solo travel

My Best Advice for Joyous Solo Travel

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Last updated on December 16th, 2024 at 05:05 am

Do you enjoy solo travel? I love traveling on my own and have done so ever since my first solo trip when I drove from Vancouver to New York across the United States in my twenties.

I even camped along the way, although nowadays I don’t think I’d be quite that adventurous!

While I also enjoy traveling with my husband, daughter, and friends, there’s something about solo travel that feeds my love of independent travel.

Picture of a woman wheeling a yellow suitcase over a cobbled street meant to represent a city in Europe. The text above the picture is "My Best Advice for Joyous Solo Travel".

When you travel alone, you get to go where you want to go when you want to go there. You can spend all day rushing from site to site or take the afternoon off for a nap. And after a long day of sightseeing, you can dine at restaurants that serve food your usual travel companions may not enjoy.

If you’re thinking of embarking on your first solo travel adventure, or if you’re already a seasoned independent and solo traveler, check out these solo travel tips and have a joyous solo traveling experience.

Plan Ahead for Solo Travel

When you’re traveling solo, you don’t want to risk getting into difficult situations, such as not having a place to stay or not having a backup plan.

What if your train is canceled? 

That happened to me twice during one recent trip to the UK. The first time, I just had to wait a few  hours. But the second time required me to get a hotel for the night. I had to be open to zigging when I should have been zagging! I also had to suck up the extra cost.

Sometimes, a budget is only a guideline. You never want to be in a position where you have to put saving money ahead of safety and convenience.

Have a Detailed Travel Itinerary

So, get all your ducks in a row ahead of your trip. Have a detailed itinerary stored on your phone and on paper that includes hotel addresses, places to visit, opening times, schedules, etc.

While you don’t need to over-plan, you do want to have a good sense of where you’re going and when you’re doing things. The peace of mind will add to your enjoyment of solo travel.

Always Know Where You’re Going

Hurrah for Google maps! It’s thanks to them and SmartPhones that you can tackle a new city with confidence, and know at all times where you are geographically.

I still shudder when I remember a time in Holland back in the 1990s when I went for a walk without a map, got lost, and couldn’t find anyone who spoke English to direct me. I found my way back to the hotel–eventually–but it was a bit touch and go.

Before you go anywhere on your own, program in your route on your SmartPhone. Also make sure you have a few taxi and ride share apps installed for quick access.

And don’t go out with a phone that’s running out of battery unless you’re carrying a reliable backup battery. I speak from painful experience…!

Also take photos of your hotel that include the street number, your parking space if you’re driving, and any other landmarks you might need. When you’re traveling solo, you only have yourself to rely on so make sure you’re prepared!

Find Ways to Make Dining Alone Fun

Let’s face it, dining alone can feel a bit awkward. But it doesn’t have to. When you’re traveling solo, look for ways to enjoy dining solo.

My preference is for restaurants that are not too busy. I like a quiet atmosphere in which I can concentrate on reading or writing, and I always bring along a notebook and pen so I can jot down deep thoughts.

I also like to appreciate my surroundings and chat with servers when they are not too busy. If I’m the only solo diner in a sea of boisterous tables, I feel out of place.

If a restaurant looks too crowded for comfort, consider going elsewhere. But always, always, check restaurant reviews and pay close attention to reviews written by solo travelers.

If you’re traveling in Europe, check out my post on Happy Budget Dining.

Woman dining alone and talking with a server

As a solo traveler, you may be shown to a table by the kitchen or another undesirable location more often than if traveling with a companion. Don’t be shy! Ask to be moved if you don’t like the table you’re offered.

Usually, you’ll be accommodated and if you’re not, well then, move on. As my granny used to say, they won’t see you again.

Engaging with Others

Enhance your experience by engaging with the servers, who are often friendly and happy to ask you where you’re from. These days, at least in Europe, most servers speak English.

Recently, at a hotel in Bristol, I got to chatting with three young servers who were all students at the university. One wanted to be a writer, so we had a great old talk when she wasn’t busy serving other customers, and she was also interested to hear about my novels.

Dining solo can lead to great interactions both with servers and sometimes fellow diners. Push yourself out of your comfort zone now and again and strike up a conversation with your neighbor.

Choose Take-out Dinners

If you can’t find a well-rated restaurant that’s quiet, then it’s take-out to the rescue! I’ve had some of my best meals sitting comfortably in my hotel room.

On a solo trip to Kauai, I had take-out pretty much every night because the restaurants were very crowded. Also, by getting take-out just before sunset, I avoided having to drive home along very dark roads.

Travel Light when Traveling Solo

When you’re traveling on your own, having easy-to-manage luggage makes for a more pleasant experience. You won’t need to ask for help getting a small carry-on and backpack on and off trains. You’ll also be able to store them easily.

