After carefully researching helicopter tours on the Big Island of Hawaii, we chose to take the fire and water tour with Blue Hawaii. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every cent. It started with a very professional ground crew who were all the very nice to us and concerned with our safety. Our pilot, Tim, was very cordial and extremely knowledgeable about the area. We had 5 in our party and everyone had a great view out of the helicopter. I would recommend this tour which was out of Hilo to anyone that wanted an up close view of the Kilauea volcano eruption which can no longer be reached by car since the Chain of Craters road was covered by lava a few years back.
Thought the trip on the big Island was amazing. This one was so much better. Totally fabulous. What a trip. Vincent was extremely professional, fun and very knowledgeable. Bryan well ....... what can we say. An asset to your Company. Thank you all
My husband and I went on this tour in early March 2013. I was rather apprehensive about it since I have a fear of heights, but really if you just focus on the beautiful scenery and listen to the soothing music, it helps tremendously. Nathan was our pilot and hearing that he flew Black Hawks for 13 years also put my mind at ease. This really is the best island for a helicopter tour and it's well worth the expense. Nathan shared interesting facts and history as we flew. The view as as amazing as you would imagine. I do have a few complaints which prevent me from giving this experience 5 stars: When you get to their office, there is no sign in the parking lot and we were quite unsure we were in the right place in spite of our GPS's instructions. Even when we began walking around the shopping center, it took us awhile to spot their office. Better signs would really help! Once we found it, we found that the office was very disorganized. People who were waiting for their flights milled about with people who had just come off a flight and were waiting for their videos. There were two counters and no signs indicating which one to go to for check in and no one welcoming us or pointing the way. It was crowded and the outdoor bathrooms were crowded and not very nice. I think a better location would be more suitable. Because their office is not at the airport, you have to take a shuttle with other customers to the airport and back. This ends up taking more time out of your day. On our trip there were 5 full helicopters departing at once which led to some confusion as they got everyone organized. They seem to have that part down pretty well though and the wait was only a few moments. I was disappointed that i didn't get to see whales or mountain goats on our tour, though many people do and or course that is a matter of luck. There were a couple of whales which some people in the helicopter were able to see, but I couldn't see them from where I was sitting. I was really thinking we would see Hanalei Bay and Princeville, and I was looking forward to that since I knew we would not be driving there on this visit, but the pilot turned inland right before we got there so we didn't get to see those areas. The beaches that we did get to see were breathtaking. The glare from the helicopter windows is even more of a problem than I expected after reading about it in our travel book. It caused us to have to expend a tremendous amount of energy adjusting camera angles to try to defeat the glare. That caused me to miss seeing other things. I still lost about half of my pictures due to glare even though I have a very nice camera. A doors off tour would eliminate that problem and I might work up my courage to try that next time! In spite of those problems, I found it to be a very spiritual experience, marveling at the creation on this beautiful island!
Third time is a charm. Flight cancelled twice due to poor visability. Although we were disappointed, grateful not to waste money looking at clouds. Saw other copter companies doing tours, or heard the copters but couldn't see due to clouds. Such a professional, accomadating company, from front desk staff to the pilots. Our pilot was Vincent who was a 20 year flight instructor for military. Loved that since it helped us feel so secure. He was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The soothing music playing throughout our tour helped add to the ambiance and calm the nerves. So worth it since in Kauai 90% of island is not developed and only way to see. Don't let the rain deter you. We took off in a mini shower and other sides of the island were very visible. The rain made so many more amazing waterfalls and rainbows. The office is located in a little plaza near airport. A few restaurants and little gift shops are in the area. Pretty central. A video of your personal tour is available as each copter has 4 cameras for $25. We bought it; only a ten minute wait while they copy the DVD. They have an interior camera as well with audio, so you can see yourselves at times and hear your actual flight and questions. A reasonable price for a once in a lifetime event. Book online for a discounted price, you can still move flight within 24 hours or cancel. Not really expensive for a 45 minute flight compared to the other pricey tings to do on the island. I had an interior seat, but due to so many glass windows, still amazing views. Very effecient and safety minded company. Highly recommend!
