The three ways to see the Na Pali coast are by sea, hiking or by air. On my family’s trip to Kauai I was fortunate enough to have been able to do both a zodiac boat tour and this eco helicopter tour (Kalalau trail is closed). Seeing it by air is a much superb experience with better views also you not only see the Na Pali coast you also see so much more of Kauai. Our pilot Marty was very personable and knowledgeable trying to make the experience as amazing as possible. We went on a somewhat cloudy day but it was completely worth it (especially seeing a rainbow across the Na Pali coast). When it comes to a helicopter go with the best and Blue Hawaiian is definitely the best!
My husband and I went on this trip yesterday and it was truly astounding. Our pilot, Beth, was knowledgeable, personable, and skilled. I highly recommend using this touring company. It has been the highlight of our trip!
We were crushed yesterday because our flight canceled! Boy do things happen for a reason. Our helicopter tour of the island with Beth as our pilot was amazing. The sights we were able to see because of how clear the sky was is spectacular. I believe I wore my phone out taking pictures and videos. My wife and I highly recommend flying with Blue Hawaiian. They were awesome!
Everybody thinks that the question regarding chopper tours in Hawaii is whether they're worth it. That's not the question. They are. The real question is whether you have the money to afford it. Cold hard capitalism. Sorry. Because if you do, get on board, quickly! Chopper tours are very expensive, whichever one you take, and there's plenty of choice, but wow, it is so cooooool. Someone will cry for the beauty you'll see during your flight. So, if you can fork out the money, do it. Costco has discount card for certain operators, so check that out. Blue Hawaiian is top of the bill. They flew Captain Jack Sparrow to that beach in the Napali Valley, the cast from Jurassic Park to that waterfall, and that's just their side-business. You are their main business. Our pilot Greg, was chill and showed up quietly around the island. The exact route depends a little on the weather, but we got to see pretty much everything. We made a nice lap clockwise lap form Lihue along the south coast, up Waimea canyon, over the west-side of the island, along the Napali coast, and then up one valley and right into the crater of Wai'ale'ale. Wow. Take a very well charged camera, an empty memory card, extra batteries, but do not forget to actually enjoy the views with your own eyes. Wear black clothes to prevent reflections in the windows. You do not want pictures of your reflection in the window. This is not the time for selfies. You want pictures of gorgeous Kauai. Excess bags can be stored in the nice, clean terminal. If you're prone to motion sickness, take something for it. You do not want to spend all that money and get a full barf bag for it. This almost happened to someone on our flight. Poor girl spend half the flight with her eyes closed. Take the pills. Seating is based on the weight of all members of your group as the chopper needs to be balanced, so you have no say in where you sit. There's two seats in the front, four in the back. The guy who was not next to a window looked just as stunned as the rest of us, so you don't need to worry about the views. Booking is best long ahead of time, because flights book up. However, if you do have a last minute itch, just call. You never know who cancelled. We were lucky and were able to book within 24h as some other trip got cancelled due to rough weather. Blue Hawaiian works well with the big and tall amongst us. If you are over a certain weight, they'll charge you half extra for a second seat (have I mentioned chopper tours are expensive?), but they won't sell the second seat and bump you like some other operators do. Call them and ask. They are friendly. At the end of the flight, they'll extort you again for a video which you will probably buy because you're so excited coming out of the chopper, but which you can leave. As it flips between different cameras on the chopper, it's less pretty than what you remember. To make it harder to say no, they'll put it on screen as you walk back into the terminal. These folks are better than Disney in robbing you blind while you're having great fun. Again, the question is whether you can afford this trip, not whether it's worth it.
We had an amazing helicopter tour of the island with a great pilot, Brian. Brian was very knowledgeable about the Island of Kauai, he had personally hiked many of the trails so he was able to add personal stories and experiences, and he was very friendly. We saw parts of the island that we had previously seen from land, Brian shared some history of the island, the tribes and the land owners, and the flight and the winds were very calm. Highly recommend the helicopter tour near the beginning of your stay on the Island of Kauai so that you may plan out the rest of your trip. You might also consider taking the flight tour at the end of the trip to see what you had experienced on the ground earlier in the week.
Okay so you’ve seen Kauai from the road driving yourself or with a tour. Maybe you’ve seen Kauai from a boat ride along the Na Pali coast. This is my second trip to Kauai and I’ve done both of the above, twice, but I did not really see Kauai until we did the helicopter ride yesterday! This is the best hands down experience of our month here. Fantastic, breathtaking views, magnificent and any like adjective applies to this ride. Our pilot was Kris and he was great at explaining not only what we were seeing but also how it came to be, so the history of Kauai in short explanations. He answered questions and made sure both sides of the helicopter had opportunities to see everything. You do not get to pick where you sit, that’s computer generated after you are privately weighed upon sign in. No worries though as the pilot turns the craft to ensure you do. I’ve been on helicopters in “dangerous” areas and have never had a scary experience which now includes this trip. It was windy and Kris was great at warning us when to expect a rougher ride. This was fantastic, I highly recommend it. Only items allowed on the flight are sunglasses and your camera or cell phone in your hand. No bags allowed but they do have free lockers. Best to wear dark clothing to lessen the reflection. Enjoy the ride!!!