Also, not all trains have sufficient storage space for large bags, unless you travel first class (see next point!).

Here are some stylish options for carry-on bags you can buy online:

Yellow hard-sided suitcase with wheels and sized for carry on.
Lime green hard-sided suitcase with wheels and sized for carry on.
Soft-sided red suitcase with wheels and sized for carry on.

Upgrade to First Class on Trains

Traveling first class if your train journey is longer than three hours is well worth the extra expense. You get more comfort and more privacy. Most first-class carriages have single-seat rows, whereas most second-class carriages have only double-seat rows.

You might end up seated next to someone whom you may not want to interact with, and those second-class seats are not roomy!

Row of single seats on a train

Often, the difference in price between first and second class is not as high as you might expect, particularly if you book in advance. Use Trainline to find the best deals.

Stock Up on Audiobooks

Since you want to travel light, don’t weigh yourself down with reading material. While eBooks are a great option while traveling, consider listening to audiobooks instead. Rather than focusing on a screen, you can watch the world go by while staying aware of your surroundings, which makes for a safer journey.

Take along two or three sets of earphones, at least one of which doesn’t need charging. When you’re riding or waiting for transit, standing in line at a museum, or just wanting to tune out the busy world around you, pop in your earphones and enjoy a few chapters of an audiobook.

I recommend listening to books set in the region you’re traveling through.

While riding a bus from Delphi to Athens on a recent trip to Greece, I listened to Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon, which is about Greek theater in the ancient world. Seeing a landscape go by that was very similar to what was described really brought the novel to life.

Intrigued? Check out my interview with Ferdia Lennon about Glorious Exploits on The Art In Fiction Podcast.

Audiobook Suggestions

Here are some options for great audiobooks to enjoy while traveling in Italy, France, and Spain.

Cover of The Towers of Tuscany by Carol M. Cram (also known as the Artsy Traveler). A medieval painting of a woman in a blue head covering appears above the skyline of San Gimignano in Tuscany.
Book cover of The Paris Hours by Alex George. Against a green background, a staircase winds up. A woman dressed in 1920s attire is walking down the staircase.
Book cover of The Return by Victoria Hislop. A young woman is in the foregraound. She has a red rose behind her ear. Behind her and blurred is the figure of a man dressed in 1930s attire walking towards her.

Take Walking and Small Group Tours 

You are quite likely to meet other solo travelers when you take a walking or a small group tour. And if you’d rather not engage, you can enjoy simply listening to the tour guide as opposed to worrying that your companion is getting bored or tired.

If you get bored or tired, well, that’s okay because you only have yourself to please!

Walking Tours

A great place to find walking tours led by enthusiastic locals is GuruWalk. Many of the guides specialize in specific interests. In Bath, the guide was enthusiastic about architecture, while in Athens, the guide loved sharing his extensive knowledge of ancient history.

Here are some GuruWalks to check out in Paris.

You can also sign up for guided tours in museums. Led by curators and usually free, these tours are almost always very informative and provide a more in-depth understanding of the exhibits than you may get on your own.

Guided Day Tours

I typically don’t rent a car when I’m traveling solo. Even with GPS, navigating can be a challenge, especially in Europe and the UK where the traffic, not to mention parking, is frequently horrendous. The easiest and safest way to see the local countryside is to take small group day tours.

You can read about my tour of the Cotswolds and the two day tours I took to explore Yorkshire during a solo trip to England.

Choose tours that don’t involve long commutes to get to the destination. For example, instead of taking a tour of the Cotswolds that embarks from London, spend a night or two in Oxford, Bath or Stratford-upon-Avon and pick up a tour from there. You’ll spend most of your day joyriding around the Cotswolds rather than spending two hours each way on the motorway.

If you’re looking to meet new people while traveling, a day tour may be just the ticket.

Multi-Day Tours

You may also wish to take the occasional multi-day tour when you’re traveling solo. Recently, I took a four-day tour around Southwest England with Rabbie’s Tours. Only four other people were on the 16-seat bus so there was lots of room to stretch out!

While these tours can be a bit exhausting, they can also be a great way to meet people if you’re so inclined. You also cover a lot of ground efficiently and see hidden corners you might miss if traveling by train.

To find good tours, check GetYourGuide and Tiqets.com. Here are a few options in Germany, France, and Italy from GetYourGuide.

Powered by GetYourGuide

Enjoy Solitary Museum-Going

While sharing a museum visit with a companion is great, you can have just as much fun on your own. You can linger for as long as you want in front of an exhibit or walk quickly through galleries that don’t interest you.

You also have the time and space to indulge your imagination to the full.

