With all the different islands, accommodation, cities and towns to choose from, planning a trip to Hawaii can be overwhelming. After spending 5 weeks in Hawaii and visiting 3 islands, I have the tips and tricks to get you ready for your vacation.
Which Island Should You Choose?
Hawaii has many islands that all have something different to offer. When planning your trip to Hawaii, the island you choose really depends on what you want to get out of your trip. The main islands for tourists and backpackers are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and The Big Island.
1. O’ahu
O’ahu was my favourite island as a solo traveler. There was so much for me to do and so many backpackers looking to meet people. The main city on O’ahu is Honolulu and this is where most tourists would choose to spend their vacation. There are buses that run to Honolulu from the Airport, buses that run around the city, plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, surf shops etc. Waikiki Beach is the main strip where the resorts are located as well as most of the shopping and restaurants in Honolulu. Some might find Waikiki Beach too touristy or busy for them but I loved the hustle bustle of the area, the beautiful beaches right outside your door, the beginner friendly surfing, and the transportation options to get around the island from Waikiki Beach.
If you are looking to get out of the city and experience a more relaxing area of the island, the North Shore offers a more “local” feel. The beaches are not as busy but there is still plenty to do. There are beautiful hiking spots that won’t be as crowded as in Honolulu but will offer just as gorgeous views, and an abundance of marine life. On the North Shore of O’ahu, you can find turtles sun bathing all day at Laniakea Beach (A.K.A Turtle Beach), professional surfers riding waves at the Banzai Pipeline, and Shark Diving adventures in Haleiwa.
2. Maui
Maui has a more relaxed feel to me than O’ahu. This island seems to attract families as there are many resorts along the ocean front and not as many beach walks. Although, as a solo traveler, this island was so much fun for meeting people. I met so many people who had been on Maui for a long time with no plans of leaving. There is definitely something magical about it. Again, there are so many things to do here however, you definitely need a car. There are far fewer transportation options in Maui than O’ahu so you need to plan accordingly.
Things to see in Maui include hiking the dormant volcano, Haleakala, driving the road to Hana, seeing turtles at Black Rock beach, and spending an evening at Paia Secret Beach.
3. The Island of Hawaii
This island is known as the adventure island due to the endless terrain, various landscapes, volcano tours, and snorkeling options. Also known as The Big Island or Kona, this island is massive and certainly fulfills its name. There are two main cities on this island: Kailua-Kona, and Hilo and are located on opposite sides of the island. I spent my time in Kailua-Kona since Hilo is known as the rainy side of the island. Kona has a touristy feel although not nearly as busy as anywhere in Maui or O’ahu. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and beach walks to explore but the main reason you would want to come to this island is for the volcanoes.
If you are looking for once-in-a-lifetime experiences, the many volcanoes, natural hot-springs, lava tubes, and manta ray tours will make your trip unforgettable. There are plenty of excursions that are offered on the island and I would highly recommend choosing one or more on your trip. I went on a volcano / coffee farm / lava tube excursion that was absolutely remarkable and took up a full day. You are shuttled around the whole island, provided with food from local farms, and taught about the different landscapes and species on the island.
4. Kauai
Finally we have one of the smaller islands: Kauai. This island is known as the nature island for its many waterfalls, hikes, pristine beaches, and Jurassic-park scenery. Unfortunately, while I was in Hawaii, there were no hostel options on this island due to renovations happening at the only hostel. Fellow solo travelers were opting for renting cars and sleeping in them in various locations around the island. This island is less built up than the others and offers a more “local” feel. You will need a vehicle to get around – as with most of the other islands – and should plan to book certain hikes in advance such as the famous Kalalau Trail in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park.
Read more information on the Kalalau Trail here.
The Best Hostels For Solo Travelers
I stayed at two different hostels while I was on the island of O’ahu and had completely different experiences at both. Here are the hostels I stayed at as a solo female traveler to help you in planning your own a trip to Hawaii.
1. Seaside Hawaiian Hostel
This hostel definitely attracts a “backpacker” type of traveler. People generally stay at this hostel for longer lengths and you will meet people of all ages. I met the greatest people here and had no problem making friends as a solo traveler.
