers for hikes, bike rides, SUPing, and general exploring!
Hi! I’m traveling solo to Maui from 11/23-28. First time solo….. hope to meet up with other travelers to explore the island.
Yuki are you still traveling to Maui? I have a ticket to Oahu for November 23rd – 27th! I am of course a procrastinator and since my plans got cancelled to stay with a friend I am still debating on a hotel or airbnb. Does anyone have any recommendations? What an enjoyable and encouraging read!
Hi I am taking my first solo trip in many years and my first to Hawaii and staying in Waikiki from Dec 27 to Jan 3rd. I’m from Sydney Australia and feeling very excited but a little daunted. I’m 60 years young. Would love to meet up with others to explore the Island.
Awesome, Christine! If I find another cheap flight out to Hawaii this holiday season I might make a trip there as well. I’ll let you know if I do 🙂
Thanks for reading,
Shalee
Such a great blog! I am a single female and am actually moving to Hawaii soon. This post and all of the comments really encouraged me. I’m researching as much as I can before I go but also trying to keep an open mind and stay open to adventure. I’m considering leaving my car behind and getting to know the island in other ways (bike, moped, TheBus, and occasional rental car). It’s a daunting prospect but I know it will be worth it. I would love to connect with any travelers if you come to Oahu!
Hi Liz ! Are you there yet? I’m coming just in a few days for a week ! Could be great to meet
Hi Liz, if you are there and looking for an adventure buddy, I’ll be there May 5 – 11 solo, business for a couple of days, fun for the rest. Will have a rental car allowance, just wondering if I should use it?
Hi Liz! Are you living in Hawaii yet?! I’m coming for a week Oct 11th through the 17th of this year!
Hello there. I am planning a 3 month trip to Hawaii and am inspired reading this blog . I am looking forward to a much needed adventure but am a little hesitant to go solo and would love to meet up with another solo traveller . I am coming from Sydney Australia in March / early April so please email if you are in the same boat and let’s go,from there . Bye for now Anna
Hi Anna I will be in Hawaii in April love to meet up email me
Hi there! Great blog! I will be traveling to Oahu from Dec 31 to Jan 7, a very unexpected trip that I actually decided to do just yesterday …. um , completely solo. If anyone is there too those days email me sashataras@yahoo.com