On a recent visit to London’s National Gallery, I swooned in solitary joy before my favorite masterpieces. It was glorious!

I also enjoy listening to audio guides—an inherently anti-social pursuit. When you’re traveling with someone who doesn’t enjoy audio guides, you may decide to forgo getting one yourself.

When you travel alone, you can do what you want!

Choose a Double Room When Solo Traveling

You may be disappointed if you opt for a single room instead of a double room, particularly in small B & Bs and budget hotels where single rooms are often little more than closets.

The savings in cost between a single room and a double room may not be worth the often significant reduction in space.

Book a double room and enjoy more space and a larger bed.

A Note About Single Supplements

If you’re taking a guided tour, you may be required to pay a single supplement, especially if the tour includes accommodation. To avoid this extra cost, look for tours that do not include accommodation and instead, allow you to make your own arrangements.

While large group bus tours will typically not allow this, some small group tour companies will. For example, with Rabbie’s Tours, I was not charged a single supplement.

I booked my own accommodations and then told the company the names of the hotels so the driver could drop me off every evening and pick me up the next morning. I avoided paying a single supplement and was able to choose double rooms in the places I stayed. Win-win.

Take Taxis and Rideshares

Don’t stint on transportation when you’re traveling solo. If taking a bus or subway is an easy and safe option, then go for it. But if not, choose taxis or rideshares. You get door-to-door service and avoid long walks through underground tunnels or hanging out in potentially dodgy areas waiting for a bus.

These days, the proliferation of rideshare apps, many of which are linked to local taxi services, is a boon for the solo traveler.

A row of taxis at night.

Keep Your Valuables Close

The current fashion for cross-body bags is good news for solo travelers. While they may not be chic, they are extremely practical.

Over the years, I’ve carried many different kinds of bags while traveling, and my small cross-body bag is my favorite. It fits my passport, phone, sunglasses, and a small wallet containing a bank card, two Visa cards, my driver’s license, and my travel insurance card. I always safety-pin the wallet to the lining of the bag so it can never fall out.

Once, while wearing my cross-body bag, I went into a purse store in Paris in search of something a little nicer to carry while dining out.

The salesperson raised her eyebrows at my scuffed bag and intoned “Ce n’est pas chic.”

Right she was, but there’s a time for being chic and a time for being safe. When you’re traveling solo, the practical cross-body bag is your best choice.

Here are some good cross-body bag options.

A white t-shirt with a black cross-body bag over one shoulder and across the chest. To the right are four cross-body bags in four colors: black, dark grey, light grey, and pink.
Close-up of a pale purple cross-body bag.

Valuables on the Beach

What do you do when you’re alone in a foreign country and your travels take you to the beach? Obviously, leaving your valuables on your towel, even if cunningly covered with a T-shirt, is not wise.

Instead, bring along a waterproof pouch designed to snugly fit a phone, car keys, your ID, and a small wallet. You can then be 100% sure your valuables are safe while you enjoy bobbing in solitary splendor.

two waterproof pouches. The pouch on the left contains a watch and a SmartPhone. The pouch on the right contains a passport, cash, and credit cards.

Connect with Others—Or Not

I confess that I’m wary of strangers when traveling solo. While I’m always super friendly with service people in restaurants and hotels, I don’t engage much with others, particularly if they strike me as overly friendly.

If you’re worried you may get lonely, join a walking or small group tour and chat with the other participants. This level of interaction may be enough to keep you from feeling isolated on the road.

When I was younger, I easily met fellow travelers at youth hostels, but now when I stay in hotels, opportunities for making friends are limited. That suits me fine, but if it doesn’t suit you, then find ways to step out of your shell to meet people.

Sign up for a cooking class and learn to make the local food (I love cooking classes!). Or maybe find a meetup group of people who share your interests (crocheters in Catalonia, perhaps, or ex-pat writers in Warsaw).

Thanks to the Internet, there are no end of opportunities for finding like-minded people. Just make sure any meetings take place in public places with plenty of people around!

I believe that one of the keys to success as a solo traveler is to embrace the solitude, to enjoy your own company, and to always look for ways in which to deepen your solo experience through appreciation of the sites, the landscapes, and the passing parade of humanity.

Put Safety First when Traveling Solo

The best tip for any solo traveler is to prioritize safety above all else. You never want to compromise your safety to save money. A twenty-minute walk to your hotel through dark streets in an unfamiliar town may be free, but it could also be dangerous.

If you can take a taxi, then do so. If you can’t, walk quickly and look purposeful. As mentioned above, plot your route before you set out so you’re not staring at a phone screen rather than paying attention to your surroundings.

You never want to look like a wide-eyed tourist who doesn’t know where she’s going.

And let’s face it, the proliferation of smartphones makes solo travel much less solitary than it once was.