We chose Blue Hawaiian based on the type of helicopter they use and the fact that they allowed kids as little as ours to join the tour. As a mom, I appreciated the fact that they try to place little kids by the window to give them the opportunity to see outside more easily. Anyone 3 and above needs to pay a full fare. Our 1.5 year old was a free-loader and sat in my husband's lap. We were initially a little concerned as there was some protesting involved when putting on the mandatory infant life vest and headsets on the baby, however once the vibration of the blades started, the baby fell asleep and slept the whole tour. The staff said that's what usually happens with little kids. And I do want to mention that the staff was very attentive to the kids (and us) - helped them with their headsets, helped the kids on the helicopter, buckled them, helped taking off the life vests after the tour, asked the 3 year old how he liked the ride etc. It was very sincere and we definitely appreciated the help. As far as the ride - it was done very professionally. Our pilot was Mark and he had lots of great info to tell about the sights and the island itself. He had answers to all of our questions and he was a very smooth pilot even on a windy day that we had. He turned the helicopter around on several occasions to allow everyone to see the falls and coastline from all angles (and all seats). We loved the sights, the information given and were lucky to have a sunny (though windy) day. And just as a little side note - we were sitting in the back row, seats #4, #5 and #6 and had no issues with seeing outside. Everyone on the flight was wearing dark clothing which definitely helped to reduce the glare for photos and the helicopter windows were spotlessly clean - not a speck of dust showing up in my images. :) Good job, cleaning crew!
The ECO star helicopter had great views from all seats. Our teenagers had the front whilst my husband and I had one side and one middle seat. Windows were large for great views. Our pilot Mark was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed the commentary. Felt it was a very professional and safe company. Recommend booking for early in your trip in case weather means you have to reschedule. This happened to us and we rescheduled for 3 days later. That was no problem for us, but would be if it was the last day of your trip.
I was a little worried about this because some of the reviews stating there are bad seats. There are NO bad seats, or maybe it depends on your pilot? We were seats 1 and 2 and there were people in the back. Our pilot was Jason and he made sure everyone in the helicopter got a good view of everything. He asked everyone repeatedly if they got a good look- even the child sleeping in the back hahaha. He hovered and turned the aircraft slowly and took his time. I was impressed, especially since he was running behind due to a mechanical issue. I would highly recommend this tour of Kauai. It was amazing and breathtaking. It is expensive, but, if you're able to afford it then DO IT. It is worth the cost.
First helicopter ride was smooth as could be. Good preflight check in. Pick up at the port included. Pilot Brian made this a wonderful experience. The weather was very good so we saw a lot. Very comfortable equipment. Looked to me to be the best of competitors available. We bought the video because your camera inside the craft just can’t capture the beauty.
We took the Kauai ECO Adventure Helicopter tour with BueHawaiian and Pilot Brian today - and still are excited. I never will forget the unforgettable views of Kauai and its amazing landscape. Highlights of the trip were Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon and the flight into the crater of the volcano. Brian was a very competent, cheerful pilot with great knowledge of the island. You could feel every second, that he loves the island and his job. The Ecostar helicopter was modern with a good view from every seat. Enjoyed every minute of it - and would do it again when I'm coming back to the island.
You have to do this. Great pilot and smooth ride. The headphones keep the sound low and make it easy to hear and talk to the pilot. Seriously one of the best things I’ve ever done. I wouldn’t take kids between 1-9 or so because they might get scared and then you couldn’t focus on the absolutely AMAZING scenery. The pilots knowledge of the area and history added so much to the experience too. He also made sure everyone got a good view of the important stuff. The cost was well well worth it.
We had a great flight with our pilot Miguel. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. We got to see the entire island. Thanks Miguel Steve
We were on the cruise ship Pride of America. I was looking to take a helicopter ride in Hawaii. I decided to take the one in Kauai and glad I did. Pilot Beth was great and she answered any questions that were asked. Her knowledge of the island was excellent. She flew right into the volcano great sight to see. Totally enjoyed this ride and would recommend Blue Hawaiian to anyone looking to take a helicopter ride in Kauai.
Seeing Kauai via a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour is breathtaking. We all know Hawaii is beautiful but seeing the waterfalls, canyons, cliffs and beaches from the air really brings home the beauty and majesty of this place. The pilot, Barret, was knowledgeable and fun.