Our pilot Brody was excellent.The views were amazing. The take off and flight were done very professional and would recommend this as a must do. We saw whales and landscapes that are untouched. Sacried areas and craters,waterfalls... Was speechless as the beauty was like nothing I have ever seen before.
Yes, it is expensive but you will not see any better views of Kauai.Though we had driven to Waimea Canyon, it sure looks different from above! It is also one of the only ways to see the north coast of Kauai, the Napali Coast - the other is from a boat. A little cheesy when you first take off and the theme from "Hawaii 5-0" is playing, but stay with it. Ask to be seated in the front seat, next to the pilot - it's a much better view. Barrett was our pilot, and he was very good. You can also purchase a personalized DVD of your flight, if you want.
We booked this tour with concierge at our hotel.. booked for the morning. When we got to the site, I was told I could not bring my purse or glasses case... then told I could not bring my camera case on the helicopter and to top all that off, not allowed to use my IPAD mini as a camera. My question to them was, " why don't you let use know all the rules BEFORE we book?" I do understand a need for rules but they should be up front and honest.. We are paying big bucks for this tour and deserve to have the info. It was a very nice flight and Shane was a friendly guide and pilot. I am a rule follower but expect the rules to be up front! There was a locker or the car where I could store my purse and Ipad ... didn't feel very comfortable doing that as I know things can be taken from cars... could have put it in the safe at the hotel before I came..
Blue Hawaiian is an outstanding operation......safe, efficient, competitively priced and THE best way to see the wild island of Kauai. We were able to reserve on line from home. We were discretely "weighed in" and were required to attend a safety program prior to the flight. There were six people on our tour. Our pilot was Shay, a transplant from Tennessee with the most calming and soothing voice that anyone with any sense of nervousness would be immediately at ease. Passengers were given microphones which enabled them to talk to the pilot and hear his narrative. Shay's personal music playlist was awesome.....a mix of contemporary but relaxation-inducing music that again calms any pits in the stomach. He should market it! The tour lasted a bit under an hour and the views were indescribable. We were fortunate enough to have great weather so as to be able to fly over an ancient volcano crater that is usually covered by clouds. Dark t shirts were provided to passengers wearing light colored clothing so as to reduce the glare from the windows which will show up in your photos. Unfortunately, the glare of the man's light colored shorts and knees sitting in front of me did appear in several of my pictures. Suggestion......perhaps a dark cloth over legs in the front seats would help.
This was tops on my son's list of things to do so we lucked out on a beautiful, sunny day and took the helicopter ride. It was easy to book, they were flexible in moving our time (7am was a bit early for us) and our pilot was fantastic. We requested a seat next to the pilot for my son and they were very accommodating. I would recommend a late morning tour, when the clouds have dispersed, for the best views. You cannot fully appreciate the beauty of the island any other way. We felt very safe, appreciated the eco friendly policies and had a great time! My daughter and I both felt a bit motion sick about halfway into the tour so warning, if you get queazy to take something or chew mint gum on the tour. They do provide bags on the helicopter, and a guy in our group needed it but not the most pleasant for the rest of us! I would highly recommend this tour and this company!
Our family had never been on a helicopter tour prior to riding with Blue Hawaiian. What an experience! Our pilot, Marty, was a fantastic pilot and guide. The tour was the best way to get a view of the entire island. We took the tour early in our vacation and it helped us decide what we wanted to do for the rest of our trip. We picked Blue Hawaiian over the other companies because of the high rating in Trip Advisor, a recommendation from our tour book and the fact that they have the most modern helicopters. I sat in the middle in the back row and still had a relatively unobstructed view during our flight. Although it was expensive, we booked ahead on their website and saved money. It was well worth the cost.
This is an amazing way to see the big island - "The Big Island Spectacular" tour (2 hours) allowed a unique view of the currently erupting Kilauea volcano, getting up close and allowing multiple views from all angles. Also enjoyed seeing the other volcanoes, highlands and the amazing lush north coast with its unbelievable topography and waterfalls. It was truly spectacular. Eric was a fabulous pilot and extremely knowledgable guide. Appreciated the attention of the whole company to safety and proper process.
This was an amazing way to see the island. During our tour we saw lava, humpback whales and the landing at Punululu falls was the icing on the cake. A special thanks to our pilot Shane, for a wonderful tour with breathtaking views.
An awesome trip with a huge amount of sites. Our second day in Hawaii and definitely worth it to see more than just Waikiki. Loved flying over Pearl Harbour and seeing the USS Arizona from above.
Best gift to self - ever. A great tour of Oahu by Adam, our pilot. He's very knowledgeable and answered all our questions. I am a big asker of questions and was glad to hear his answers. He was up on all things Hawaiian that we discussed, including nature, geography, geology, military, energy sources, sights on and off limits to tourists, local cuisine, flora and fauna.
After some initial hesitation about going for a helicopter ride, a couple we met at our resort recommended that request Ian Robinson as our pilot. We booked a trip but since it was several days in advance we had time to back out, given our nervousness about being in a helicopter. I am so glad we didn't cancel because this ride turned into one of the highlights of our vacation to the amazing island of Hawai'i. First, Ian was wonderful. Very professional yet jovial and playful; knowledgable but not "canned". He was very attentive to our nervousness about being in the helicopter, but didn't make a big deal of it. Ian made it feel like my friend was flying me around in his helicopter. Not "tour guide" cheesy, but knowledgable and narrative. Great soundtrack too! Next: the sights; I don't have the words to describe the beauty. All the clichés come to mind: awe inspiring, life altering, makes you feel insignificant. All of those and more. The water, the lava, the waterfalls, the cliffs, the valleys, the rainforest - pictures and videos cannot capture the feeling of seeing this.
$845 for 4 adults but worth every single penny. The best visuals we had in our tours of 6 of the 8 Islands. A lifetime memory. If you are twice blessed, you will have Brody as your pilot. Aside from being a magnificent aviator, he is also native born and extremely knowledgeable about Kauai. If you have to, skip a few meals to afford this attraction. It really is worth the sacrifice.
This was our first helicopter ride ever but Pilot Geoffrey made us feel so safe and comfortable. His calm demeanor worked wonders on this "nervous newbie" plus his knowledge of his home Island was invaluable. The whole experience was so amazing, that my husband and I were both moved to tears; we felt so close to heaven! We also recommend you get the video of your experience. Since returning home, we have enjoyed it several times and shared it with our family who were not with us in Kauai. It's new every time we see it! Thanks again to the Blue Hawaiian ohana!
Wonderful Experience. I did my research online and Blue Hawaiian Helicopters was has highly rated and now I can see why. They were very organized and professional. Our pilot was very well skilled with many years of experience. This was my wife's first experience in a helicopter and he made her feel more at ease. This was the highlight of our honeymoon.
Our extended family group of 7 from NZ and the UK did this tour. From the outset, Blue Hawaiian were reassuring, organised and efficient. The staff were extremely pleasant and professional. The safety briefing was thorough but reassuring. Our lovely pilot - Miguel - again assured of his experience and background and the background music was a nice distraction for the nervous flyers! My youngest son and I were seated in the front and our view was outstanding. It was a first helicopter flight for my sons and it was a real highlight of our Hawaiian holiday. The scenery is outstanding and the Napali coast is truly awe-inspiring. It was a great bonus to have several whale sightings from the air too. What a beautiful island - we loved it. Could not recommend more highly. Just do it...