Blue Hawaiian Helicopters offers several tours to fit your time and budget and the one we chose to bring our readers was the Big Island Spectacular which is 2 hours in duration and covers all of the island and a stop on the other side of the island at the Hilo Heliport.

Before you begin your tour you will begin to see the service that Blue Hawaiian offers its guests. Before you are whisked off in the air, Blue Hawaiian shows a 10 minute video to brief each passenger on the safety similar to what you might see on commercial flight. Each employee is attentive and answers any questions in regards to the flight before you board. If you ever were in doubt about helicopter flights or tours, Blue Hawaiian will leave those at the counter for you.

Once you step inside of the state of the art ECO-Star helicopter the breathtaking views and narrated tour will have you telling all of your friends about it.

For those who do not know Blue Hawaiian and their tours, they have for 15 years been providing award winning service that has earned them the coveted Star Diamond Award for outstanding quality and service from the American Academy of Hospitality Services. Blue Hawaiian was the only activity company to receive such honors. While in flight we could see why they made a concise choice for this honor.

After taking off from the Waikoloa Heliport, our first breathtaking experience was the Mauna Kea volcano area. Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano, it is one of the highest island mountains in the world. If Mauna Kea's height (13796') is measured from its base (18,000 feet below sea level), it surpasses even Mount Everest, and is the world's highest mountain (31,796). Geologic evidence suggests that the volcano last erupted around 1650. Legend says Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were the domains of two opposing goddesses, Poliahu and Pele respectively. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were produced from their violent rivalry. All of this information comes directly from the pilots and they know their terrain better than most people who live on the Big Island

As your tour of the Island winds towards the town of Hilo you will have the chance to see Honopue Valley, another breathtaking and incredibly remote and beautiful valley. This area is rarely seen except by helicopter as it is so remote and tough to even attempt to hike.

Another highlight of the tour is the chance to view the macadamia nut farms from above. The vast section of trees and famous Mauna Loa nut factory are a cash crop for the island. When sugar left the Hawaiian islands, the macadamia nut became the best source of revenue for this island.