Reviews

I've taken this tour twice: first time 5 years ago, and again when I was there with my boyfriend a few weeks ago. Both times I was thrilled with the tour and amazed by the prehistoric-looking scenery before us. On my first trip I was placed in the second row (they seat you according to weight distribution) but this last trip I was in the front row next to the pilot. It's hard to describe the scenery so I'll post some pics. Our pilot, Nathan, was extremely experienced and also knowledgeable with stories of the history of the land we were flying over. We saw the Napali coast, places where Jurassic Park was filmed, sites where Johnny Depp filmed, and coves so hidden that they looked like no one had ever walked in the sand. This isn't for the faint-of-heart, as you will fly very close to jagged peaks and mountains, but you are not in danger. ALL the pilots are highly trained, and are the best on the islands. If you want to see the magic of Kauai, go for it by taking this 55-minute helicopter ride. Be advised though, it is not inexpensive (over $200 a person) and they charge you a fuel surcharge too. But you do get what you pay for!

This was, without a doubt, the highlight of our visit to Kauai. The entire experience was top-notch. We were greeted warmly when we walked in the door. We checked in at 7:15am for our 8am flight. We had to watch a 10-minute safety video, then we boarded vans for a 5-minute ride to the airport. Once there, we boarded the helicopter almost immediately. The helicopter was clean, nice, comfy, and looked brand new. Our pilot, Vince, was great. He narrated the flight, highlighting the points of interest along the way and teaching us a little about the history and geography of the island. We had a nice unexpected treat - seeing some whales just off the Napali coast. Vince flew us over for a closer look, and it was really something to see from above. Vince and all the staff were professional, very friendly, and just made us feel very comfortable. This was the perfect way to see the entire island in an hour. A truly unforgettable experience!

We enjoyed our 50 minute helicopter ride in Kauai immensely, but were disappointed in the DVD of the trip. They have a beautifully crisp and clear promotional video showing you all four Islands so we thought the one done of our trip would be the same quality. It's not. It looked like something recorded on an old VHS tape. We complained and they exchanged it for a copy of the promotional video, which is a much better buy. It won't be your exact trip, but it gives you enough of Kauai plus the other three Islands as well. Kauai is mostly inaccessible by road, especially in a rental car, so a helicopter ride is the only way you'll see many of the gorgeous waterfalls, forests, the Na'Pa'Li coast and the volcano. Blue Hawaiian operates the newest and best copters with big window views of the terrain and noise-cancelling headphones with two-way communications. Our pilot was humorous and informative. If you are lighter (as we are) your chances of getting the front seats, which are definitely the best, are better. Also note that you can save about $20 per person by booking on-line. Don't be afraid to ask your pilot to take another spin over a special spot - the volcano might be a good choice - since it seemed to us that they could have spared an extra 5 minutes on the flight.

This was truly breath taking. Very comfortable ride, nice people running this helicopter company, great pilot, Barrett, informative and personable. If you do nothing else on Kauai, do this, it is totally worth it!

We loved everything about the tour. Our pilot Chris was the best--funny, great narrator, calming; the views were spectacular; we got to see parts of the island we were never going to make it to otherwise. And multiple rainbows!

Let me start by saying that the operation is top notch, the only negative I experienced was air sickness. We flew with them on Kauai. The birds were new, clean and comfortable. Where you get to sit is the luck of the draw, but if you are a party of two and you get the inside back seats, it could be disappointing. Everyone said to wear dark shirts and I forgot and wore white – not smart as there is a glare. The scenery is beautiful – breathtakingly beautiful, what I did not count on was the motion in the air. I do not remember reading a lot about air sickness in the reviews, though it was many months ago that I did that research. There were six on our trip and 3 got sick, 2 of us pretty badly (two hours later still sick) though no one actually used the ‘comfort bags’. Flying starts off exciting, but for me, quickly turned into please do not spin, swoop, dive, turn, pivot one more time or I am going to die, which I expressed in tears. But – again – top notch operation and beautiful beyond words– just not for me :)

They will take you to places that are some of the most beautiful sites you will ever see!! I want to go again!

We were overwhelmed by the beauty of the flight. The time was a good hour and the views great. To se the Na Pali coastline up close was amazing. We were on a cruise that went along the coastline by boat. It was better from the helicopter. Well worth the money. Narration was interesting.

This is a great way to see the 90% of the island that the rest of the world never get's a chance to see. The staff at the office were pleasant and efficient. They got us to the helipad with no fuss. Our pilot and tour guide (Jimmy) was skilled and knowledgable, and put everyone at ease with his professional and laid back demeanor. The views of the island are wonderful... bring your camera, wear dark clothing (to avoid reflections from the canopy), and hope that the rest of the passengers on your flight wear dark clothing also. As it worked out, everyone on our flight was in darks, so photos turned out much better than if light colors had been worn. Also, if your camera will accept one, put a CP filter (circular polarizer) on the lens to further reduce reflections and enhance the colors that you capture. For those that have a little bit of fear... Just do it. Once airborne, you will be overwhelmed with scenes of beauty, and will forget your fears. Well worth the time and money. Expedia offers good savings if you book with them.

This was our first helicopter tour and it was even better than we had imagined. Informative and beautiful. Nathan was a great pilot and tour guide. Once we were on the ground we were ready to do it all over again as the hour went by so quickly. We booked online for the discount. Thanks for a great morning on Kauai!