Some of the benefits of this hostel were free surf boards, coffee in the mornings, and a nice quiet outdoor area for working or socializing. This is not a party hostel and you will definitely have to make an effort to meet people. I personally had no problem with this and ended up making life long friends here. You can check out their Instagram for some inspiration below:
2. The Beach Waikiki by ALOH
This hostel definitely gives party vibes. It attracts a younger crowd and people tend to want to go out at night. The layout of this hostel wasn’t my favourite and doesn’t encourage socialization since the dorms are all quite separate from each other. On the other hand, there is an upstairs patio where people do flock to in the evenings to drink and socialize. You will definitely want to make it to this rooftop patio once the sun goes down if you plan on meeting people.
The hostel offers excursions during the day (paid) and many people staying here opt to go on these trips. This is a great way to meet people as you are spending many hours with the same small group of people. Unfortunately, my budget was a bit tight at this time so I found some people who were renting a car and decided to go our own way instead. That being said, the hostel is very quiet during the day since people tend to be out and about until the evening.
This hostel was very clean, and once I got the hang of how to make friends at this hostel, my opinion of it really shifted. I felt everyone was very friendly and I would definitely stay here again.
Things To Do on The Island of O’ahu
1. Surfing
Hawaii is the birth place of surfing and you can certainly tell how passionate locals are about the sports. Waikiki beach is flooded with surfers of all levels and there is no better place to take on your first waves. As a budget traveler, I wanted to surf every day but not spend an arm and a leg on surf gear. I managed to find a surf rental shop right in Waikiki, just down the road from the beach that rents surf boards at $20 / day. That is unbeatable! I might go as far to say this is the cheapest surf rental shop in Waikiki. The beach pop ups are running nearly double the price so save yourself some money and walk a couple blocks to Moku Hawaii.
2. Shark Diving
Shark diving was by far my favourite experience in Hawaii. This is such an amazing opportunity to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat and learn about all the ways humans are hurting sharks. The team really goes into detail on safety with sharks but also makes it clear that these creatures are not trying to hurt you!
You can opt for one of two ways to go shark diving: With a cage or without a cage. I would HIGHLY recommend diving without a cage. It was truly such a peaceful experience seeing these huge sharks underneath and around you.
These are Galapagos sharks in my image and they were the only ones we saw. They won’t come up to you but if they do, the instructors are always near by and will push their noses away or ask you get out of the water.
My images are a bit blurry because as a safety precaution, you are asked not to take any technology into the water as the sharks are attracted to electric current. These images were taken by the instructors GoPro which you can purchase after the dive. I did make the purchase since I didn’t manage to get any footage of the sharks and myself together. Although the footage was a bit expensive, I felt it was worth it and they did a great job capturing lots of moments with each person swimming near the sharks.
I did my shark dive with One Ocean Diving and had a really great experience. The instructors were very knowledgeable and passionate about what they do and that really made the experience unforgettable for me. You can book with One Ocean Diving here: https://oneoceandiving.com/
3. Snorkeling
There is plenty of snorkeling all around Hawaii but of course the most famous spot is Hanauma Bay just outside of Waikiki. Although I try to stay away from major tourist attractions and busy areas, this one I would recommend.
Entry to Hanauma Bay State Park is by reservation only and must be reserved 2 days before your desired arrival date. Tickets sell quickly so you should plan to buy them 2 days before, at 7AM HST when they go on sale. The park is closed Mondays and Tuesday so you should plan around those closures as well. You can book your reservation for the park on the Department of Parks and Recreation website. Be sure to check out the FAQ’s since there are plenty of things you should know before booking such as how you will get there, park hours, fees and much more!
There are so many different fish you could stay here all day. We even managed to catch sight of a Monk seal while we were there. It is very important to know and understand how to be respectful of these animals in Hawaii, and while it is great to see one, make sure to keep your distance from these animals and remain quiet while they are on the beach.
The volunteers who work at the beach are very knowledgeable about all the marine life in the area so if you aren’t sure how to safely and respectfully check out the Monk Seals make sure to ask someone, they will be glad to educate you! Also check out a few resources before you go to make sure you are doing everything you can to keep the reefs and marine life safe.