A "must do" part of a Kauai vacation is to see the island from the air. We did the helicopter ride (six passengers) and it was informative and gave us a good layout of the island. The pilot was knowlegeable and gave historical information besides describing the terraine. He encouraged questions. Now that we've seen the new "Pirates" movie we recognized parts of Kauai where they filmed. Blue Hawaiian was very well organized.
This is a once in lifetime trip that every visitor to Kauai should take. The views are amazing, the piot (Dean was ours) are very skilled and do a great job narrating the flight. Blue Hawaiian is very professional and the staff were great. We were a bit worried about getting a "bad" seat but in the Eco Star there are none. I was in the back middle and you still everything. The pilot turns the helicopter so each side gets a great view of each feature. My wife and I really enjoyed the tour and flying with Blue Hawaiian. Can't say enough stuff about them and the tour.
On our first full day in Kauai we took the helicopter tour - our first ever. We rode in a very modern helicopter with 5 other passengers and the pilot. We were placed in the helicopter according to weight (it is not announced) and balance so there is no fighting over window seats. The pilot did an excellent job of narrating the trip pointing out highlights and history all over the island. This was my husband's favorite activity all week - saying he doesn't think he would ever get tired of it. The helicopter takes you to places on the island that are only accessible by air. You have an opportunity to buy a DVD of your trip. We did and were delighted to be able to view our trip again and again. Definitely do this early so you get a good feel of the island before you tour it by car and boat.
This company is the one to go with. Phenominal views, our pilot was great and everything ran on time. The DVD of our actual trip of 1 hr was only $25.
My husband and I saved the helicopter tour for Kauai and absolutely without a doubt was the number one experience we've ever had. You cannot fully appreciate the beauty of the island without first seeing it from the air. Not only did we feel completely safe in the copter, but the entire 50-minute experience was paired to awesome music, which truly enhanced the flight. Our pilot, Kurt, was extremely knowledgable and our mouths were agape the entire ride. From the majestic Na Pali coast to the incredible Waimea Canyon views to the unbelievable waterfalls, this trip was not to be missed. We were thrilled that this activity was the very first experierence we had in Kauai, so that we could truly understand the lay of the land. Afterwards, we spent the $25 to purchase the DVD of our flight experience. We watched the DVD again that very same night. I can't say enough great things about this tour. Plus, the helicopter was very nice inside, air conditioned with headphones so we could speak to one another. A real class act. If you're thinking of a helicopter tour, absolutely save it for Kauai. Many others we spoke to had given us this advice and it was well worth it.
We had entertained the idea of a helicopter ride when we were in Kauai 2 years ago, but wound up doing other things. We had read that if you do any helicopter tours in the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai is one of the two islands to do it on. This years vacation we bit the bullet and spent the big bucks for a family of 4 (slight discount with AAA card, or pre-booking 5 days ahead). We opted for last minute booking with AAA so we knew it would be a good day to fly. We chose this company from ratings in a Kauai reference guide we had read. I had second thoughts about spending as much as I did until we were in the air and seeing the most amazing sites around this beautiful island. Afterwards, we also bought the DVD of our flight for a few bucks more! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
A must-do on Kauai. This is not cheap, but it is worth every penny, For one hour a helicopter takes you on a tour of the island of Kauai, including the spectacular Napali coast, the Wiamea Canyon and other sites. Truly breathtaking! It brought tears to my eyes, it was so beautiful! They sell a DVD of your individual trip, and it is worth the money to purchase it.
Best way to see the Island. You will miss so much of the island if you don't have this experience. Worth every penny - ask for the AAA discounts or look for coupons in the discount books. Smooth flight with great accompanying music and pilot narration. Go in the morning - as afternoons cloud up easily. Was unsure of this at first as I'm not a good flyer - but no problems.
One of the highlights of our honeymoon, the tour was our first time ever in a helicopter and the views of the island are spectacular... the day we went, the weather was not that good... pretty rainy and even in that, my wife and i thought it was fabulous. I am not one to spend lots of money and this is expensive, but compared to some other experiences we had on the island, we both felt blue hawaii was professional, courteous and the experience was fabulous
Here's a copy of the review we sent to Blue Hawaiin Helicopters-Kauai: We can't say enough and thank you enough for one of the greatest experiences ever! It was a surprise for my wife and now as we are back on the mainland (in Ohio), she can't stop talking about it! Barret was a fantastic pilot! I wish we would have said more or asked more questions of him and and about the area, but we were just in awe and taking it all in. It was "jaw dropping", so were couldn't talk and ask questions! ha! ha! A few more notes... Everything was fine on our adventure! We were greeted very nicely and checked-in with no problem. We were weighed and told our seating assignments were based on weight distribution for the helicopter. We read a less than flattering review about them stating that a person called ahead and asked for a front row seat, which they were told they could have. I don't know who would say that at Blue Hawaiin because we were told all along that seat assignments were based on weight. We loved that they called the before to confirm our reservation and tell us what we could bring along (camera & water bottle), and to wear dark clothing as that does not reflect in the windows as much as bright or white clothing. That was very helpful! After a short video presentation about the helicopter and safety precautions we were transported to the airport via a van. At the heliport, we were seated in a canopy/tent and sat according to our number assignment. The helicopters came in and landed and just seeing them come in got the adrenaline pumping! The pilot was very nice and narrated everything to a "T". He chose his own music and timed it up to where we were at the time. It definitely set the mood. Lift-off was of the best things! You felt almost weightless as he started upward and took a nice, sharp right turn! It was awesome! There was a little bit of turbulence but not bad. It felt like we were floating and just added to the experience of the flight! We had never been in a helicopter before and we enjoyed the sensation of the propellers and the floating feeling. If you get motion sickness, you may want to take a pill or something beforehand. the tour itself was fantastic! Like they say... You see things you would never see driving around Kauai. We saw Napali Coast, Hanalei, Princeville and were put right in the middle of a crater. It was so cool as we got into the crater and the pilot just rotated the helicopter in the middle of the crater! A woman in our group who was island hopping did a little research before choosing Blue Hawaiin Helicopters. She said 2 things.... 