Reviews

We debated for quite some time to try to justify the cost for this excursion. It exceeded our expectations. We were lucky enough to get our own Helicopter (Eco-Star) and we all had window seats. We took the Big Island Spectacular, which took us over the volcanoes, water falls and various valleys of the island. We flew for more than two hours, including a stop in Hilo for refueling. The pilot, Dave was great and interacted with our son and daughter throughout the flight. The ground staff were great as well and were very friendly and addressed us all by our first names.

This was just about the most amazing experience I've ever had! We rode the A-Star helicopter on the Kohala Adventure which was around an hour long. We watched a quick informational video before we were led out to the helicopter. All the staff we met were beyond friendly and made us feel totally at ease. Our pilot, Chad, was so incredibly nice and offered to take our picture in front of the helicopter before we even boarded. He helped us each into our seats individually, made sure we could see and were comfortable and knew where everything was around us. Once we took off he told us interesting facts about the areas we were flying over and made conversation with each of us making it very comfortable and interactive. The valleys we flew into were breathtaking, literally. There was an audible gasp as we rounded into the first one from the passengers. We saw so many waterfalls, it was unbelievable. The pilot made several passes to be sure we could all see everything there was to see. I really appreciated that he would tell us to look to our right or left when there were other waterfalls, cabins, etc. It was helpful considering how much there was going on around us all at once. I sat in the back near a window and my friend sat beside me in one of the inside seats but we could easily see out in all directions. Seating was based on weight of the passengers so we didn't choose and there's no first come, first served, but it seemed to me all seats were good ones. Recommendations: - Wear dark clothes (shirts and shorts) so as not to create a glare on the windows. - Bring your camera / video camera. Video tape you and your friends reactions - especially to the first trip into the valley - If you get motion sick - and even if you don't! - you may want to consider some motion sickness pills before hand. I've never been motion sick in my life and felt pretty queasy. - Take off your sunglasses! It's bright but the colors are out of this world! - Interact with the pilot, use the microphone! Your audio will be in the DVD too! - Buy the DVD! At $25 it was so worth it. So amazing!

My husband and I were lucky enough to get on to a Big Island Spectacular tour on Christmas Day, booked on Christmas Eve. We were given all the instructions over the phone, directions and check-in time, etc. and so were all set for a 6.15am check in and 7am start. Apart from we were so complacent that we missed the turn we needed and went about 30 mins out of our way. Thinking that we would miss the check-in and therefore the flight and money we got there at roughly 6.50am and were SO RELIEVED that they had no qualms in letting us continue; giving us a separate safety briefing and being so nice amid our 100 apologies! We had booked a trip on an A-Star helicopter and were flown by the pilot, Scott, and were with one other family of 4. Scott was an absolute star and really made the trip interesting and informative, ensuring we all got a look at the lava skylights and waterfalls, no matter which side of the helicopter we were on. It could be one of those experiences where repetition makes the tour narration boring or impersponal but not on this tour and we couldn't speak highly enough of Scott and his knowledge of the island, facts and figures, glimpses of history and the technical aspects of flying which my husband was particularly interested in. The views of the waterfalls and going over the ridge lines where the land drops away from under you is so exhilarating and we felt solucky to be able to see so much more of the island that you just cannot reach by any other means. We knew that each tour produced a DVD that you could purchase but didn't realise until we almost landed that Scott had been selecting the best footage from cameras both outside and inside the craft for the DVD. So, all in all he had been flying the helicopter, giving us a guided tour packed with interested information, answering our questions, making radio calls ahead and selecting the camera footage from a multitude of cameras - amazing! All the staff contributed to making this a fantastic experience, from accommodating our terrible timekeeping, checking us in and making sure we had everything we needed, performing the safety checks, offering to take pics of us in front of the craft and flying the helicopter. It all went towards being a great Christmas monring treat. Mahalo!

We took the Kohala Coast Adventure on the Eco Star. It was excellent! Our pilot was knowledgeable but didn’t have much personality. We flew into the valleys and saw fantastic waterfalls. He was very good about making sure everyone was able to see the views. There were only 4 of us on the flight (it seats 6 besides the pilot) so we all had a window seat. The tour was about 45-50 minutes long – we flew down the coast past beautiful cliffs, valleys, and waterfalls. It’s awesome to see Hawaii from this viewpoint. We had seen it from the sea on a boat but this enables you to go places you can’t go otherwise – the lushness of the area, how green it is, and the absolute beauty of this island makes it worth it to take a helicopter tour.

Best attraction I've ever done in Hawaii... Bar none! Our pilot Scott was friendly and knowledgeable.