You can be walking along a beach in Brighton and have a conversation with your significant other who is 10,000 miles away on another continent or you can post your activities on social media and in moments have plenty of people to chat with, albeit digitally.

Safety check

Avoid posting in ‘real time’ when you’re traveling or eating/staying at a particular restaurant, bar or hotel. You can share your experiences with friends and family privately but save public social media posts for when you’re back home or have moved on to a new travel destination.

When I drove from Vancouver to New York across the United States in the 1980s, I spoke to my family once a week from a pay phone, read from my stash of paperback books, and did a lot of solitary staring at the landscape.

While it’s apples and oranges to compare then with now, the one constant is that solo traveling can lead you to many joyous experiences when you plan well and stay open to seeing and learning new things.

Conclusion

Traveling solo makes you self-reliant and gives you confidence. I like keeping my wits sharp as I make my way on and off trains, check into hotels, find the right meeting area for a tour, stay safe on the road, keep myself well fed and watered, and interact with people safely.

Are you planning your next solo adventure–or your first? What’s your best advice for traveling on your own? Share your tips for solo travel and thoughts in the Comments below.

Top Ten Tips for Traveling Solo on Awesome Kauai

Destinations, North America, United States Artsy Traveler 6 Comments on Top Ten Tips for Traveling Solo on Awesome Kauai

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 01:48 am

Traveling solo on Kauai is safe, easy, and convenient. The island is compact and very comfortable to drive around with nominal help from GPS. As a solo traveler, you’ll find plenty to see and do, good accommodation options, and friendly people.

Kauai is not a budget destination, so bear that in mind when planning to travel solo on Kauai. But if you have the funds, Kauai is an excellent choice. You’ll find a terrific opportunities to explore, with lots of options for sightseeing and relaxing.

I spent ten days on traveling solo on Kauai and had a marvelous time. So much variety. And the views! Kauai wins the Hawaii gorgeousness sweepstakes hands down. No wonder Kauai is known as the Garden Isle.

In this post, I share ten tips for traveling solo on Kauai. For more on Kauai, check out my other posts:

Ready for my ten tips on traveling solo on Kauai? Here goes!

Sunrise from the beach at Kauai Beach Villas on the East Coast of Kauai.
Sunrise from the beach at Kauai Beach Villas on the East Coast of Kauai

Tip 1: Stay the First Night or Two Close to the Airport

I flew direct from Vancouver, BC, on WestJet. Its once-daily flight arrived at 9:30 PM. By that time, darkness had well and truly settled over Kauai. If I hadn’t have booked accommodation close to the airport, I’d have been driving on dark, unfamiliar roads—many without streetlights. No thank you!

When traveling solo, I suggest you make accommodation and transportation decisions based on how you answer three questions:

  • Is it easy?
  • Is it safe?
  • Is it convenient?

For my solo trip to Kauai, my answers to these questions led me to book my first few nights at the Kauai Beach Villas. Located on a beach a seven-minute drive due north on the main road out of Lihue Airport, I couldn’t get lost if I tried.

Kauai Beach Villas Close to the Airport Perfect for Solo Travelers

Checking into the Kauai Beach Villas was easy. The front desk was still open when I arrived at 10:30 PM, the spacious one-bedroom condo felt very safe and secure, and the location steps from the beach could not have been more convenient.

Living room, dining room, and garden view lanai - the one-bedroom suite at Kauai Beach Villas, great choice for the solo traveler.
Living room, dining room, and garden view lanai – the one-bedroom suite at Kauai Beach Villas
Photo of the author Carol Cram traveling solo on the beach steps for Kauai Beach Villas
On the beach steps from Kauai Beach Villas

Even if you arrive on Kauai during the day, I suggest you book a few nights at a place like the Kauai Beach Villas on Kauai’s East Shore. Otherwise known as the Coconut Coast, the area is home to most of Kauai’s population and includes several big box stores convenient for stocking up on essentials at slightly less than eye-popping prices.

View of coconut palms on the East Coast of Kauai
Coconut palms are everywhere on Kauai’s East Coast

The Kauai Beach Villas are on the grounds of another resort (the Kauai Beach Resort and Spa) that has a restaurant, convenience store, and swimming pools.

The area also boasts some of Kauai’s nicest and most accessible beaches. And, even more useful, its proximity to Lihue Airport means you don’t have to drive far to enjoy the first of my highly recommended activities on Kauai—taking a helicopter ride (more on this later!).

