Reviews

When old friends showed up and invited us to join them on a helicopter ride over the Big Island, I could not gracefully refuse, so put aside my fears and climbed aboard. Even though we live here, we could not have imagined how beautiful, interesting, varied and mind-boggling Hawaii Island is from the air. Our pilot, Jason, was extremely professional, engaging, informative, and always thoughtful of folks living below. We saw lava vents and flows and coastlines that we'll never see any other way; it was truly fabulous!

Yes it's stupidly expensive money. But it's still the best thing I ever did. I ended up paying around $1,500.00 3 years ago. We did the long tour - first volcanos then a stop in Hilo for fuel - followed by the waterfalls. I thought the waterfall bit would be boring after seeing lava literally burst out of the volcano. I was wrong - waterfalls were totally cool. These guys are not the cheapest - but they provide a great show. We really loved it.

If you're staying in or near Waikoloa, look into it - this is an awesome experience. It is very pricey, but we were gifted with a very good pilot/guide (Jason) and the views are spectacular. We saw lava flows - and this is the only way to get near the lava as of this writing - as well as the jaw-dropping series of waterfalls and valleys up in the northeastern part of the Big Island. We saw a lot of whales right off of Hilo too (late February). Yes it's pricey, but my wife and I looked at it from a once-in-a-lifetime perspective, and we have no remorse. Jason gauged his audience really well, and was fairly well-versed in the various subjects that came up during the flight. Jason encouraged us to ask questions and wanted the flight to be very interactive - and it was. The only complaint I could come up with is that both my wife and I felt that the valley fly-throughs were so surreal and breathtaking, they're over so fast, that you really do feel like you've watched them, and not really lived them - more of a cinematic experience than a visceral one. If you want to really let a particular area soak in, I think you would need to experience it differently (although best of luck getting to some of the places we saw... it looks like treacherous bush-whacking to me). At the price this costs, I was happy with our pilot. I don't know if you can ask for them by name, but I suggest you try to get on Jason's schedule.

This is a very expensive tour, but we decided that it would be our one big splurge for this vacation. We took the "Big Island Spectacular", which is the tour of the entire island, and opted to go in the Eco-Star because it has more window space and we thought the view would be better. We wanted to get great pictures. What they don't tell you is that the view is only better if you are sitting in one of the two front seats. My husband and I were seated on the right rear, and we couldn't see much out the front at all. To make matters worse, the pilot was narrating what he saw out the front and to the left - where he was sitting. We couldn't see any of what he was talking about at all. He did turn the craft around a few times to try to give us a view as well, but not long enough to get good pictures out the side window. We were limited to taking pictures out the little side window because the guy sitting beside the big window up front had light colored pants on, and all our pictures have the reflection of his pants in them. We couldn't see the waterfalls on the trip up the coast by Hilo becuase we only flew one way, and we couldn't see out that side of the copter past the other folks who crowded into the left side window to get their pictures. We thought at least we could buy the video of the trip to see what we were missing, but they said their equipment malfunctioned and the video disc was blank. They did give us one of their advertising CDs which has bits of all their tours on it. In summary, I would advise not to waste your money unless you know you will be sitting up front. Those will be the people who say that the tour was awsome.

We booked the "Big Island Spectacular" via the Internet, which is the tour of the entire island, and opted to go in the Eco-Star because it has more window space and we thought the view would be better. Speaking as someone who spent 10 years cabbing around in helicopters in the Army I can say that the pilot was excellent. We toured the whole island and saw lava flows, active vents and wonderful waterfalls. He went out of his was to ensure that everyone got to see the best view of the various features by circling both left and right. Only shame is that that don't run this trip from Hilo as we had to drive to the other side of the island for it. Would recommend this trip budget permitting. Also bought the DVD of the trip which we have watch a few trips since we have come back to remind ourselves of what we saw. We did a similar tour but different company from Las Vegas and this far outstrips that in both what we were shown and cost. Las Vegas was a rip off.