I highly recommend Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours! When we got to the airstrip and we saw the Blue Hawaiian helicopters along with the helicopters from other touring companies, we quickly realized we'd made the right choice. Some companies provide tiny little helicopters with no doors. We spoke with someone who took one of those and, not only did they feel nauseated the whole time, they also felt pretty terrified! As always, we still felt a bit anxious about being in a helicopter, despite the fact that we've ridden them before. But with Blue Hawaiian, the helicopters are noticeably bigger and more sturdy than some others and they have doors! The whole outfit was very professional and our guide Jimmy had been flying helicopters for 45 years - that was a big comfort! We loved seeing the stunning beauty of Kauai and we enjoyed Jimmy's commentary, as well as the wonderful selection of music that he played. It helped to calm our nerves and distract us from our anxiety. Though Blue Hawaiian costs more, it is definitely worth it for peace of mind, safety and comfort.

This was absolutely the best excursion I have ever done on any vacation! First off, I felt extremely safe with our very experienced and knowledgeable pilot, Jimmy! Secondly, there are not enough “spectacular” adjectives available to describe the many magnificent vistas we saw on our 50 minute journey! The highlight definitely had to be flying through a 360° rainbow! Would I do it again: DEFINITELY!!!!

One of the best tour I took in Kauai. The helicopter had a glass bottom and glass all around so we got a great view. The flight was fantastic. Flying between valleys, the Waimea Canyon, the Napali coast. Could not see these views from the ground. Because of some bad weather we had to reschedule the helicopter tour twice but the tour was worth it.

We have taken heli tours in Moorea, Tahiti and the Grand Canyon and this topped them both. Our pilot Barret was excellent. Informative but not too chatty, great music with the Bose headphones, which was timed to the appropriate scenery. The chopper itself was state of the art, very comfortable and smooth and even on an inside seat the view plane was excellent. The tour was incredible with breathtaking views we would not otherwise have ever seen of the Na Pali Coast and the extinct volcano crater. We would jump at the chance to this again. Thank you Blue Hawaiian for one of the highlights of our trip.

The topography of Kauai's interior & Na Pali coast are unbelievable -- but cannot be accessed by car. That leaves you with only a few other options: (1) Helicopter tour - around $220/person (2) Boat tour - around $150/person (3) Kayak - around $150/person to Kayak the Na Pali Coast (4) Hiking - 22 miles round trip to hike the full distance of the Na Pali Coast ...but the helicopter tour is the only way to see the lush interior, much of which is owned by a single family (the Robinsons) and they do not allow hiking on their property. For instance, if you want to see the waterfall from Jurassic Park, you have to take a helicopter tour. We selected Blue Hawaiian because of the reviews offered in the "Kauai Revealed" guidebook which you should definitely have with you at all times: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018/ref=dp_ob_title_bk We booked our trip for the 8am tour. Here is the most important information that I can provide you: the guidebook says that you want to sit in the front, or at worst on the right side of the helicopter. This is 100% ACCURATE. Unfortunately, you cannot request seating with Blue Hawaii. The helicopter seats 6 people and they distribute the weight on the helicopter based upon a computer program that I still cannot figure out. I was originally under the assumption that the lighter people would sit in the front with the pilot. This is not the case because my wife and I were definitely the lightest couple on our tour and we did not sit in the front. When our helicopter landed and the next group boarded, I saw a rather robust couple being led the front of the helicopter...so who knows how it works. Here is how the seating works: Seat #1 & 2 = 1st place seats -- you are up front with the pilot and get a front shot of all of the amazing views. Seat #3 & 4 = 2nd place seats -- you are on the right side of the helicopter behind the couple sitting in the front. The helicopter flies in a clockwise route around the island, so the best sights are viewed from the right side. This is where my wife and I sat on the tour. Seat #5 & 6 = 3rd place seats -- you are on the left side of the helicopter behind the pilot. You will find yourself trying to look out the right side window often, but the pilot does try to turn the helicopter to the left side so that they get views of the amazing sights as well...but when the pilot has to verbally say "Ok, I am now going to turn the helicopter so that the people on the left can get the same view" -- confirmation that the left side is the 3rd place seats. The views from the tour are amazing. There are many parts of the island that you can only experience through helicopter. In my opinion, if you are paying the money to experience Kauai then you HAVE to take a helicopter tour just to experience the full beauty of this island. It is worth the money because you have no other option available to you to see the majestic views that Kauai offers...and you do not want to leave the island without seeing all that the island has to offer. I am giving Blue Hawaii 5 stars because: (1) You have to view the island by helicopter (2) They were the company we selected I did not take a 2nd helicopter tour so I cannot compare it to other outfitters. However, if I had an extra $600 to spend, then I would look into the 65 min tour on Jack Harter with "doors off" and only seats 4 people. Or I would look into the Jack Harter 95 min. tour that is $375/pp. At the end of the day, the tour companies appear to fly similar patterns around the island so I have to imagine that they are all comparable to each other. The Blue Hawaii helicopters are supposed to be the most comfortable -- so if most of the tours are the same, and the only variable is the comfort, then you should select Blue Hawaii #1. If you want a different experience (ie: doors off on a smaller helicopter) then you should look into a different company. Hope this helps!!