Reviews

We would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Julie was an amazing tour guide! This was our first helicopter ride ever and we are so glad we experienced this in Hawaii. We can't wait to come back and tour more islands soon!

As we had limited time and didn't want to waste it sitting in traffic or doing long tours of each attraction we decided upon a helicopter tour which takes about an hour and goes around the whole island. Julie our pilot was great explaining the different sites that we saw and when she spotted a humpback whale and its calf she circled so we all saw the spectacular display of them both breaching the surface. From the air we saw Waikki Beach, Diamond Head, the area that Jurassic Park was filmed, amazing landscapes, water falls ending with Pearl Harbour. This is a must especially if you have only short time on the island.

Both my wife and I were a bit apprehensive about flying in a helicopter, but that all went away the moment we lifted off. Our pilot, Marty, was experienced and the aircraft was smooth and comfortable. Marty pointed out so many points of interest as he flew us all over the island. Be sure to get the video of your flight when you're done. It's amazing.

This is not really a fair review from a helicopter tour standpoint as I am a photographer and have flown many aerial shoots and tend toward evaluating my experience from my shoots which is not fair. Blue Hawaiian is supremely professional and their building and staff are very nice. The EcoStar helicopter is as they claim...roomy, nice, smooth and quiet. It is a (6) passenger helicopter, two in the front next to the pilot and four in the back row. Their emphasis on safety has a calming effect I'm sure for most passengers. We flew on a morning which was rainy and grey but that is just the luck of the draw as Kauai gets a lot of weather. My wife enjoyed the flight which is all that really mattered to me. The duration of the flight was a little less than the stated duration of the flight by about 5-6 minutes. Doesn't seem like much but I notice these things because when I'm working on an aerial assignment, while still on the ground, the clock starts once the rotors start up and until the rotors shut down....so you tend to keep track of the time. So now the photo advice...if that is your primary goal, you have to sit up next to the pilot or at the very least, next to the window in the back row. Ask for a seat by the right window as the tour goes counter-clockwise around the island and the right passenger will get a better view. I was in one of the two center seats in the back row and your view is pretty obstructed. (think Fenway Park behind a post) They assign seats according to passenger weight in order to balance the helicopter and so you do not get to choose where to sit with this company. They recommend wearing dark clothing to cut down the window reflection which is always good advice but it is not enough for photography. We also went in the morning (9:00 a.m. flight) which is not the best time for the Napali Coast which I consider to be the highlight of the flight. At that time, it is kinda back lit which is not great lighting and has higher contrast. I believe flying with the sun higher in the sky would give better lighting for most of the views during the tour. Another helicopter company (which I won't name) does offer VIP seating in the front next to the pilot for additional $ but I wasn't sure if it would be worth the cost. And a different helicopter company will put you out in a smaller helicopter and take all the doors off for a "photo flight." This also costs more (I think about $100 more) This is probably the ideal route to go for a photographer intending to capture photos that he/she will be happy with. It costs more and you will still have to fly with 3 other shooters who are all going to be attempting to direct the pilot in order to get the views they want but still better than a 'no-view' seat and moderate to severe reflections. Please take these comments with a grain of salt...this is all coming from someone that gets to fly with the doors off and have the aircraft all to himself. Blue Hawaiian isn't claiming to do any of the things that I had hoped for and delivered on all of things you would expect of a professional helicopter tour. I'm just saying that if your goal is to get nice aerial images without chartering a helicopter just for yourself, these are some tips to keep in mind. Nothing but praise for Blue Hawaiian!

Lived up to all that the reviews promised and more. This was definitely a bucket list experience! Add it to yours. We even bought the video! There were five of us plus pilot Geoffrey. My husband and I were up front beside him. He recorded the whole 55 minutes including all our questions and his answers. It was a perfect day weather wise, and the views were spectacular, way beyond what I could capture on my camera (and honestly better than what was in the video, but it was so much fun to watch it!) also, for those of you who think this will be scary or bumpy or anything like that, Geoffrey's flying was smoother than a lot of car rides! Splurge and enjoy!

This was my first time to Hawaii. Also first time in a helicopter! The experience was wonderful!! I ranks up there with driving a race car around Charlotte Motor Speedway. Our pilot was Jeremy and he was great! Showing us the waterfalls and craters. We flew for 60 mins. When we where in the rain forrest it was raining! We saw a beautiful rainbow! Maui is definitely paradise!! Can't wait to go again!

We went on a November 30, 2015 Eco-Star helicopter ride over the Kohala Coast. It was an amazing experience and a highlight of our vacation to Hawaii. Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, although expensive, was worth every penny. The crew is professional and the views were unbeatable. We were provided headsets/microphone for inside the helicopter and we were able to see waterfalls, the coast of the Big Island, and beautiful valleys. Not sure how to compare the Eco-Star to other helicopters, but ours was roomy and we had plenty of photo taking opportunities through the glass. Loved it!

I was a little hesitent when I saw how much this flight was, but it was so worth it. Great pilot, and views, views views. Saw the volcano, lava flows waterfalls, valleys, etc etc,etc. Once in a lifetime stuff that you can't see from the ground.

Was able to view areas of the island inaccessible via car, hiking all within 2 hours. Weather was perfect and gave us great visibility.

My life has been pretty full of adventures, but this flight hands down beats them all. We zoomed up to lava flows and 2000 foot waterfalls, and it's incredible that they make a video of the whole thing. Can't wait to see my face when we nosed around Kilauea!!

My husband and I and our daughter and son in law took the Oahu ride. Our pilot was a retired Army Black Hawk pilot, named Loren. He was very informative and took time to answer any questions we had. He made sure that everyone got to see the sights, not just those seated on a particular side. I communicated with Blue Hawaiian by email and by phone. They were very helpful and prompt about answering my emails, which was nice since we were already on Oahu and time was a factor. It was such a nice way to get a feel for Oahu. Even though we had a rental car, we couldn't see the entire island. We ordered the DVD which has the actual conversation and video from our tour. Just an FYI. Our daughter was six and a half months pregnant and the motion of the helicopter made her a little uncomfortable. But, she is prone to motion sickness. If someone is, I would recommend the front seat. This is a very well run operation and quite enjoyable. If you book 5 days in advance you get a discount too.

I've been on several helicopter tours, but this was the best by far. The pilot was very familiar with all the sites around the island. Worth every cent I paid.

Brad did an excellent job of escorting us around Kauai and educating us with his tour guide knowledge. First class pilot and first class aircraft. Just do it.

We had a great flight around the island of Kauai! This is one of my favorite things to do. You get to see so much more of the island and also get some history from the pilot. One of my friends was almost speechless on the flight (which never happens!) Don't miss it!

A helicopter tour is one of the "must do" activities on Kaua'i and there are several options to choose from. My advice is to spend the extra money and go Blue Hawaiian... Our confirmed time was initially on Wednesday morning. We arrived and were in the process of checking in when the previous flights returned early--clouds had moved in spoiling the views and the flights were suspended. The people on those flights had the option to re-book or be refunded at their option, as did we. We re-booked for Friday and were treated to perfect weather and a beautiful flight. The helicopters are very modern, quiet, and very up to the task of managing the trade winds that swirl around the island--I never once felt "iffy" when we were under way in terms of vibration or turbulence. We had a very entertaining pilot as well. Although I haven't had a chance to view the video yet I am really looking forward to it--videos of your flight are available for purchase 15 minutes after you land, for $25.