I loved this tour, but I was lucky because I got the window seat in the front row. It is, without a doubt, the best seat. My 9 year old daughter was in between the pilot and me. She also had a great seat. My 16 year old son had a back window seat and my husband was next to him. For them, the tour was good, but not quite as amazing as it was for me. Our pilot was Vince. He is a former Apache helicopter pilot and a very good pilot. He was also very nice to our daughter, and tried to make her comfortable. My daughter was very nervous and wanted to hold my hand the whole tour. Due to our family size and our nervous daughter, this was a good choice for us. If our daughter had not been nervous, I might have considered a doors off tour. I think the smaller helicopters with fewer seats give more people a great seat. I really recommend a helicopter tour of Kauai. I was able to get some good pictures, but they will also try and sell you a video of your tour.
This is one of best sightseeing tours I ever took. The pilot was excellent - his flying/piloting skill, his knowledge of the island history made this a wonderful experience. If you book online, there is a slight discount. Because of Hurricane Irene, I had to cancel my original reservation in late August, there was no problem and refund was credited to my credit card quickly. I am glad that I rebooked this trip. Since I always the designated driver for long-distance trip, the heli tour allowed me to sit back, relax and enjoy the sight. Even though I had a whole week on the island, I did not really want to drive and drive to the West Coast and inland to see everything - this tour covered a lot in a short time.
We regretted not scheduling a trip by helicopter in Kauai for our honeymoon 27 years ago. So, this time, we were bound and determined to take one! Blue Hawaiian was our choice, and we did not regret it. Their helicopters allowed for a lot of visibility of the surroundings. Brandon was a super pilot--fun and obviously an experienced and self-assured flyer. All of the staff were very helpful and friendly; and when our morning tour had to be cancelled due to weather, rescheduling was a breeze. Food and beverages, as well as rest rooms, are available in the shopping center where the tours meet. We had a lovely, pleasant journey through a very beautiful place. I hope that you, too, can enjoy this experience. Mahalo, Blue Hawaiian. Aloha, Hawaii.
This was our first ride in a helicopter and I felt absolutely safe with this company and Vincent our pilot. The journey over the Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast was breath-taking. The bonus was seeing humpback whales near the coast and we hovered over them a short time. The views are amazing and I don't think I stopped smiling the entire hour.
Having never been in a helicopter we were a bit uncertain, but we are so glad we did it. What a great way and the only way to see much of Kauai. The helicopter was beautiful and the pilot was calm and informed, Oh my!
We splurged on the helicopter tour, but it was worth it. We go to see so much more of Kauai than we ever would have seen otherwise. We flew over Waimea Canyon, then went to the Napali Coast. They were both beautiful. The highlight for me, was when we were flying to Waimea Canyon, there was a full rainbow in front of us. I would highly recommend Blue Hawaiian, and our pilot Jimmy.
This was my first helicopter tour ever, and it was well worth the money. Blue Hawaii has a very solid business with a very well established process that put me at ease that they knew what they were doing. They were very safety conscious. They were very friendly, helpful, and interested in making this the best experience ever. Our pilot was very knowledgable about Hawaii and even included information about his experience growing up on Kauai, I was so sad when the tour ended. We even downloaded some of the Hawaiian music they played over the head phones because we enjoyed it so much. Do this!
Simply the best. Kevin our pilot was so knowledgable about the island and all the sights we got to see. I would highly recommend doing this flight. The helicopters are very modern and very comfortable. Great sights and an ideal way to see the island that is mainly inaccessable to many people.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters looked new and well kept. The ride was very smooth and after the initial lift off, not nerve racking whatsoever. Our pilot was a 20+ yr experienced Coast Guard pilot which also added to the sense of security. The views are breath taking. Some things to consider when trying to compare helicopter tours: 1) almost all the tours leave from the same area of the airport. There are approx 20 helicopters coming & going all day. 2) How many people fit in the helicopter. Blue Hawaiian takes 6 passengers per ride. 2 next to the pilot and 4 across the back. (The 2 middle seats in the back get slightly less of a view. ((It's not a "bad" view at all. And for nervous flyers might actually be a better seat. I also noticed another helicopter company actually landing near secluded beaches on our trip. Not sure what company that is but according to our pilot, that company has a relationship with the land owners. That seemed liked a great option. Have fun and if you have the nerve...don't miss this incredible 40 minute flight.
What an amazing experience. We couldn't believe how beautiful Kauai is and the helicopter takes you over totally inaccessible parts of the island. The helicopter itself was great, comfortable with excellent viewing. Our pilot, Brendyn really knew so much about the island and ensured everyone had plenty of photo opportunities, regardless of which side of the helicopter people were sitting. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and if we had had the time, we may well have done it again! My advice, just book it! You won't be disappointed.
Our pilot Vince clearly loved his job, knowledgeable about the Island, and when he spotted 2 whales along the coast scooted us out for a quick circle because our 5 year old said he liked whales. That was nice and every time he sees a chopper looks up and wonders if it is Vince. The tour itself was amazing, don't do it behind your camera, just sit back and enjoy as you come face to face with canyons, cliffs, waterfalls, and the mouth of the volcano that built the Island. Yes you will get glare if taking pictures which cannot be helped, and the pilot does his best to make sure everyone sees the same things (turns a lot so both sides get to see the sites) if you don't do the tour, you are nuts.
We did this one the 1st day of our trip. It was fantastic. Our pilot Julie was wonderful. the scenery was breathtaking. It was great to do on the first day because it cut out a lot of driving around to see attractions from the ground. Some we still drove to see. this tour was well worth the cost.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopter flight around Kauai was the highlight of our trip. This is without doubt a MUST do. This is a one hour flight.
I would totally recommend to visit the island with a helicopter tour. You will get to see the amazing Waimea canyon and the napali coast which are georgous. A must see if you come to Hawaii! I think that Bluehawaiann helicopter ride was good. I like the fact that they play music is your headphones during the ride. It makes it very special. They should offer to do a doors off ride. This would enable to take wonderful pictures as you would not have the reflections of clothes and dirty windows on your pictures...
After being cancelled at the last minute with another company we appreciated that they had 2 spots at the last minute. Was it our first choice - no. Was it different than the others - no. Were they nice, friendly, accomodating - yes. They had me by the window and my son in the middle. I asked if we could change spots (I had done it before) since we weigh almost the same and they agreed. i appreicated that too. Also, the pilot and staff did not request tips. On holiday you get tired pretty fast of the 'tips are not incuded' line everywhere you go. It was hard to find where to put it!