Solo Female Travel Hawaii

IMG_2780

 

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.

IMG_2954

 

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.

 

IMG_3114

 

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".

solo travel hawaii

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.

IMG_2610

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.

Outdoor travel blog

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.

JOIN THE ADVENTURE

Blank 4 x 2 in (1)

179 Comments

  1. Maria on January 4, 2017 at 9:35 AM

    Happy new year
    For my 50 bday will be in Hawaii solo female travel any suggestions ,I like nature, wake up with sound of waves not resorts or hotel ,hostels or bed and breakfast most definetly low in cash
    Thank you

  2. Anna on January 10, 2017 at 3:35 PM

    Lets get in touch. Pls email annajakovich@outlook.com.au
    What are your plans ??

  3. Claire on January 15, 2017 at 6:37 PM

    Hi, I will be in Kona from 25-29 March – has anyone any tips for Kona or will anyone be there then?!

  4. SJ on January 16, 2017 at 12:02 PM

    I am planning spending some solo time in Honolulu area for about 3 days- I know it’s MAD short but that doesn’t mean it can’t be mad fun! I also move pretty fast when travelling alone- I love nature I love relaxing and I love exploring. Those aren’t mutually exclusive, are they? 😉
    I will be going in March!

    Do you have any suggestions for must-do’s or must-eats? I probably won’t rent a car if it’s a)not very safe and b) not budget friendly and c) The Bus makes more sense, unless car renting does make more sense…I’m open to suggestions.

    Your insight would be greatly appreciated!!

    Thanks
    Shalini

  5. Stephanie on January 20, 2017 at 10:45 AM

    Travelling to Big Island Hawaii as a lone female traveller from the UK next week for 2 months!

    Looking to meet fellow travellers or locals!

    Drop me a message 🙂 steph-star13@hotmail.co.uk

    • Aggie on February 4, 2017 at 4:02 AM

      Hi Steph!,

      I will be coming to oahu from australi end of this month for avout 2 weeks and want to jump to big island for half of my trip. I havent decided yet where to stay on Big island but i definitely want to do vulcano hike. If you want to meet up let me know!
      Aggie

  6. Mayra on January 25, 2017 at 12:04 PM

    Hello everyone,
    I am planning on traveling to Honolulu sometime in march for 5 days , I will also be traveling solo. If there are any other solo travelers that would like to have a traveling buddy please let me know, i am a little scared of traveling alone. mayragalvez@me.com

  7. Mia Carlsen on January 28, 2017 at 7:16 PM

    Hi everyone!
    Thank you for the inspiration and encouragment.. !;)
    I am closing in on my first prolonged solo trip – can’t quite believe it – looking at a month up till three months in Hawaii in March- april-may 2017
    I am 50, Danish w American degree in counseling which I hope to update via volunteer work and a class or two while I am there
    I would love to hear from you if you plan to be in the area during that time and if anyone know of cheap long term accomodation or where to look for it
    Email: mia@c.dk
    Many thanks,
    Mia in Copenhagen denmark

  8. Natalie on February 16, 2017 at 4:30 AM

    Hi,

    I know its been awhile since you have been there!
    But which tour did you go for? and did you go for the hikes alone?

    • Shalee on February 16, 2017 at 2:33 PM

      Hi Natalie! I wish I could remember the name of the tour. But I do remember it was $90 and there was a brochure about it at a tourist info locations. I’d check there!

      I went for a few small hikes alone and also found a hiking friend for some. I recommend both! But before hiking alone I always let a friend or family know the hike I’m going on and when for some extra safety. I hope this helps!

  9. Bella on March 26, 2017 at 8:53 AM

    Going to be landing in Oahu June 8th!!! staying until July 🙂 Me and my other friend Ainsley will be there and would always love to meet new people and make new friends while we’re there

  10. Mary on April 12, 2017 at 8:54 AM

    Going to spend a solo 3 days before an environmental training May 6, 7, 8. Anyone also going solo who would like to adventure with me? I’ll be on Oahu.

Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.