Other Accommodation Options on the East Shore

Several other East Shore accommodation options are close to Lihue Airport:

A Note about Big Box Stores

Normally, I’m not a fan of stores like Costco and Walmart. But on Kauai, I spent a few hours on my first afternoon traipsing through both stores in search of vacation essentials at reasonable prices. In Costco, I picked up a case of water, a large bag of macadamia nuts that lasted me the entire trip eating a good handful a day (gosh, they’re tasty!), a Hawaiian shirt for my husband (a bargain at $20 and good quality too), a few bags of snacks, and a hunk of cheese.

I considered a tub of poke for $10 and realized I’d never finish it before it started walking on its own. Messing with raw fish is not a good idea when traveling solo.

I also visited Walmart to buy a mask and snorkel, a pair of water shoes, and a nice big beach bag to carry towels and other beachie things. You can rent snorkel equipment at various places on Kauai, but it’s cheaper (and more hygienic) to pick up the gear at a place like Walmart. You’ll then have it for your next trip to a tropical paradise.

Since I live on an island (albeit not a tropical one), I look forward to using my new snorkel gear on summer swims at the beaches near my home.

Tip 2: Rent a Car

You pretty much have to rent a car when visiting Kauai. I had hoped to get around on public transit or take taxis, but nope, not on Kauai. There are busses, but apparently they are unreliable and likely won’t go to all the places you want to explore. Services such as Lyft and Uber are not prevalent on Kauai and taxis are scarce.

The biggest problem with renting a car is the cost, as in, ouch! I’ve never paid so much for a ten-day car rental in my life. But it was either that or spend my vacation stuck in one place, and what would be the point of that?

So, adjust your budget upward (waaaay upward), and book your car well in advance. In recent years, rental cars have sometimes been hard to come by. You don’t want to arrive on Kauai and find no cars available. That would suck…a lot.

Car Rental from Thrifty

As a solo traveler, I rented the cheapest car in the budget category from Thrifty. The friendly agent at the Thrifty counter upgraded me at no extra charge from a hatchback to a closed trunk model because she said that was safer. She knew I was traveling on my own (because I told her!). I joked that I’d left my husband at home so I could enjoy ten days of blissful solitude. She laughed.

Getting to the car rental counter is very easy on Kauai. Walk out of the small Lihue airport, hang a left and within seconds, you’re at the bus stop for the car rental shuttles. I hopped on the Thrifty shuttle, waited about ten minutes in a short line, and ten minutes after that I was loading my suitcase into my silver Kia.

A silver Kia car the author drove all over Kauai. Compact and easy-to-drive, a good choice for the solo traveler.
My trusty silver Kia took me over 440 miles around Kauai in 10 days

Note that silver is a very popular color for rental cars in Kauai. In parking lots, I often saw dozens of silver and/or white cars. More than once, I tried getting into someone else’s car. Fortunately, they weren’t around to notice as I quickly realized my mistake and sheepishly moved on.

The smartest thing to do is to take a picture of your license plate and also memorize the number. You’ll avoid a lot of traipsing around parking lots dolefully clicking the remote and listening for the subtle beep above the whooshing of the trade winds.

Driving Solo on Kauai

I confess that I was a little bit worried about driving on unfamiliar roads. I’m not a nervous driver, but still! I usually rent cars with my husband and then I do the navigating rather than the driving. How would I manage on my own?

As it turned out, perfectly well. Driving is sooooooo easy on Kauai because the speed limits are generally very low. Limits of 40 mph, 35 mph, and even 15 mph are common. Even on the busiest roads near the airport, the speed limit never tops 50 mph. Also, I found that most Kauai drivers obey the speed limits and do not tailgate, even if you’re going slower than the posted speed.

Okay, once, a big black truck honked at me when I was going about 30 mph in a 40-mph zone for about three minutes. Sheesh!

I remember being terrified driving on Maui where the speed limits were much higher (at least they were a few years ago) and people drove like maniacs. Kauai is much more laid back. I loved driving there!

Tip 3: Download the Kauai Revealed Touring App

And speaking of driving, one of the smartest things you can do, whether traveling solo or not, is to download Andrew Doughty’s Kauai Revealed driving app. Andrew Doughty is the author of The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, the definitive guide to Kauai and a must-buy. If you didn’t pick up a copy before coming to Kauai, no worries. I saw it in virtually every gift shop I visited and at Walmart.

The app and the guidebook together provide you with just about all the information you need to enjoy a wonderful Kauai vacation. I followed many of Andrew’s recommendations, particularly when it came to which helicopter and boat tour companies to choose, and I was very glad I had.

What’s on the Kauai Revealed App?

Regarding Andrew’s app, it’s a hoot! Download it to your phone, click Driving Mode, plug it into your car so you hear Andrew’s commentary through the car’s sound system, and then hit the open road.

