Solo Female Travel in the Pacific: Is It Safe & Which Islands Should You Visit?
Being the beach brat that I am, I’ve been dreaming about travelling around the Pacific for years. I could picture myself exploring those lush, tropical islands with a flower crown on my head — full-on Moana vibes. Just the thought of it made me more excited than I could even describe.
But when I moved to New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa and suddenly found myself within easy reach of those Pacific dreams, my gut feeling started telling me something different.
For the first time, I started wondering: Are those sleepy, isolated Pacific islands actually safe for solo female travellers? And would I really feel comfortable travelling around them alone?
If you’re dreaming of exploring the Pacific but have been having the same thoughts, you’re in the right place.
I’ve visited three Pacific nations so far — Fiji, Tonga and Samoa — but there’s an important detail: Fiji is the only one I travelled to completely alone. When it came to Tonga and Samoa, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to take the leap by myself, so I chose to visit them with other people instead. And I think that experience is worth talking about.
In this post, I’ll share my honest and unfiltered thoughts on all three destinations, what made me feel comfortable (or uncomfortable), and which Pacific islands I would consider for solo female travel depending on your travel style and priorities.
Is the Pacific Safe for Solo Female Travellers?
When you start thinking about exploring the Pacific, danger probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. At least, it wasn’t for me.
This part of the world has a reputation for being laid-back, peaceful and incredibly welcoming — and, in many ways, the statistics back that up. Fiji and Tonga, for example, have relatively low intentional homicide rates of around 2.1 and 1.0 per 100,000 people respectively, according to the latest available UNODC data. Samoa’s latest available figure is higher, at around 6.3 per 100,000, although that data is from 2018 and therefore isn’t directly comparable with the more recent figures for Fiji and Tonga.
The Pacific’s homicide rates are relatively low by international standards — but numbers don’t tell the whole story
But here’s where things get a little more interesting. The statistics might say that the Pacific is relatively safe, but after travelling solo to 38 countries, I’ve learned that safety is about a lot more than numbers. If there’s one thing solo travel has taught me, it’s to listen to my gut feeling. And mine was telling me that something felt a little off.
The thing is, these islands are really isolated. They’re quiet, they’re not very touristy, and in some places, the infrastructure is nowhere near what you’re used to in other parts of the world. And that can make a big difference when you’re travelling alone as a woman.
Take transportation, for example. Public transport is extremely limited in some Pacific nations, meaning you’re often left relying on taxis or whatever private transport you can find. And I’m sorry, but if you’re a woman living in 2026, you already know that getting into a taxi alone late at night — especially somewhere remote and unfamiliar — can come with a whole set of worries.
Wondering why you’d even need to take a taxi alone late at night? Take a look at the flights into these Pacific islands. I have no idea why, but many flights arrive ridiculously late. Which means that you can find yourself landing on a tiny, unfamiliar island in the middle of the night, with no public transport and a taxi being your only option. That’s exactly why, when I arrived in Fiji, I chose to sit at the airport for several hours and wait for sunrise rather than get into a taxi alone in the middle of the night.
I think that’s the part that can easily get lost when you look at safety statistics. A place doesn’t have to be dangerous for you to feel uncomfortable travelling there alone. Take my experience in Jordan, for example. It’s not generally considered a dangerous country and crime levels are relatively low, but it was my worst solo trip so far.
Curious what made Jordan my worst solo trip so far? 👀 Read my full first-hand experience in Jordan here
Sometimes it’s simply the combination of isolation, limited transport, unfamiliar surroundings, cultural differences and not knowing what your options are if something goes wrong.
And that’s exactly what happened to me in the Pacific. I never felt like I was walking around some incredibly dangerous part of the world. But in Tonga and Samoa especially, I found myself thinking, “Would I actually feel comfortable dealing with all of this on my own?”. And honestly, the answer was no.
So while the statistics might tell you that the Pacific is relatively safe, my own experience taught me that “safe” and “comfortable travelling solo” aren’t necessarily the same thing.
My Experience Travelling Solo in Fiji 🇫🇯
If you’re thinking about travelling solo as a woman in the Pacific, let me tell you straight away: Fiji is a great option. Compared with many other countries in the region, Fiji is much more developed and set up for tourism, which obviously makes travelling there easier in general — and especially when you’re doing it alone.
Fiji is often considered the hub of the Pacific, and honestly, I think it’s the perfect first country to visit if you want to experience this part of the world on your own.
Why I Felt Comfortable Travelling to Fiji Alone
Before going to Fiji, I obviously had the same thoughts I’d have before travelling anywhere alone. Is Fiji safe for solo female travelers? Where am I going to stay? How am I going to get around? Will I meet people? What happens if something goes wrong?
But Fiji felt like the easiest place in the Pacific to take that leap.
For starters, Fiji is one of the most established tourist destinations in the Pacific. And one thing that makes a huge difference for solo travellers is something you might not even think about: Fiji actually has hostels. That might sound completely normal if you’re used to backpacking around Southeast Asia, Europe or Central America, but many other Pacific nations don’t really have a hostel scene at all.
The view from my dorm at Barefoot Kuata wasn’t bad at all
Scared of staying in hostels on your solo trips? You’re not alone. So many people ask me if I actually feel safe staying in hostels when I travel solo, and my 100% honest answer is YES! You’re obviously bound to meet the occasional creep — that’s just life for us women in this world. But the great thing about hostels is that you’re surrounded by people who can help if something goes wrong. If you’re staying alone in an Airbnb or hotel room, you’re completely on your own. And honestly? That feels way scarier to me than sharing a room with 10+ complete strangers.
There’s something really special about Fiji that I haven’t seen in many other paradise destinations: even some of the resorts have dorms. So you can basically get the whole tropical island resort experience without paying resort prices — as long as you’re willing to share a room with strangers.
I stayed in several resorts like this and honestly had some of my best experiences there. At Barefoot Kuata and Blue Lagoon Resort in particular, I met so many other solo female travellers. It was amazing having people to hang out with, explore with and share experiences with.
And honestly? Sharing a dorm in paradise with a bunch of fellow travellers is not exactly a hardship. 😂 You get the beautiful beach, the resort facilities and all the tropical island vibes, while still saving money. For a solo traveller, that’s pretty hard to beat.
Another major reason I felt comfortable travelling around Fiji was having reliable transportation and reputable tour options. The Yasawa Flyer, for example, made getting between the islands surprisingly straightforward; and there were plenty of reputable tours available through platforms like GetYourGuide and Viator — companies I’ve known and used for years. So honestly, even though I was in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific, getting to where I wanted to go was not stressful at all.
Why I Book Tours with GetYourGuide & Viator
When I’m travelling solo, I don’t want to spend half my trip wondering whether the person I’m booking a tour with is actually legit. That’s one of the reasons I love using GetYourGuide and Viator.
I’ve used both platforms for years, so when I see a tour operator listed there, I already know they’ve gone through a platform I trust. I don’t have to wonder who I’m sending my money to or whether the company is reputable.
Here’s why I love booking through them:
- Reputable operators – If an operator is listed on a platform I’ve used and trusted for years, I trust that they’re legitimate.
- Real traveller reviews – I can see what other people thought of the tour before handing over my money. Some travellers even upload pictures of the experience!
- Clear information – I know what’s included, where I’m going, how long the tour lasts and what to expect.
- Secure booking – I’m not sending money to some random person I found in a Facebook group and hoping they actually show up. Looking at you, Samoa and Tonga 👀 But more on that later…
- Free cancellation – Many tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity, which is a lifesaver when you’re travelling somewhere like the Pacific and the weather decides to completely ruin your plans. 🌧️
- Peace of mind – This is probably the biggest one for me. When you’re travelling alone, knowing who you’re booking with makes a huge difference.
Ready to explore Fiji without the guesswork? Have a look at the tours below and start planning your Pacific adventure! 🌴
Did I actually feel safe in Fiji?
So, with all of that in mind, did I actually feel safe travelling around Fiji alone?
Honestly, yes. As I mentioned before, I still took precautions — like waiting several hours for sunrise at the airport instead of getting into a taxi alone in the darkness. But unfortunately, those are the kinds of precautions women realistically need to think about in most parts of the world.
There is one important thing I want to mention, though: I didn’t stay in Nadi for very long and I didn’t go to Suva at all. I imagine my experience in Fiji could have been very different if I had spent more time in either of those places.
But I wasn’t there for the cities. I was looking for the paradisiacal Fiji I’d seen in pictures my entire life, so I decided to head straight to the Yasawa Islands — and honestly, that was the best decision ever.
The Yasawa Islands in Fiji are absolutely gorgeous
These islands are just as beautiful as they are peaceful and calm. Most of them basically have the resort you’re staying at and not much else, which obviously means there isn’t a huge amount going on.
And for me, as a solo female traveller, that was actually part of the appeal.
My Experience in Tonga 🇹🇴
And then there’s Tonga.
Tonga was a completely different experience for me. I absolutely loved my time there, and I would happily go back — but my gut feeling told me not to go there completely alone. And I’m glad I listened.
And I think it’s important to explain why, because this isn’t a story about Tonga being dangerous. It was much more about the logistics, the isolation and that little gut feeling telling me that I’d rather have someone with me.
Why I Didn’t Travel to Tonga Alone
When I started planning my trip to Tonga, I considered travelling there by myself. But after travelling solo to 38 countries, your gut feeling becomes pretty damn good at picking up on things.
Sometimes you can’t even explain it. You don’t have a logical reason for feeling like something isn’t quite right. You just feel it.
And honestly, if you take only one piece of advice from me as a solo female traveller, please let it be this: never second guess your gut feeling.
Seriously. You might not always know why your gut feeling is telling you not to do something, but there’s a reason it’s there. And after years of travelling alone, I’ve learned that I’d much rather listen to that little voice than ignore it just to prove that I can.
In the case of Tonga, mine kept telling me that something felt a little off about going completely on my own to one of the world’s least visited countries. I couldn’t really explain why. Tonga didn’t necessarily seem dangerous — I just wasn’t convinced I’d feel comfortable navigating the whole experience alone.
So I listened.
Instead of forcing myself to go solo just because I love solo travel more than anything in the world, I found a travel buddy to share the experience with.
And honestly? I think it was the best decision I could have made for this particular trip.
Keep reading and you’ll understand why.
Why I wouldn’t recommend Tonga for solo female travellers
As soon as I arrived in Tonga, I knew instantly that my gut feeling had been correct all along.
We landed after 1am at a tiny airport that looked more like a bus station than an international airport. Our accommodation was a fair distance from Nuku’alofa, but thankfully, the owner of the place we’d booked had offered to come and pick us up.
“At least we don’t have to take a taxi with a random driver,” I thought.
Well… my feelings changed pretty quickly when I saw the path he was driving us down.
Imagine landing at this airport and then driving down this road at night with an unknown guy
Once we reached the suburbs of Nuku’alofa where our accommodation was located, we turned onto a ridiculously dark and sketchy-looking road. There was barely anyone around, hardly any lighting, and absolutely no part of me was thinking this is fine.
I remember thinking to myself:
“I would be absolutely freaking out right now if I was doing this alone.”
And then, almost as if he had somehow read my mind, my travel buddy turned to me and said:
“Oh, I get why travelling solo as a woman can be scary. Even I wouldn’t feel comfortable right now if I was alone.”
We both laughed because… yep. Exactly.
If even a guy would feel uncomfortable taking that ride alone, imagine what it would feel like for a woman travelling alone
Of course, the person driving us was the owner of our accommodation. It turns out that he was a perfectly trustworthy person, everything went completely fine, and he dropped us off at the house safe and sound.
But that’s not really the point. As a solo female traveller, you can find yourself in situations where you know logically that everything is probably fine, while another part of your brain is screaming, “But what if it’s not?”
You can check reviews, book reputable accommodation, share your location with someone and take every sensible precaution in the world. But when you’re alone in a car with a stranger, driving through a completely unfamiliar and deserted area in the middle of the night, you’re still going to have that little voice in the back of your head questioning everything.
And honestly? That’s not paranoia. That’s awareness.
Never let people convince you that you’re too scared of paranoid. Unfortunately, staying cautious is our only safe(r) choice as women living this world
Maybe nothing will happen. Most of the time, nothing does.
But when you’re travelling alone, you don’t have another person beside you to share that uncertainty with. And that’s one of the things that people underestimate when they talk about solo travel.
It’s not necessarily the big, dramatic situations that make you think twice. Sometimes, it’s simply being dropped somewhere unfamiliar at 1:30am and realising that if something did go wrong, you’d be dealing with it completely on your own.
The taxi driver who made me glad I wasn’t alone
There was another situation in Tonga that, honestly, was probably the one that scared me the most.
I was downstairs in the garden of our accommodation by myself when a taxi suddenly stopped outside the gates. We were waiting for a pickup to take us to Ancient Tonga, so naturally, I thought: “Maybe this is our driver.”
I walked over to him and he immediately told me that someone had sent him to pick us up.
Now, if I wasn’t such an experienced solo traveller, I could easily have assumed he was telling the truth. The timing seemed like a crazy coincidence, and we were expecting a taxi after all.
But something didn’t feel right. So I started asking questions. “Who sent you to pick me up? Where are you supposed to take me?”
He couldn’t give me a proper answer to either question. Instead, he started asking if I was alone and telling me how beautiful I was. And if you’re a woman living on planet Earth in 2026, I probably don’t need to explain why “you’re beautiful” isn’t exactly a welcome compliment when it’s coming from a random taxi driver who has just appeared outside your accommodation and is asking whether you’re alone.
Some guys’ audacity can destroy anything… Even this beautiful accommodation with an ocean view
I immediately told him that I wasn’t alone.
He kept asking for my phone number.
I said no.
I repeated that I wasn’t alone.
He kept insisting.
Eventually, he drove away.
And then, almost unbelievably, my travel buddy came down the stairs at exactly that moment. He had heard voices and wanted to see what was going on. So just as the taxi was driving away, the driver could see that I hadn’t been bluffing — I really wasn’t staying there alone.
And I couldn’t stop thinking about what would have happened if I had been.
What if I didn’t listen to my gut feeling and went to Tonga alone? What if I hadn’t questioned that guy? What if I had simply assumed that he really was the driver we’d booked and got into that taxi?
I don’t know what his intentions were, and I’m not going to pretend that I do. Maybe he was just being inappropriate and nothing more would have happened.
But I didn’t know that. And that’s the whole point. When you’re travelling alone, you don’t get to know someone’s intentions before deciding whether to trust them. You have to make that judgement based on the information you have in front of you — and sometimes, your gut feeling is the only warning sign you get.
Honestly, if I was staying there alone, I know I would have struggled to sleep that night.
And that’s something I think is important to talk about when we talk about solo female travel.
🌎 Planning your first solo trip? Don’t know which places are safe to travel to? I’ve written this whole other post about the 7 best countries for first-time solo female travellers — and some of them might surprise you 👀
I absolutely love travelling alone. I think every woman should experience the freedom, independence and confidence that comes with exploring the world by yourself.
But as much as I love solo travel, I don’t believe in pretending that it’s easy breezy for women everywhere. Sometimes you arrive somewhere and realise that you’ll have to be a little more alert, a little more cautious and a little more selective about who you trust.
I don’t mean to scare women away from travelling solo. I just want to help them make informed decisions.
If you’re considering travelling solo to a destination where you may stand out more as a woman travelling alone, I think it’s important to know that these situations can happen — even when you’re experienced, careful and doing everything right.
Because listening to your gut doesn’t mean assuming everyone is dangerous.
It means knowing that you don’t have to ignore your instincts just to prove that you can travel somewhere alone.
Getting Around Tonga Without a Car 🚕
Here’s another thing you need to know before travelling to Tonga: public transport basically doesn’t exist. Even in Nuku’alofa, the capital, there are no buses whatsoever.
So whenever you need to go somewhere, you’d better be within walking distance — otherwise, you’re probably getting a taxi.
And let’s just say… after that encounter with the pushy taxi driver who showed up outside my door, I can’t say I recommend taking taxis alone in Tonga. 😬
If you do end up travelling to Tonga — and you absolutely should, because it’s such a unique place — I’d recommend booking some reputable organised tours for your sightseeing and activities instead. It takes a lot of the transportation stress out of the trip, and you’ll have a much more enjoyable experience.
Here are a few options worth checking out:
If you absolutely need a taxi — for example, to get to or from the airport — you can contact Thomas, the driver we used during our stay. He is really nice and reliable.
📱 Thomas — WhatsApp: +676 847 8886
My experience in Samoa
Samoa is one of the most gorgeous countries I’ve ever visited and, honestly, probably the biggest hidden gem I’ve discovered after travelling to 60 countries. 🌴
The beaches are incredible, the landscapes are absolutely stunning and the whole country has this sleepy, peaceful feeling that makes you feel like you’ve found somewhere completely untouched by mass tourism.
But just like Tonga, my gut was telling me that Samoa wasn’t a country I should visit alone.
Even though Samoa is another quiet, sleepy island nation where nothing seems to happen particularly fast, after a few days there, I was so glad I had listened to that gut feeling.
I was travelling with a travel buddy the entire time, and while I absolutely loved my time in Samoa, a couple of situations made me realise just how much being a woman in certain cultures can put a target on your back.
Why I Wouldn’t Recommend Samoa for Inexperienced Solo Travellers
One of the first things that reinforced my gut feeling happened when my travel buddy popped into a shop and I waited for him for a few minutes on the other side of the road.
Almost immediately, a local guy approached me and started asking me questions.
First, he wanted to know where I was going. Then he asked if I was alone.
I told him I wasn’t — I was just waiting for a guy who happened to be across the road.
And suddenly, he disappeared fast as hell.
Now, maybe he was completely harmless. I’ll never know. But after travelling solo as much as I have, I’ve learned to pay attention when a situation makes me uncomfortable — especially when a man I’ve never met approaches me and immediately wants to know where I’m going and whether I’m alone.
And honestly, the fact that women have to put up with this kind of thing no matter where they are in the world is so outrageous to me that I can’t even explain it.
Just because you’re a woman travelling alone, you shouldn’t have to constantly think about how you’re going to answer questions like these without making yourself a target.
🗣️ “Maybe He Was Just Being Friendly…”
I can already hear someone thinking: “Maybe he was just being friendly!”
And sure, maybe he was.
But after travelling alone to 38 countries, I’ve learned not to automatically dismiss these situations as harmless curiosity.
You don’t always know someone’s intentions. But you don’t need to wait until someone actually crosses a line before deciding that you’re uncomfortable.
That’s one of the biggest things solo travel has taught me: trust your gut. If something feels off, you don’t need a perfectly logical explanation for why. You can simply remove yourself from the situation and move on.
And honestly, that’s exactly why I was so glad I wasn’t travelling around Samoa alone.
When “Are You a Couple?” Becomes the Conversation
Another situation happened when we were waiting to take a bus and a local guy started chatting with us. I tried to keep an open mind and assumed he was simply being friendly. And at first, it was just a normal conversation.
Until the questions started getting a little more personal.
“Are you a couple?”
No.
“Oh, you’re not? So you’re single?”
Then came:
“You’re so beautiful.”
And finally:
“If you want, I can give you a ride around the island tomorrow.”
No wonder my gut feeling was telling me not to travel solo in Samoa
Again, maybe he was harmless. But when you’ve travelled alone as much as I have, you start recognising when a conversation is heading in a direction you don’t really want it to go.
And there’s something about this whole situation that honestly makes me furious.
Because here’s the thing: I wasn’t even travelling alone. I was with a male travel buddy. And yet, the moment this guy realised we weren’t a couple, the conversation suddenly became about whether I was single.
That really says something about the reality women have to navigate in this world.
Sometimes, it feels like men don’t back off because they respect a woman’s boundaries — they back off because they realise another man is already with her. And in some situations, it can feel as though the presence of another man is respected more than a woman’s own boundaries.
I hate even having to write that. But after travelling to so many countries and spending so much time travelling alone, I’ve seen enough to know that we can’t ignore this.
When you’re a single woman, there are unfortunately men who seem to interpret that as an invitation rather than simply a fact about your life.
And that’s exactly why I think women need to be able to trust their instincts. You don’t have to wait for someone’s intentions to become obvious before deciding that a situation makes you uncomfortable.
Trust Your Gut
I absolutely loved Samoa. In fact, I’d go as far as saying it’s one of the most beautiful and underrated countries I’ve ever visited.
But would I recommend it for your first solo trip as a woman? No.
Especially if you’re still a relatively inexperienced solo traveller, I think there are easier destinations where you can build your confidence without having to navigate as many situations that make you question whether you’re comfortable being alone.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit Samoa. Quite the opposite. If anything, I think more travellers should put Samoa on their bucket list.
Just be honest with yourself about the kind of trip you’re looking for, pay attention to your surroundings, and most importantly, always trust your gut.
Mine was telling me not to go alone — and after everything that happened, I’m very glad I listened.
Final Thoughts: Should Women Travel Solo in the Pacific Islands?
If you’ve been reading this article because you’re dreaming of exploring the Pacific Islands, I really hope my stories haven’t put you off visiting.
I could have easily left these experiences out and written a much more comfortable article about how beautiful the Pacific is. But I don’t want to do that. I think it’s my responsibility to share my experiences honestly and without sugar-coating them, especially when I’m writing for other women who might be considering travelling there alone.
At the same time, I really hope none of this makes you cancel your plans to visit these incredible countries.
Tonga, Samoa and Fiji have all been incredibly special places to explore, and I genuinely believe the Pacific is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. 🌴🌊 I’d even go as far as saying that the people of the Pacific are some of the kindest I’ve met in my travels.
Such amazing people in this part of the World
If you’re wondering which of these islands I’d recommend for solo travel, I’d personally start with Fiji, especially if you’re newer to travelling alone. Tonga and Samoa are incredible too, but I’d feel more comfortable recommending them to more experienced solo travellers or people travelling with someone else.
But I also think we can hold two things true at the same time.
A place can be absolutely beautiful and still present challenges for women travelling alone.
And when you’re travelling as a woman through relatively isolated island nations with cultures and social dynamics that may be very different from what you’re used to, there are realities that shouldn’t be ignored or brushed aside.
So if you’re planning a solo trip to the Pacific, I’m not here to tell you “don’t go.” I’m here to say go informed, trust your instincts, choose your destinations carefully, and don’t be afraid to change your plans if something doesn’t feel right.
The Pacific is absolutely worth exploring. Just make sure you’re looking after yourself while you do it. 🌺
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