Frommer's Kauai - Jeanette Foster [154]
However, if you cannot make your flight, you must cancel 24 hours in advance or you could be charged for the flight.
There really is no such thing as a perfect time to fly. Conditions change. On Kauai, the east end of the island gets light early, but the Na Pali Coast, on the west side, gets light later in the day. And yes, helicopters fly when it is cloudy because it nearly always is cloudy somewhere on the island. But remember: With a helicopter, it is possible to fly over the rainbow.
Blue Hawaiian Blue Hawaiian has been the Cadillac of helicopter tour companies on Maui and the Big Island for more than a decade, and recently they have expanded their operations to Kauai. I strongly recommend that you try to book with them first. Their operation is first-class, and they use state-of-the-art equipment: American Eurocopter ECO-Star, which reduces noise in the helicopter by 50% and allows 23% more interior room. Plus the craft has individual Business Class–style seats, two-way communication with the pilot, and expansive glass for incredible views. The 50-minute flights journey first to Hanapepe Valley, then continue on to Mana Waiapuna, commonly referred to as “Jurassic Park Falls.” Next it’s up the Olokele Canyon, then on to the Waimea Canyon, the famed “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Most of the flight will continue along the Na Pali Coast, before heading out to the Bali Hai Cliffs, and the pristine blue waters of Hanalei Bay and the Princeville Resort area. If the weather gods are on your side, then you’ll get to see the highest point on Kauai: Mount Waialeale, the wettest spot on Earth, with an average rainfall of 450 to 500 inches annually. Your flight will take you right into the center of the crater with its 5,000-foot walls towering above and its 3,000-foot waterfalls surrounding you—something you will remember forever.
3501 Rice St., Lihue. 80 0/745-2583 or 80 8/245-5800. www.bluehawaiian.com. 55-min. tour $226 ($197 if you book online). Harbor Mall staging area; take off from the Lihue Airport.
Island Helicopters Curt Lofstedt has been flying helicopter tours of Kauai for nearly 3 decades. He personally selects and trains professional pilots with an eye not only to their flying skills but also to their ability to share the magic of Kauai. All flights are in the six-passenger Aerospatiale A STAR, with extra-large windows and stereo headsets to hear the pilot’s personal narration. Here’s the latest tour option: a 90-minute Manawaiopuna Falls tour with a landing in a private valley and short hike to the 400 foot falls for $349 rack rate, but if you book on their website it’s just $299.
Lihue Airport. 80 0/829-5999 or 80 8/245-8588. www.islandhelicopters.com. 55-min. island tour $266. Mention Frommer’s and receive 40% off.
Jack Harter The pioneer of helicopter flights on Kauai, Jack was the guy who started the sightseeing-via-helicopter trend. On the 60-minute tour, he flies a four-passenger Hughes 500 with the doors off or a Eurocopter AS350BA A STAR. The 90-minute tour (in the A STAR only) hovers over the sights a bit longer than the 60-minute flight, so you can get a good look, but we found the shorter tour sufficient.
4231 Ahukini Rd., Lihue. 88 8/245-2001 or 80 8/245-3774. www.helicopters-kauai.com. 60-min. tour $239–$259; 90-min. tour $384. (Book on the Internet and save $10–$20.)
Niihau Helicopter This is the only helicopter company offering tours of Niihau, the “Forbidden Island.” The half-day tours, on an Agusta 109A twin-engine helicopter, include an aerial tour over the island. The helicopter then lands on Niihau at a beach (the island is generally closed to the public), where you can spend a few hours swimming, snorkeling, beachcombing, or just relaxing and sunbathing. Lunch and refreshments are included. You leave from Port Allen Air Strip.
P.O. Box 690086, Makaweli, HI 96769. 87 7/441-3500 or 80 8/335-3500. www.niihau.us. Half-day tours, with lunch and a stop at a Niihau beach, $365.
Safari Helicopters This family-owned and -run company also flies custom-designed, huge windowed “Super” A