Every so often, Andrew’s voice shares some snippet of interesting information about Hawaiian history and culture, tells you where to turn to visit a cool beach, and makes all sorts of useful recommendations. As a solo traveler, I felt like I’d made a new friend.

Screen shot of the Kauai Revealed Drive Tour App, the perfect companion for the solo traveler.
Download the Kauai Revealed Drive Tour App to get the most out of driving around Kauai

Over time, I began to chat with Andrew as I drove, which sounds a bit creepy, but it was kinda fun and perhaps an occupational risk of solo travel. I can’t say I was ever lonely on my trip, but I did begin to appreciate having Andrew along for the ride as the days flew by.

For solo travelers who don’t have a companion to navigate, the driving app is a must-have. I’m a firm convert to driving apps now and hope I can find them for other places I plan to travel. Andrew also has apps and books for Maui, The Big Island, and Oahu.

Tip 4: Stay in At Least Two Areas on Kauai

As a solo traveler, I like to move around and get a feel for different areas in the country or region I’m visiting. On Kauai, some travelers settle in either the north or the south (sometimes the east, but not as often) for the duration of their trip and then take day trips to see the other parts of the island.

I don’t think that’s the best strategy. The North Shore and South Shore of Kauai are so different that each warrants at least a few days of dedicated sightseeing. After staying a few days at Kauai Beach Villas on the East Shore to get acclimatized, I drove an hour to the North Shore where I stayed for four nights.

Staying on the North Shore

The North Shore is the wetter and more tropical area accessible by road on Kauai and the scenery is absolutely spectacular. Seriously, there are not enough superlatives in the thesaurus to describe the area’s pristine beaches, tropical greenery, and sheer mountains.

For more about the North Shore, check my post What to See and Do on Kauai.

I stayed in the SeaLodge condo development in Princeville, which stretches along a clifftop about fifteen minutes east of Hanalei Bay. One of my intentions in traveling solo to Kauai was to work on my current WIP (Work in Progress aka my fifth novel). When I wasn’t out sightseeing, I spent several very productive hours writing while overlooking a view of palms and ocean accompanied by the constant sound of waves crashing against the beach below the cliff.

View of the Pacific Ocean with palm trees from the balcony of SeaLodge on Kauai's North Shore where the author stayed as a solo traveler.
View from my balcony
Exterior view of the SeaLodge condo development on Kauai's North Shore
Exterior of SeaLodge condo on Kauai’s North Shore

Talk about inspiring!

Staying on the South Shore

The South Shore is “resort central” with plenty to see and do, lots of great accommodation and restaurant options, and consistently sunny weather. I stayed at the Point at Poipu which was located right on the water and next door to the uber-luxurious Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa.

View of the Pacific Ocean with a laptop computer in the foreground from the author's suite at the Point at Poipu on Kauai's South Shore
My writing room on the lanai at the Point at the Point on Kauai’s South Shore

You’ll find lots to do on the South Shore—from touring the Allerton and McBryde Gardens to driving up to ogle Waimea Canyon and beyond that the fabled Nāpali coast.

For more about the South Shore, check my posts Six Highlights of a Kauai Vacation and What to See and Do on Kauai.

Tip 5: Take a Helicopter Ride

Okay, so I’ve mentioned taking a helicopter ride twice already and now I’ll tell you why.

Because it’s awesome!

Helicopter touching down in Kauai
A Blue Hawaiian helicopter comes in for a landing on Kauai

Over three-quarters of Kauai is inaccessible by road. So, if you want to see the island in its stunning entirety, shell out the big bucks for a helicopter ride.

And I’m not going to lie—it’s expensive. Like, forget-eating-for-a-week expensive. On my ride, the other five passengers were from one family. I shuddered as I did the math for what their trip cost!

Check out my detailed account of my helicopter ride with Blue Hawaiian in the post Six Highlights of a Kauai Vacation.

Tip 6: Take a Boat Ride that includes Snorkeling

I love snorkeling! But as a solo traveler, I was nervous about snorkeling on my own and leaving my stuff unattended on the beach (although the crime rate is reportedly low on Kauai). I also feared going too far out and being swept into the Pacific Ocean.

From past trips to tropical locales, I knew that taking a guided boat trip was the best and safest way for me to get my snorkeling hit.

My Kauai Revealed guidebook listed the many boat and snorkeling tour options and highly recommended Nāpali Sea Breeze Tours.

View of the Napali Coast from the deck of a boat
See the stunning Napali coast from a boat tour with Napali Sea Breeze Tours

From a solo travel perspective, spending four hours on a small boat with everyone pretty much cheek by jowl provides lots of opportunities to chat with new friends. When we came to the snorkeling place, we were asked to pair up, so I snorkeled for about 40 minutes with a friendly woman from California whose husband, fortunately for me, decided to stay on the boat.

