We took the Big Island Spectacular tour, and it sure was!! Our pilot Jason was very friendly and knowledgeable with a terrific sense of humor. Starting out on the west side of the island, we headed Hilo way. Great views of the volcanoes. We saw hot lava in both crater and breakout flows. After a 15-minute stop in Hilo, we headed over to the northeast coast with its beautiful coastline and absolutely breathtaking waterfalls. Would recommend to ANYONE!!
We saved this for the last day of our vacation and it was well worth it! We were able to see from the air many of the sights we had visited on the ground all week long and the views were amazing. Our guide Julie was great and the entire experience was very memorable. Again, highly recommend!
We were totally impressed by our helicopter tour of Kauai. We weren't planning on this activity when we arrived, but after seeing how remote much of the island is, and after doing some hiking on some rocky, mud-slick trails, we opted to try this tour. Our pilot Barrett is local and extremely knowledgeable about the island, which added to our appreciation of the spectacular scenery as we flew over the canyon, cliffs, up to the waterfalls and even into the volcano. All staff were helpful and courteous, very professional. Safety issues were stressed. The flight itself was awesome and incredible--if you plan to travel to Kauai, don't miss this tour! You will see so much of Kauai that can't be seen any other way. It's absolutely awesome!!!!!
My first note would be to start your trip with the helicopter flight. It gives you a great overview of the island and helps you decide what else you want to do. The flight is so incredible, so many beautiful sites. I found that my jaw hurt after the ride, because I was smiling the whole time. Our pilot was Brandyn and he was really nice and informative. I would also suggest buying the video of your flight. We did but were not sure how much we would watch it. We have been home about a month and have watched 1 time already. It brought back such great memories. A few other notes, there is glare from the windows so pictures might not be as great as you would hope, again another reason to get the video. Wear dark color clothing it helps the glare. Lastly I saw in a travel book that it was best to request a seat on the right side as the flight travels in a clockwise route and the seats on the right have the view of the island. That was true, but when we got to the big attractions the pilot will turn the helicopter to ensure both sides get a great view, so basically no bad seat. The flight is pricey but I can say for sure it is worth every penny. They also have a nice waiting area/gift shop with bathroom facilities.
We took the Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour over Kauai. Brandyn, our pilot, not only flew us into amazingly gorgeous places, he also knew the island's recent and ancient history extremely well. As beautiful as the island is by car, it does not compare to the beauty you can see by flying over the ridges and along the coastline. It was an incredible experience! By the way, Blue Hawaiian sells 20% discounted gift cards at the Costco in Lihue. Save some money while you enjoy the ride of your life!
This is our second time flying with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters; and once again, your company did not disappoint. Chris, our pilot, was very informative and friendly. He has lived on Kauai all of his life, and it shows. The Eco Star is a great helicopter to fly in, very comfortable and great viewing. Thanks again!
Absolutely fantastic a must do when in Hawaii. Friendly staff, knowledgeable and experienced pilots. Best safety program I have seen. Don't miss it.
We were scheduled for a Sunday but it had to be cancelled due to bad weather, however, the staff was great about rescheduling around our other tours. We arrived on Monday & the tour left right on time. Our pilot Julie was a wonderful pilot & tour guide. She shared our excitement when we spotted a herd of humpback whales. She did a fabulous job of rotating the aircraft so each side got a great view. I highly recommend this helicopter tour!
I was there before, during & after hurricane Ana & Blue Hawaiian couldn't have been more accommodating. They allowed me to change my reservation when I thought my day would not be good. Then they had to cancel but before I left the office the person I talked to gave me all kinds of suggestions as to sites to see. I finally was able to get off the ground the day before I left. What a treat! If you want a beautiful overview of the whole island I highly recommend this.
We did the Big Island Spectacular, and it lived up to it's name. Our pilot (whose name I forget) was excellent and the views were magnificent. However if you have motion sickness, I strongly suggest taking medicine in advance. :)
I had never been on a helicopter before but I am not scared any more. The staff was great and our trip was fun. None of us had ever been on a helicopter and all came off wanting more. I was traveling with a heavy group so if you are a little on the heavy side, be prepared to pay like you weigh..lol !!!! Our copter was a 6 seater but our combined weights only allowed us 4 :) Enjoy !!!
Expensive but fun! We loved our pilot Shane...nice guide and informed us about the history as well as what we were looking at.
We did the Big Island Spectacular. An exhilarating ride and amazing scenery. Our pilot, Shane, was a very knowledgable tour guide as well as a great aviator giving us a great ride. The contrasts between the 2 sides of the island in topography and vegetation was amazing. The special view of the lava flow areas was a highlight. Would highly recommend.
I so enjoyed this helicopter ride. Safety was of the essence. Our pilot was Loren, who had been a pilot with the Army, so I instantly felt safe. The scenery was 'to live for', as my partner Peter says. We were up for about 45 minutes and because I booked through Expedia tours through our tour guide at the Ala Moana hotel, I received a dvd of general flights, not the one I went on, and I was offered a 'blu ray' version of it, too. I also purchased a copy of the inflight video of myself and the other 3 on our flight. I was in the left rear and saw so much of Honolulu that I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I would highly recommend it. Also, I was picked up from my accomodation and dropped off.
Best way to start our island adventure on Kauai. We did not have any issues with motion sickness; it felt like we were floating above everything. I was worried our flight would be hazy and difficult to see everything, but they actually cancelled an earlier flight due to poor visibility - my point, they look out for the customer. The safety briefing was great. I felt completely safe from takeoff to landing. The views are spectacular. Bring your action camera and your digital camera, too! They offer a video of your flight but it is pretty awesome to make your own! Mark was our pilot and it was an excellent experience. I would highly recommend this adventure. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth the expense. It was one of my favorite excursions on Kauai.