A helicopter tour in Hawaii has always been on my bucket list. The thought of soaring through jungles in search of massive waterfalls hooked my imagination. During our trip to Kauai, we booked a helicopter tour through Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and it lived up to exactly what I envisioned.
A Smooth Start
As we checked in for our helicopter tour, I twitched with nervous excitement. They discreetly weighed us as we stood at the counter with a scale hidden under the floormat. While I’m not self-conscious about my body being mostly comprised of dark beer and bacon burgers, I appreciated the subtly. After the weigh-in, they walked us to a horseshoe-shaped theater for our safety orientation. We were assigned our seats based on our weight which put heavier people in the middle seats. The last thing you want is the helicopter leaning one way or another during takeoff.
We were then led to the landing pads outside. Like a Nascar Pit stop, helicopters would land, ditch the passengers, get refueled, load up the new tour group and then lift off without ever stopped its rotors. As our helicopter landed we were led to a tarmac standing in the same order we would be seated. The whir of the spinning blades drowns out all sound. The ground crew uses hand gestures to board us one by one. They hand me a headset and buckle me in like a baby in a car seat. Doors are then shut and the helicopter shakes as we gradually leave the ground. During the safety demo, the boarding process seemed like it had so many steps but it takes less than a minute.
The helicopter hovers over the big H on the ground then strafes left, reminding me it’s not an airplane and can maneuver sharply in all directions. The excitement builds.
We swing up over the east side of the island. The pilot makes with the chit chat as we fly towards the center of the island. Where is everyone from, what brings you to Kauai, etc… The conversation seemed forced and the timing was off because I have to press the delayed microphone button everytime I respond. As an introvert, I chose to stick with head nods and short answers.
“Welcome… to Jurassic Park”
The first highlight of the tour was the view of Manawaiopuna Falls otherwise known as “that waterfall from Jurassic Park”. You know which one I’m talking about. As we approached the waterfall our pilot became mysteriously quiet and through the silence of my headphones faded in the theme song to the Jurassic Park. This was the greatest moment for my inner child. It felt like I was transported into the opening scenes of one of my favorite moves as a kid. Goosebumps ran up my arms and I would have been completely satisfied if we just turned around and ended the tour right then and there.
Grand Canyon of The Pacific
But the tour went on and we swung a full circle to head towards Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Having been to the Grand Canyon National Park (Another Item I crossed off my bucket list), I didn’t expect Waimea Canyon to be even remotely close to as impressive as the Grand Canyon. And I was right, but there isn’t anything wrong with that. The Grand Canyon is the max limit on my scale of magnificent nature. Waimea Canyon is like an 8 out of 10. It’s enormous and brimming with trees that grow from the red clay soil. The best part of seeing it from the air is having my attention drawn in and through the canyon, watching the river below snaking all the way to the ocean.
As we come up out of the canyon, we enter a much greener part of the island. The pilot took us closer and closer to the high, sharp, mountains covered dense dark green forests. At times, he got a little closer than I was expecting. My body clenched ever so slightly. As we glided along the ridgeline getting close enough to the rocks to see a mountain goat ridiculously perched on what looked like a 90-degree slope.
Wait…what do you mean “should”?
The next part of the ride was the beginning of my motion sickness. The pilot explained that to get over the next crest of the mountain we would fly straight towards it and a pocket of air should push us up and over. Wait…what do you mean “should”? Before I could ready myself to shake hands with the Hawaiian gods, we hit the air stream and burst up and over a gap in the cliff. Although relieved, I left my stomach on the other side of the mountain. The rest of the flight was a series, “Wow, that is amazing!” followed by, “please don’t throw up”.
While I surveyed the rest of the passenger’s faces to see if I was the only one feeling nauseous, we made our way to the Napali Coast. From the sky, it didn’t live up to the hype. That could have been because I was still struggling to keep my morning coffee down. Given the opportunity to come back to Hawaii, at the top of my list would be a boat ride around the Napali Coast. The cliffs and hidden beaches would look much more impressive from sea level. Plus, I could hurl over the side of the boat and not ruin anyone’s vacation.
The Bucket List Moment
As easily as my attention faded over the coast, I was snapped back to oohing-and-ahhing. As we began our approach into the ancient volcano Mount Waialeale, beads of water began tapping the windows. Getting more than 500 inches of rain per year, Mount Waialeale is considered the wettest spot on Earth. In the heart of the volcano, I felt one of those moments where everything slows down around you and your mind becomes crystal clear capturing every detail of the experience. Surrounding us on all sides were waterfalls, thousands of feet tall. The water cascaded down the sides of the shield volcano, flowing in and out of the trees, suddenly disappearing in the forest below. It was so heavenly, I honestly questioned whether or not we actually made it up and over that mountain earlier.
The moment felt like we spent hours flying around inside Mount Waialeale. But only seconds later we were back at the coast and heading back to the helipad. My mind re-entered reality and so did my queasiness but it didn’t matter. I experienced precisely what I hoped for when I added a helicopter tour in Hawaii to my list. Like all bucket list items, I experienced an unforgettable moment. One that will permanently hold a spot in my library of memories.
If you have ever considered wanting to do a helicopter tour in Hawaii and are planning a trip to Kauai, check out our other post titled “What to Know Before You Book a Helicopter Tour on Kauai”
Chad can be summed up by his idea of a perfect day: Waking up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains, warm cup of coffee in hand then grabbing his camera and fly rod, hitting the trail to explore some uncharted territory followed by cold beers and campfire steaks. Chad is often joined on his adventures by his wife, Tori, and their dog, Kona.