Never been on a helicopter ride until this one. If you're deciding whether or not to take a helicopter ride in Hawaii, think no further. It's totally worth it. It's amazing on land and even more amazing in the air. We did the Kohala Waterfall tour and I would recommend it. That said, my experience overall is fairly mixed. The tour and pilot was great. The staff was courteous and professional but there were a few things I was disappointed in. As a photographer, I wanted to capture some of the sights of our flights but I was assigned to sit in the back, which would have been fine, however the passenger in the front was wearing a bright yellow shirt. Blue Hawaiian recommends people wear darker clothing as to avoid reflections from the window but unfortunately, they don't enforce it. What was worse is that the DVD of our flight was pretty poor quality. It looked like it was shot with an older video camera. With HD cameras so readily available and cheap, they really need to replace their current ones. My camera takes HD video but unfortunately, I kept getting a lot of reflection from the front passenger who was wearing yellow. Save your money and don't bother getting the DVD.

We did a 2hour 7am flight on the A star helicopter. Well worth it! We were picked up and dropped off from our resort which was handy. We were allocated seats but were all sitting next to our respective partners. Our pilot Toshi was fantastic - knowledgeable, funny, interactive, and made us feel safe the entire time. We flew over the caldera of the volcano (AMAZING) and into the valleys with insanely huge waterfalls. All the time our pilot gave us information and the history of everything we were seeing, plus doubled back to ensure everyone on both sides had to opportunity to see/take photos. Great way to see the whole island and a must if you're wanting to experience a helicopter ride. We bought the DVD as it was personalised to our flight and covered the entire flight. Much thanks to Toshi for a great trip!

Ok, our first time up and this was the Big Splurge on the Big Island so we went all out on the Big Island Spectacular in the Eco-Star Helicopter. Unbelievable, to say to least, a flight of a lifetime. A smooth and beautiful ride and worth every penny. Our pilot was very professional and did a great job explaining the history and geology of the island. I did not know just how good of a job he did until we got home and played our DVD of the flight. If you do this, you really need to buy the DVD of your flight. It brings back all the great memories. We would do this again anytime.

Took the 2 hour Big Island Deluxe Tour, after touring much of the Big Island by car and realised that the only way to see all this amazing island has to offer is by air. Booked through the agent at our hotel in Waikoloa, and BHH phoned the day before to confirm the trip. I was picked up on time from the hotel for the short drive to the heliport for checkin, where a quick video safety briefing was provided. I felt very confident about the safety-consciousness with this company, and the quality of their staff and aircraft. All passengers are fitted with the personal lifejackets in belt packs,and the ground crew are very aware of the movements of helicopters and visitors. Our pilot was Noah, on one of the A-Star copters - which gave a very smooth ride, with excellent noise-reduction headphones, and good air conditioning. Noah was also reassuring throughout the flight, and gave an excellent commentary. The tour passed between the two main volcanoes, and then over the Hilo rainforest area, before turning south to Kilauea, where Noah knew where to find a red hot lava lake - he spent plenty of time circling the lava lake to ensure that all passengers could get a view and photos. We skipped a stop at Hilo as we didn't need a bathroom break and wanted to maximise air time, so we went straight over to the east coast for some glorious weather over the blue sea and tall cliffs, before arriving at Waipoa and the deep valleys and waterfalls in the north east corner of the island. Again, great commentary throughout, lots of patient flying (some steep turns) to enable everyone to get a great view, flying as low as 1500 feet. This is the only way to see some of these waterfalls, unless you are a serious hiker. Finally, a quick hop back over to Waikoloa to wait for an excellent value DVD (of our own flight, with the pilot's commentary and gyro-stabilising cameras), and the short bus trip back to the hotel. This experience will remain with me for life, truly well worth the money (I have often been put off short flights over Vegas, NYC, Niagara), and can't wait to return to Hawaii and do it all again. Tips: Where dark clothing (shorts are ok), to keep reflections down to improve photos, and you will need to leave all bags, hats, camera cases etc. in a store bag at the helipad - but no problem taking lots and lots of photos or video throughout the flight.

Our pilot, Coyote, was excellent and very knowledgeable. Our ride was smoother than I anticipated. It was awesome to see the Waipio valleys up close, which we would have not been able to do otherwise. The staff was very accommodating and we appreciated greatly that they allowed our parents to sit in the waiting area until we returned. The video was very good and records your entire conversation with the pilot. We would definitely recommend to others.

Took the 2 hour late morning flight on the eco-star helicopter. Colin was our pilot and did a good job - he shared a lot of facts about the history of the island and had a good sense of humour. I had the enviable co-pilot seat - however my right arm was continually pushing against the metal back of the seat next to me and I left the tour with a nice, dark bruise - ouch. Also, I never did locate the hand-held microphone to ask any questions - I think there was one for the front 3 passenger seats. I did find the first part of the flight over the barren landscape somewhat tedious and I felt myself getting a little sleepy - however, the actual volcano and waterfall areas were interesting and really...how else are you going to see these natural sights any other way. Unable to get nice clear pictures due to the glass on the helicopter. My husband and son seemed to enjoy it more than my daughter and myself - maybe it's a guy thing.