1) She asked which island would be the best to do a helicopter tour and they said, Kauai! 2) She loved that you could have a DVD of your actual tour and not some promotional DVD. That's what my wife and I liked too! That we could have a DVD of our actual tour! We watched some of the video as we got back into the office and then was asked if we wanted a copy. Of course, it is extra ($25), but we knew the price ahead of time and picked Blue Hawaiin Helicopters because we could get a DVD of the tour! Overall! Great people! Great Adventure! A must do adventure! Especially on Kauai! ---Tom & Eva (Cleveland, Ohio)
norm5Seattle: I have flown with Blue Hawaiian several times on two islands. They are long known by most to be the best company in the business with the best helicopters and pilots. Just read the other reviews. You are being unreasonable. They DO have a 24 hour cancellation policy. They can't get those flights filled when you decide to cancel. It rains on Kauai...alot. Helicopters can fly in rain, and I doubt you know safety issues better than they do. Just because you got nervous and didn't want to go due to rain does not obligate them to refund your deposit. Good luck finding ANY helicopter tour on the island that offers customer's choice/weather permitting cancellations. It bothers me to see someone bash a great company for something unreasonable like this. This is one of the best trips most people will ever take. It certainly was for me.
So glad we chose Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour during our time on Kauai. The helicopter was clean and spacious....not a bad seat in the house. No matter where you're seated, you have excellent, unencumbered views. The entire operation is well-organized and efficiently run. Our pilot was professional, friendly, and knowledgeable about the islands history and beauty. Our younger son is prone to motion sickness and we didn't know how he'd fare. No worries, as the flight was smooth as can be. We also did a boat-tour of the Napali coast and initially thought this might be redundant. It was not; each provides a different vantage point and way to experience the lush scenery of the island. Highly recommended tour.
We went on a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour over Kauai. It was the first time husband and I had been in a helicopter and it was absolutely amazing. It was very smooth and the views are spectacular. I was literally speechless for the entire hour long ride. It is rather pricy, but you are in Hawaii and trust me it is worth every penny. You can also purchase a video of your actual flight so you can always have it. I highly recommend it. Thanks Brent for a great ride.
Let me preface by saying that I am in the aviation industry and a licensed commercial pilot. I did my homework on this one because it is "on my turf". The accident rates of these types of operations are generally very high. What swayed me to this company was that they received an FAA diamond award for safety in maintenance training. My company won the award and it is very difficult to achieve. The next was my comfort with the pilot. He flew with experience and visible skill. He had considerable cockpit prowess while also knowing quite a bit about the island, sharing many very interesting stories throughout the flight. We were rained out the first day we wanted to go. I strongly recommend making this the first activity you try because of it. The reasonably friendly staff did their best to reschedule and went as far as promising us one of the "good seats" in the front unfortunately this didn't pan out
We were trying to do a week in Hawaii that did not break the bank and this is the one area we "splurged" on and we have no regrets on spending the money ( note: we did save money booking 5 days in advance online). My husband was nervous about the trip and he walked away in awe and the desire to take another ride on a different island. You are flown right next to waterfalls and the Cathedral Cliffs on the Na'pali coast- you are so close at some points you think you are going to be running into the side of the mountain (but are really not that close). We were not able to go to the wettest spot on Earth, Mt. Waialeale, and I was surprised to see the prior poster said he did get to- it sounded like that was a rare treat. The pilot was an excellent tour guide and we learned everything we wanted to know about the island, yet he was quiet at times to allow us to just soak in the beauty of the flight. The tour was set to music that we heard through our Bose headsets and we had a microphone if we wanted to ask questions or talk to the group. I agree with wearing dark colors, but depending on where you are on the island and how the sun is shining it might not even help- I have some great photos but you see my hand in the reflection and other photos have no glare at all. I found my small digital camera took better photos than my fancy Canon Rebel XTi with stock lens. I tried to not obsess about photos and just enjoy the tour, but still have around 100 amazing pics. You can't see the Na'Pali coast unless you fly, boat or hike (11 rugged miles) and it is beautiful. The front seats would have been best, but the right side is better than the left and thant is where I was seated. The weigh you in and seat you based on balancing out the weight on the plane. I don't think there was a bad seat on the helicopter. My husband was in the middle in the back and had no complaints. The only disappointment was that they advertise the tour is approximately 55 minutes and our tour was actually between 45-50 minutes from take off to landing, which was a bit disappointing, because you could have enjoyed even more in those 10 additional minutes. I would have felt like we missed out on so much of this amazing island if we did not do the helicopter ride- highly recommend a helicopter flight, just not sure if this one gives you the bang for your buck, when they short you 10 minutes of flight time.