For a description of my boat trip and snorkeling adventure see my post Six Highlights of a Kauai Vacation.

For now, trust me when I say that the Nāpali Sea Breeze Tour from Anini Beach in the north of Kauai was fabulous and again, worth every penny.

Tip 7: Go on a Garden Tour

As a solo traveler, I find that taking the occasional guided tour is a smart way to see maximum territory with minimum effort. Before I left home, I booked the three-hour “Best of Both Worlds” tour of the Allerton and McBryde Gardens in the south of Kauai.

Strange twisted tree trunks taken at the Allerton and McBryde Gardens on the South Shore of Kauai
See some seriously amazing plants and trees on a tour of the Allerton and McBryde Gardens on South Shore of Kauai

I was so glad I did. The tour was informative and beautiful. If you love plants (and even if you’re so-so about them), take the tour. You can choose from several tours (see the website), but I’m glad I chose the “Best of Both Worlds” tour to get an overview of these two fabulous gardens.

I also enjoyed a solo walking tour of Limahuli Gardens on the North Shore.

For a description of both garden tours, see my post Six Highlights of a Kauai Vacation.

Tip 8: Participate in a Local Fitness Class

One of my favorite things to do when I travel solo is to drop in to a Nia class. Nia is a dance-fitness practice that I’ve been involved with both as a teacher and a student for nearly 15 years. It’s a worldwide practice with teachers on all seven continents. Before I leave home, I always check the Nianow.com website to find the location of classes near where I’m staying.

On Kauai, I took two Nia classes at the Golden Lotus Studio in Kapa’a on the East Shore, about a ten-minute drive from the Kauai Beach Villas. The teacher and other students were so warm and welcoming. I loved the opportunity not only to dance with them but also to chat afterwards and learn something about their lives as locals living on Kauai (lucky them!).

The author, Carol Cram, pictured next to Nia teacher Isabelle Fisher before a Nia class in Kauai.
Me with Nia teacher Isabelle Winninger Fisher before Nia class on Kauai

Even if dancing Nia isn’t your thing, consider checking out a yoga or other type of fitness class at a facility on Kauai. The Golden Lotus Studio offers several kinds of classes each week (check the website) and I’m sure it’s not the only venue.

Attending a class with locals is a wonderful way to enrich your Kauai experience and take you off the beaten tourist path.

Tip 9: Choose Food Trucks and Take-Out

Restaurants are Kauai are expensive. Very expensive. And eating alone is not much fun, particularly in crowded tourist areas. When I’m at home, I often dine alone in restaurants. But for some reason when I’m in a vacation area, I feel a bit out of place when the vast majority of other patrons are couples or families.

So, for me, the best meal options while traveling in Kauai were food trucks and take-out.

Food truck serving Indian Food near the beach in Kaapa in Kauai. Food trucks are easy and convenient options for solo travelers.
A food truck serving Indian food in Kaa’pa on Kauai

Food Trucks

Kauai is famous—and justly so—for its food trucks. Stop and enjoy a scrumptious breakfast or lunch. However, many, if not most, of the food trucks close about 3 PM, so they are not an option for dinner.

I sampled the fare at a few food trucks during my trip, although not as many as I would have liked. Either they were closed when I was driving by, or I wasn’t hungry when they were open. But for a reliable and relatively inexpensive lunch, the food trucks of Kauai are definitely a good choice.

For a comprehensive look at Kauai food trucks, check out this post.

Here are two highlights:

Kalalea Juice Hale

This spot is located on the road going north toward Anahola. I sampled my first acai (ah-sigh-EE) bowl here and was captivated! Cool, smooth, very purple mashed acai berries are topped with granola, hemp seeds, chia seeds, banana, and a few other things I can’t remember and then drizzled with peanut butter. I know, it sounds like overkill but trust me, it was divine.

Acai bowl piled high with granola, chia seeds, bananas, and drizzled with peanut butter
My first acai bowl from Kalalea Juice Hale near Anahola Beach on the East Shore of Kauai

While I was eating it at a picnic table, the heavens opened. I ran to my car and drove to Anahola Beach to finish my bowl. Anahola Beach is a worthwhile stop for dreamy views, but not for swimming, at least not on the day I was there.

View of gorgeous Anahola Beach on the East Shore of Kauai
I ate my acai bowl while enjoying this view from Anahola Beach

Indian Food

The prawn curry I enjoyed at the Indian food truck in a parking lot in Kapa’a contained a plethora of plump, meaty prawns swimming in a spicy, rich coconut-flavored sauce. A highlight was the chunky, flavorful mango lassi that accompanied my curry. Very refreshing!