We were hesitant about doing the big island tour at first because of the money. However, if you can swing it, it is definitely worth it! Our guide was excellent and took the time to explain everything we were seeing along the way. I was on the outside seat and my husband was beside me in one of the middle seats. You are assigned a seat based on your weight. Although my husband didn't have a window seat, he still felt like he had great views. Our guide encouraged us to ask questions and was full of knowledge! We had been to VNP and not seen any lava so when we got to see lava from the helicopter we were thrilled. The best parts of the tour were seeing the lava and the waterfalls within the valley. However, I must say that even having taken a dramamine before the flight, I still managed to get motion sickness twice. It was nice to have a break during the flight to get out an stretch and use the restroom. The entire company seemed very professional and I always felt safe and in good hands.

We recently enjoyed a week's stay in Hawaii (traveling with family and friends), and thanked our hosts by treating the group to Blue Hawaiian's Kohala Coast Adventure tour. It was a great choice, enjoyed by everyone in the group (pre-teens through seniors). This is an approximately 45 minute flight departing out of Waikoloa. We considered Blue Hawaii's more expensive Volcano tour, but that tour only departs from Hilo (100 miles away) while this one left from the heliport that was all of 5 minutes away from our resort complex at Hilton's Waikoloa resort. The staff were friendly, and honored our friends' timeshare discount card, which effectively saved us even more over and above the advanced booking discount we'd already gotten by booking online with Blue Hawaiian. The shop staff was very friendly and organized. Yes, they do indeed weigh each passenger, but the process is discreet -- you stand on a scale which only the clerk can read, and she enters the numbers in the computer without anyone seeing/hearing. Keep in mind this process is for safety reasons: they need to calculate "weight and balance" so that the helicopters fly properly and safely. The staff were also observant in that they noticed one of our group was very tall, and they double-checked his name to ensure he was placed in a seat with sufficient legroom. We were a group of 9, and ended up being seated in 2 different helicopters. We bought the souvenir DVDs from each flight, and it is worth noting that while the pilots cover many of the same topics, and fly similar routes, they each have their own styles of interacting with passengers, and some of the locations visited varied slightly. The narrations aren't "canned" or memorized from a script. For both flights, we thought the pilot commentary was a great addition to the visual experience. The Kohala Coast tour begins along the arid side of the island where the landscape entails brown desert and the black lava flows stretch for miles, and then the helicopter climbed to the mountaintops where the climate changes dramatically, and suddenly everything is lush and green. It's a dramatic and abrupt scenery change. Before long we were flying in and above these amazing valleys with numerous waterfalls: It was truly breathtaking to be able to see these huge waterfalls from the various perspectives. Onward we flew to the coastline where cliffs overlook the deep blue water, waves are crashing, whitecaps splashing, and there are yet more waterfalls to behold... I think everyone was impressed. This was an experience to remember! I highly recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys flying and a bit of adventure. You'll be amazed at what you'll see. It is pricey, but well worth it if you can swing it. Fortunately the souvenir DVDs are reasonably priced and make a wonderful souvenir (they are filmed from your flight and include the "soundtrack" from whatever you heard/said through the speakers on the helicopter. Blue Hawaiian has multiple cameras mounted on each helicopter, and do a good job of splicing the various views to make for an interesting video. They have a system in place where you can take home your flight's DVD within about 30 minutes of landing.)

What a way to see an island! This company is absolutely top notch, from the ancillary staff, and the pilot, all the way to the helicopter itself, everything was perfect, friendly, exciting, and worth every penny. We saw all of the Big Island from the helicopter and there was not a bad seat in the house. They were able to linger at some of the best sites (lava, waterfalls, and incredible valleys), circling each way for all to enjoy. My 8 year old boy will never forget this! Thank you! I regret not booking this company in the subsequent visit to Kauai.

We took the 9:30 morning 2 hours flight as advised by 2 friends who have done this trip. The cost is not cheap but definitely worth it. We were lucky to sit in the front so we had a great view. The pilot made sure that everybody had enough time to look at the volanco and take photographs as he circled quite a few times. The pilot, Shean (?) is very knowledgeable, funny and extremely helpful. During the flight, passengers could ask questions and he was happy to give you detailed information and interesting stories. I was a bit scared about flying in big aeroplanes but I was not scared at all in the helicopter as the flight was very smooth and I felt reassured sitting next to the pilot. However, the pilot said it could get bumpy if the weather was bad. It applies to all flights and cruise, of course. It might be a good idea to ring the company up and ask if you need to take motion sickness medication if you know there will be bad weather coming. It was a wonderful, awesome experience and I highly recommend anybody to do it. Flight of a lifetime!