Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours, See Breathtaking Places
Story by: Erin zollars
Photos by: Sol tucker
Kona, HI: In our second feature of ways to see Hawaii we ventured to the Big Island of Hawaii and found one of the most affordable ways to see the entire island in two hours, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. If you like volcano's, mountains and oceanfront views, this is the tour for you.
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.
Our pilot, Steve, comes to Blue Hawaiian with plenty of helicopter hours under his belt. He defended our country in Iraq during Desert Storm flying choppers, and is very knowledgeable of the island and all it has to offer. From the minute we stepped into the helicopter until we landed, Steve gave us a tour to remember.
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
While some will like the history behind seeing Mauna Kea the big draw of the island and especially this trip is the active volcano's that remain on the island. Having the chance to fly over the East Rift Zone and Volcano's National Park and see the lava flow is something that is right out of National Geographic. We never imagined having the chance to see lava flowing in Hawaii!
While flying over the
Pu'u O'o which began erupting in 1986, we could see the massive dangers that volcanoes possess and how most of the islands have grown over the years with the lava flow. By 1992 Pu'u O'o had destroyed 200 homes and added 300 acres to the island. You can get a great glimpse of the flow and see how it has formed the largest island, a part of the United States we call paradise. Hot volcanic gasses continue to pour from the cooling cinder cone, typical of the newly formed volcanic peaks that have built up along Chain of Craters Road.
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.
As your tour winds back towards Waikoloa Heliport, you will have the chance to see most of the resorts on the island. It was an amazing sight to see the golf courses of the Mauna Kea Hotel and Resort and the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. These were our hotels of choice and to see the space they occupy on the beach and their prime location made them that much more enjoyable for our review.
We highly suggest the complete Big Island Spectacular, but Blue Hawaiian offers many tours that will fit everyone's wallet.
Blue Hawaiian's first tour on the Big Island is the Kohala Coast Tour. It gives travelers a chance to see towering sea cliffs, meandering valleys, and ancient Hawaiian settlements. The tour is well worth the 45-50 minutes and the price depends on the helicopter used. The ECO-Star is $237.26( offers the best views) and the A-Star is $198.22
The second choice is the Big Island Spectacular which we described in our review and is the best value your money can buy you on the island. The $382.20 for the A-Star and $460.25 for the ECO-Star are the best value on the island if you plan to see it all. Remember gas for the rental car is not cheap in Hawaii and driving this island will take you up to a few days if you plan on stopping. On land, you will not have the chance to see as much as you do from the helicopter.
If you really want to splurge on vacation, Blue Hawaiian offers hourly private tours starting at $1365.00 an hour for the A-Star to $1640.00 an hour for the ECO-Star. This is great way to visit that desolate area alone or with a group. Wherever you need to go, a helicopter can get you to all the right places on the Big Island.
For more information about making a reservation for a any of the tours listed above or a private tour of your own, travelers can contact them directly at 808 886-1768 or visit Blue Hawaiian Helicopter's website atwww.bluehawaiian.com
Toll Free: 1-800-786-2583
Lei Valencia, Hilo Base Manager
Hilo Local: (808) 961-5600
Hilo Fax: (808) 961-0404
Hilo International Airport
Hilo, HI 96720