Kauai sightseeing at its finest

If one is to see any place in the world via helicopter, Kauai may well be the finest choice one could make. Kauai sightseeing has captivated both ancient and modern day explorers since the 1700s when Captain James Cook landed on this North Pacific island on his voyage to Alaska (1778).

The rewarding sights and sounds have inspired countless visitors with the island's singular beauty. Humorist Mark Twain christened the photogenic Waimea Canyon the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

Helicopter Kauai tours take in its sights

The warm, tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean help maintain a nearly perfect year-round temperature - perfect for tourists of Kauai, sightseeing its natural wonders.

Among those wonders are the island itself, which has risen up in an almost perfect circle shape above the ocean. Nearly half of its temperate shoreline is beach. This includes the heavenly Napali Coast. The 17-mile stretch of coastline, artfully shaped through thousands of centuries of wind and sea erosion, is punctuated with 4,000-foot cliffs, lush valleys, waterfalls and caves, tucked away near the sea.

The enviable weather spawns a diversity of plant life: kiawe trees, guava, eucalyptus, bamboo, pineapple and sugarcane, for example. The exotic mokihana vine and berry are found nowhere on Earth except this island. It goes without saying that the marine life - dolphins, monk seals, coral reefs and whales to name just a few - give visitors with a naturalistic bent their money's worth. Who wouldn't want to helicopter Kauai with these kinds of views awaiting them?