My wife and I cruised on Princess cruise lines Ocean Princess from the South Pacific to Hawaii for our babymoon last year. For our excursion in Kauai we opted for the helicopter tour. My wife and I had never been on a helicopter before so we(meaning me) had some apprehension going with her being 6 months pregnant. The ride was smooth as can be and I am so glad we did it. You truly get a different appreciation for the beauty of the island from above. Definitely recommend a helicopter tour of this island. I'd recommend Blue Hawaiian tours specifically. We had paid for a DVD of the tour but forgot to pick it up(I will attribute this to sympathetic pregnancy brain). I called them about a month later and they went ahead and sent us our copy. Very impressed by this level of customer service.
We booked the tour online. The process was easy and we received a confirmation with the flight time shortly after. We arrived in the office on the date of the flight. The weather was not great, but was not terrible either. It was cloudy with some rain I Lihue. We were measured and then given a security briefing. Our pilot was Scott. He was professional, knowledgable and entertaining. He had an aura of confidence about him that would ease anyone who is nervous. Our flight path took us to see the south shore of Poipu, then the jurassic park falls, waimea canyon. We got to fly inside the canyon, which was amazing. Then we flew through a cloud of rain to the Napali coast. Just a spectacular scene. We got back after an hour with a taste of much more.
We had gorgeous weather for our flight and views did not disappoint. Our pilot was Barrett, a local, and was very knowledgeable. Was neat when he pointed out where he was raised and use to hunt etc when he was growing up. Too many fantastic views to list but highlight for us included Waimea Canyon, Na Pali coast and all the great waterfalls. If you think you have seen all of Kauai and haven't seen it from the air, do yourself a favor and take a trip as I am sure you will so much that you have missed. Thanks Barrett for a great and very memorable flight.
I took a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour with my 75-year-old mother this March about eight years after first riding with the company on Kauai. Once again, the experience was excellent. Our pilot was a veteran of two overseas wars, and it was immediately clear that he had a total mastery of the aircraft: delicately navigating us in and out of the amazing aprons of the Napali coast, between waterfalls, and around the wettest part of the island. Despite flying on an overcast day, our pilot made sure our views were unblocked by clouds, and quite spectacular. The only disappointment was that the DVD recording of our flight did not record properly. Otherwise, excellent.
First thing most of us (who aren't wealthy) consider is the cost. Some people pay only a little more for their airfare to reach the island itself, after all. In short: YES, it is worth the price, even if you only do one helo trip in your life, do it in Lihue, request Brandyn as your pilot, and say "hi" to Brian for me. You will understand why so many movies have been made in these regions of the island accessible only by sea or air once you fly over them. Very safe and smooth; they cancelled several trips prior due to unsafe weather conditions so they are very careful. Go! See this amazing part of the world from the point of view of a bird!
Kauai location- incredible island views but big company thus less personal service.... Pilot quite competent but poor attitude, replied to honest, intelligent questions with snide answers.
We did the 8:30 am flight today with Erik. It was our first time taking a helicopter ride and I have to say it was great! Rick is sensitive to motion sickness but had no issues. I was a bit worried as it was foggy at our hotel but we got to see everything on the itinerary quite clearly! It really showed how spectacular Kauai is and I didnt realize just how many movies have neen filmed here! Erik was a pro at the controls and was knowledge about the island as he has been here for 30 years! I very highly recommend this!!!
This helicopter tour was spectacular! So amazingly to see all the most inaccessible areas of Kauai. Incredible views and a great pilot. He was very knowledgeable about the island and his love of it showed clearly. I'm so sorry I cannot remember his name. I would definitely sing his praises. The bus driver was also helpful and nice. Customer service is very efficient and very friendly. My guide book recommended this company over the others and I'm so glad I used them. I do recommend booking online and doing so early. I think 5 days in advance is required but you get a nice online discount.
There are quite a few competitors out there, but Blue Hawaiian beats them all in my opinion with their excellent service. Their pilots are also experienced as well as knowledgeable. The best seats are obviously the front 2, but if you do get placed in the back, you will still have very good views. We have taken 2 of their tours (Kauai and Big Island) and both were amazing. I recommend that you don't take any chances with other tours as you are pretty much guaranteed to have an excellent experience with Blue Hawaiian.
We have done Blue Hawaiian on some other islands and they are always top notch. I definitely recommend if visiting Hawaii.
Smooth ride & stunning views. What an amazing experience and great way to see inaccessible parts of the island! Great pilot instilled confidence right from the start.