OK, so I am afraid to fly. I hate it!!! However, my son (5 yo) really wanted to take a helicopter tour. What is a single dad to do? Well I hopped in the rental car, checked the GPS device for recent destinations and Blue Hawaiiam was the only helicopter tour that previous renters used. So, I called for same day reservations and we made our way to the backside of HNL airport. Cpt Jonathan was our pilot, and he was AWESOME!!! Perhaps he remembers my son and I from Thanksgiving weekend of 2012. Not sure how many 5 yo boys make the trip. If so, he made my sons trip, and made a possibly terrifying experience a very positive memory for me. He even provided us with advice on places to see and eat, All his information was right on!!! The flight was smooth, the helicopters were comfortable, and easy to see out of. The tour was great, informative and fun. The gift shop was even reasonably priced. I bought T-Shirts, and the vido of our tour and felt I received a great value for my money.
Great trip! Was originally not going to go as a bit scared but joined my husband and daughter and loved it. Pilot provided a great narration through out and sites were amazing. Excellent service from pick up at hotel to return. Thanks guys!!!
We went with Brad a pilot who had served in Afghanistan and who clearly could make the helicopter dance in the sky. The service on the ground and in the air was excellent and made the who experience pleasurable, and Kauai is a great place to see from the air as so much of the island would be impossible to get to in any other way.
Geoffrey was an amazing and talented pilot who made us feel very safe and gave us an incredible tour of the Island. Words can't describe the beauty of Kauai and the spectacular scenery that you're only able to experience by air. We highly recommend this tour! Aloha!
So much of the island is inaccessible by land or water. This excursion is well worth the price. This was our third flight with Blue Hawaiian. They do an excellent job.
Roomy and comfortable ride. Our pilot was Brad and he was great. We came so close to the cliff sides and waterfalls. Although part of our ride encountered rain, it didn't affect our experience. This is a best way to see all of the island. We had driven through a lot of the locations such as Waimea canyon and the north shore, but to see the coast and the waterfalls from the air was amazing. Remember to wear dark clothing and pants. I had several pictures with glare from the white legs of the front seat passenger. :(
Seriously the trip of a lifetime! Fantastic and exciting way to see this magical island especially if you don't have a lot of time and/or are like me,someone with limited mobility. We were just sorry when it was over. Cannot recommend it too highly.
We have seen the Napali Coast of Kauai by boat and it was great...but there is nothing like a helicopter ride. And I mean NOTHING! It was an incredible experience. Our pilot was great and we would do it again. The helicopters are modern, clean, comfortable and quiet. It's expensive, but worth it! We took our family of seven and it will be something we never forget!
We took the Island Spectacular Tour, which is a two hour helicopter flight of the island - with the highlights being the active volcano and the waterfalls and isolated valleys of the Kohala Coast. We lucked out w front row seats but the pilot was very conscientious of providing every passenger with a view, which he did by circling the aircraft in different directions to enable everyone to give everyone a birds-eye view of the sites. The views were exactly as the tour name describes: spectacular! Our pilot Shane was friendly and informative. He also had a great music selection. We were thrilled with the the beauty and adventures we encountered every day of our 7-day trip to the Big Island, but this 2-hour flight was definitely the highlight!
Was a little concerned about the cost of the trip. We went on the two hour tour. It was amazing and worth the price. They were professional and friendly. This is something you do once in your life and cross it off your bucket list . Would highly recommended that you book the echo star helicopter and ask to sit in the front when you make a reservation ....
We had taken a helicopter tour with another company while in Kauai and really enjoyed it. The price of the Big Island Spectacular was a lot more than what we paid for the last trip but found it be well worth the price and the trip was longer. We booked the Eco-Star which was more than the A-Star but I think it was worth it. The Eco Star has bucket seats, more space and more viewing area than the A-Star with bench seats. I drew the line when it came to paying additional to book the front seats. When we booked, we requested the front seats but were told it was not guarranteed since we didn't pay to upgrade. We were really lucky that we ended up in the front seats next to the pilot based on weight distribution and nobody had paid to upgrade to the front seats. Shane was an amazing pilot and did a great job narrating the trip. You could tell that he thoroughly enjoyed his job. We were disappointed that there was not a lot of lava flow, but we did get to fly over a field and see the lava flow glowing and burning vegetation in its path. We were told that it is illegal to fly directly over the caldera. I think the views on Kauai were more beautiful since the Big Island has a lot of the land covered with lava but there were several waterfalls and beautiful valleys that we flew into on the Big Island. Do not wait until the last days of your vacation to book the trip just in case it gets re-scheduled due to weather like our trip did because of high winds. Keep in mind that despite the price, the flights fill up quickly. Remember to wear dark colored clothes to avoid the reflection in the helicopter windows when taking photos. Of course the video of your flight is for sale following your flight. I would definitely recommend Blue Hawaiian!
This was our first helicopter ride and it was fantastic. The pilot was an excellent tour guide. It was like magic. We mention seein lava flow and there it is. Mention seeing whales and there they are. We took the two hour trip and it was so worth it. We say so much of the island and learned about volcano and lave.learned about trees, animals, flowers. I don't think there was anything Hawaiian that he missed.
Took the Big Island Spectacular tour from Waikoloa. Wow!!! Got to see all of the landscape highlights the big island has to offer. An amazing land of contrasts. We took the EcoStar helicopter option - slightly more expensive but added comfort worth it. Ground staff were friendly and welcoming. Our pilot Marco was brilliant - very knowledgeable and very considerate in making sure everyone on both sides of the helicopter got to see everything. Once in a lifetime experience!!!!!!!!
Are you kidding me!? What an amazing trip with incredible views of sweeping valleys, glowing lava, and fascinating landscapes. Jason, our pilot, was a pro and gave a thorough, easygoing tour. He answered every question we had, without chatting our ears off. What a trip.
Our party of 6 ( 4 adults and 2 kids) chose the private charter tour of Oahu the tour lasted approximately 45 to 60 mins which toured the whole island, our pilot Julie was very knowledgeable and gave us great photo opportunities and point out interesting facts. On certain parts of the island she turned the helicopter around so that both sides of the helicopter could get the same great photo opportunities.I have no issue with recommending this tour to all people.