We decided we didnt want to drive here there & everywhere,using up our precious days, so splurged on the Big Island Spectacular trip with Blue H - they had a place right by us in Waikoloa. Yes it was pricey, but we felt worth it for the memory we have and what we saw. Our pilot, Scott, was super, a good pilot and tried to show all passengers everything, turning the aircraft around many times so each person got a good view. It is indeed done on weight - i sat in front with a guy who had 2 friends with him, from Texas and they had back seats with my boyfriend. My bf did say i had the better view but he still loved what he saw, however do wear dark clothing, we did, but some didnt, and yes it does come out on photos. they do tell u before u come along for your flight. We saw the crater rim of the volcano, cant fly directly over it. We saw some lava tubes and lava going into the sea. We flew through the valleys and saw the most amazing waterfalls, ones i cannot imagine you could access by foot. If you want to see it all in one 2 hour trip, then this is the trip for you. We bought the $24 dvd too, its a good memory. Jane & Paul London

I have lived in Hawaii since 1983 and have never taken a helicopter ride. I finally decided to see things from a different perspective. My tour began at Blue Hawaiian's Waikoloa base. My pilot was Chad and he was an excellent pilot. We lifted off and made our way over the Saddle Road that goes between the two tallest mountains on the planet (as measured from the sea floor). Coming around the North side of Mauna Loa we crossed over the 1984 lava flow from Mauna Loa and then made our way to the summit of Kilauea the worlds most active volcano. It was a little bit voggy that day, but you could see the 2 mile wide caldera of Kilauea and the half mile wide Halemaumau, home of Madam Pele the Goddess of Fire! The next part of the trip was over uncharted territory for me. I have only seen Puu O'o from the ground, witnessing the eruption in 1986 when lava was fountaining 1200-1500 feet in the sky. I was in awe at the size of the vent, we saw another helicopter flying near the cone and it looked tiny compared to the vent. I was also amazed to see lava flowing at the bottom, way too cool. After Chad made several passes both on the right and left side of the copter making sure all had a view, we then flew past the TEB vent and saw the long lava tube. Chad looked for a skylight and found one so we could see the 2100 degree lava coursing its way to the ocean. Way cool! Next it was on to the ocean entry at Kalapana! It was simply spectacular looking at the now clear blue skies, the huge steam plume from the lava entry and seeing the red lava flow into the ocean. The water was boiling from the heat etc! Chad spent a lot of time here allowing both sides of the copter to get a nice view. The next part of the trip took us over to Hilo to refuel. We were on the ground maybe 15 minutes and we loaded back up. Chad kept mentioning how the next part we would really be doing some fun flying. I was excited to see the valleys that I have spent much time on the ground exploring from the air but really had no idea what I was about to see. We made our way along the Hamakua coast and saw lots of greenery and then off in the distance I could see the majestic valleys of Kohala Mountain. Our first fly over was the mile wide Waipio Valley, Chad circled around a bit so we all could get a view and then we headed to Waimanu Valley. Chad flew the copter right towards the 2000 foot walls of Waipio and up and over to the Waimanu. We flew into the valley and then headed to the first waterfall which is 1080 feet high. It was breathtaking to see but I was about to come face to face with the Waihilau Falls which is over twice that tall at 2600 feet high! Chad came in low and then circled up and and came in from high, it is mind blowing that I have never seen or heard of these waterfalls! The scale is difficult to comprehend, Chad gave us some perspective though flying into these amphitheater valleys, he said were flying at over 100 mph and we seemed like we were creeping along!! Next we flew to the very back of Waimanu over into some valleys deep into the mountain, here the top of the valleys reached into the clouds and the waterfalls seemed to come from the sky?? WOW. At the very top of one of these gigantic waterfalls we some some hikers at the very top, they gave us some Aloha and waved at us as we flew by!!! We then flew out of the valleys and headed up and over Hawaii Preparatory and headed back to base, I think my jaw was on the ground because of what I saw. There is no way to see these places unless you take a helicopter, so make sure you take the Big Island Spectacular!!!! The tour is two hours long and cost around $465 but it is worth it. If you would like to see my photos go to http://bit.ly/b3jzrx

We booked our trip with the hotel concierge the day before our trip. It was kind of spur of the moment to decide to go. We had done the helicopter trip with a different company several years back, but were disappointed that day because the afternoon clouds limited what we could see. This time we went on the 7AM trip and shazammm! It was glorious. Clear blue skies and great views. The FAA has imposed a 500 foot limit on how low they can fly over the volcano. This does restrict how close you get to the lava tube sky lights. The staff was very cordial, including the lady who picked us up at the hotel at 6 in the morning. Our pilot/guide Scott did a great job describing what we were seeing and giving us the background to go with it. He seemed genuinely interested in making sure we had a good experience, and we did. Don't where light/white on the trip. It will reflect into everyone's photos. It is pricey but worth every penny if you can spare it. They offer a DVD of your trip for $25. We didn't buy it so have no recommendation.

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!