Take-out container filled with creamy coconut curry next to a cup of mango lassi
Prawn curry – rich and delicious with a mango lassi from a Ka’paa food truck

Other Food Truck Favorites

So many of the food truck serve tacos of every description—pork, chicken, prawns, seafood and even tofu. Kauai seems to have more taco joints than Mexico!

Other food truck staples are shaved ice and puka dogs. Alas, I didn’t get the chance to sample either. However, I did try another Kauai specialty—a Hawaiian grilled cheese sandwich containing pulled Kalua pork, Muenster cheese, and sweet pineapple at Pink’s Creamery in Hanalei Bay. Yes, it sounds a bit odd, but it was amazing!

Take-out

In Kauai, every restaurant I poked my nose into was hopping busy. I didn’t like taking up a whole table when groups were waiting and so usually I ordered take-out and ate it it in solitary splendor back on my lanai.

Unfortunately, take-out was rather hit-or-miss. The food was usually quite flavorful, but by the time I got it home, it was also usually cold. Fortunately, every place I stayed in had a microwave, but it’s not the same, let’s face it! And don’t think you’ll save money by getting take-out. The prices are the same for take-out and dine-in so the only thing you might save on is drinks.

I bought wine from local grocery stores to accompany my take-out meals. Once, I went to the bar at the Kauai Beach Resort to have a Mai Tai. After sipping the over-sweet concoction that cost over $20, I decided to forgo the tropical drinks.

Overall, I can’t say that my culinary experiences on Kauai lived up to the island’s reputation as a place to get great food. I think staff shortages may be one culprit. Almost every place I went, from a food truck to a nice restaurant, I saw Help Wanted signs. The lack of staff coupled with the crowds did not make for relaxing dining options, particularly for a single.

Shout-out to Brennekes

However, I must give a shout-out to Brennekes, a justifiably famous eatery on the South Shore overlooking Poipu Beach Park. I splurged on a sit-down meal there (my only one of the trip) and enjoyed a swoon-worthy plate of seafood risotto. Creamy, rich, and chock-a-block with scallops, prawns, fish chunks, and mushrooms, the risotto will stand as one of my all-time great meals.

Seafood risotto - creamy and studded with scallops, prawns, and fish
Creamy, rich seafood risotto was the best meal of my trip at Brenneckes on Kauai’s South Shore

Tip 10: Choose the Safest Beaches

Kauai has some of the best beaches in the Hawaiian Islands—long sandy stretches, turquoise waters, swaying palm trees—the whole tropical nine yards. However, the beaches can also be death traps, particularly for the solo traveler.

People drown every year on Kauai as a result of being caught in rip tides or swept out to sea by rogue waves. If you’re on your own, who will be watching out for you if you get into trouble? Hopefully, there will be a lifeguard close by, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.

Sign listing the guidelines for safe swimming from a Kauai beach
Take warnings like this seriously!

Almost every day I was on Kauai, the water at most beaches was too rough for swimming. I found only two places where I could consistently swim, and even they could get quite choppy.

Swimming on the North Shore

My favorite safe beach on the North Shore was Anini Beach. The lagoon is ringed by a reef and so safe enough even for children (and solo travelers like me!). I went there a few times to bob around.

View of Anini Beach on the North Shore of Kauai
Anini Beach on Kauai’s North Shore

Also on the North Shore is Tunnels Beach which, like Anini Beach, is reputed to be safe for swimming most of the time. The day I drove there, I couldn’t find parking so only got to see it the day I swam from the boat during the Nāpali Sea Breeze tour. Oh well!

Swimming on the South Shore

On the South Shore, Poipu Beach at Poipu Beach Park is ranked as one of the best beaches in the world. That is a bit of a stretch since the bottom is not very sandy (water shoes are a must!). However, the location is certainly delightful and the snorkeling good.

View of Poipu Beach on the South Shore of Kauai
Poipu Beach on Kauai’s South Shore

On the East Shore, Lydgate Beach Park is usually safe for swimming but the day I was there, the wind was whipping the waves into a white-capped frenzy so, um, no.

The safest way to swim on Kauai is to hop into the pool at your hotel or condo. Sure, it’s not as exciting as swimming in the ocean, but it’s refreshing, generally uncrowded, and your chances of waving goodbye to this life while being swept out to sea are pretty much nil.

Tours on Kauai

Here are some GetYourGuide tours on Kauai.

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Conclusion

I loved traveling solo around Kauai. The pace was relaxed, the weather glorious (even if occasionally windy), the roads easy to drive, the service people uniformly helpful and friendly, and the scenery to die for.

If you’re craving a bit of “me time” away from your regular life, consider taking a solo trip to Kauai.

Aloha!

Have you traveled solo on Kauai? Share your recommendations in the Comments below.

Here are two more posts on Kauai: