This northernmost, and fourth largest, isle in the Hawaiian Archipelago is home to the wettest spot on Earth, Mount Waialeale. The breathtaking waterfalls that plunge to the valley below are created by more than 450 inches of rainfall each year. Sights such as these draw people by the score to take an aerial tour. But, there is another reason helicopter tours in Kauai are so popular: They tell a story about the island that cannot be told in any other manner.

One thing that is difficult for visitors to guess as they travel around along the ground is the agricultural layout of Kauai. Helicopter flights give the part of the story that bus and taxi rides cannot: It is estimated that about 97 percent of the island's land is used for agriculture and conservation. Even more incredibly, approximately 70 percent of the territory is not accessible by foot.

Although roughly half of the 113-plus miles of shoreline that rims the island is beach line, there's nothing like our Kauai helicopter flights to help beach combers appreciate the sandy surf in its true context. Even from a distance, guests can practically feel the soothing 70- to 80-degree water temperature and the spray of the Mount Waialeale waterfall they pass in the course of their helicopter tours. (In Kauai, the steady year-round temperatures keep the ocean perfect for swimming at all times.)

The point is a dip in the ocean or a walk along the beach doesn't tell the whole story. For more on our dazzling route around this gorgeous island, browse our "Tours" pages.