Lisa

I am planning both a helicopter trip and a Na Pali Coast boat trip when I visit Kauai in August. I would like to pre-book these tours since August is a very busy tourism month in Hawaii. I have no idea which tour providers I should use, though. Please help me decide with your advice and opinions.

After doing some research, I have narrowed it down to three top choices for each:

Na Pali Coast boat trip
-Holoholo Charters
-Liko Kauai Cruises
-Captain Andy's Sailing Adventures

Helicopter ride
-Inter-Island
-Air Kauai
-Jack Harter

If you have used any of these companies, please tell me why you did or did not like them. Thanks soooooooooo much!

jo

We have done both. Used Capt. Andy and was satisfied -doesn't go if the sea is rough. Don't remember the name of the helicopter co. but billed itself as the Ferrari of helicopters. Landed inside the canyon at a waterfall. It was a great experience

Lisa

jo -Thanks for the reply. Did the helicopter you flew in have doors? The reason I am asking is that Inter-Island is the only company I remember stating they land at a waterfall for lunch and swimming. Their other distinction is that their helicopters don't have doors -for better viewing.

Thanks again!

lindafromNJ

We were on Captain Andys in October and it went out to the Napoli. We also did snorkeling. It was a great trip. We were very satisfied with Captain Andy's. We have also used Air Kauai and liked them very much. We had Chuck who is the owner. I don't know if he still flys.

Lisa

lindafromNJ -During my research, I read that Chuck is by far the best pilot with Air Kauai. Did you request him, or did you have him as a pilot by chance?

Also, did you go on your boat trip in the morning or afternoon? Was the trip interesting all the way through, or only through the Na Pali Coast. I read that with most boat tours, most of the trip is spent getting to Na Pali. Is this true of Captain Andy's?

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions.

Anne

I have the same questions since I will also be visiting Hawaii in August. Please keep the answers coming! It's great that Hawaii offers so many great activities, with a multitude of service providers, but it gets very confusing for someone who has never visited Hawaii before. All of your advice is great!

e

Lisa, we just did Inter-island(3 wks ago), I did alot of research and we decided to do the waterfall tour WITHOUT the doors. In a word-- AWESOME. One of the best things we have ever done. Because of the waterfall landing and lunch, you feel like you get 2 trips instead of 1. I would try to sit upfront but the back is not bad(they only take 4 people). If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them. Good Luck !!

Lisa

e -Thanks so much for the information. Inter-Island does have a wonderful sounding tour -the idea of not having any doors made me a little nervous, though. Did you feel nervous at all?

Also, thank you for volunteering to answer my questions. I do have a few:

1) Did you book the tour in advance, or did you wait to get to Kauai?

2) How was the weather? I am just wondering what happens if it is raining -would you get wet without the doors?

3) Was it cold up there?

4) What time of the day was your flight?

5) Is there a particular pilot that you would recommend?

Thanks again e. I'll be looking forward to your next message.

e

First, no doors were not a problem, in fact they said that they hardly get anyone that wants the doors on. They do suggest you bring a jacket, it doesn't get very cold but a light jacket was nice to have. We booked in advance and decided to take the 10am flight(thought lunch would be nice around 11 and this was the time that most people seemed to like best). The weather on our day was perfect, of course it does rain when you get into the interior of the island(rainiest spot on earth). Again, this was not a problem at all, as each time it only lasted a few seconds. Our pilot was Scott(young, but very experienced), he was a great guide. The waterfall landing was incredible(beautiful spot in the middle of nowhere), lunch is ordered by you in advance and was great to eat beside your own private waterfall. Finally, although we had been to Kauai 4 times, we had never wanted to spend the big bucks to do the copter. This time we did and it was truly an incredible experience.

Maureen

Lisa,

My husband and I and our 4 kids took Jack Harter helicopter tour in March. Even though it was very expensive since there was 6 of us, everyone on this thread recommended that we do it. I booked it in advance and I believe we left at 10:00 a.m. The pilot was very experienced (retired Air Force) and extremely knowledgable. He talked the entire time with all sorts of factual information and flew us over absolutely breathtaking scenery. He didn't really try to socialize with us though, it was strictly business which was fine with us. Personally, I chose this charter company because their helicopters are supposed to be the most comfortable (perfect safety record also)and with kids ages 3 to 15, I wanted doors for my sanity. Some other tidbits, I was told to not wear white because of the reflection off of the glass, the front is of course better but we were situated according to our weight. It was recommended to book the trip in the beginning of your trip so as to orientate you to the island. The pictures turned out beautiful and the pilot made sure both sides of the helicopter saw everything. I highly recommend doing it since my kids are still talking about it and as one previous poster stated, going to Kauai without taking a helicopter ride is like going to the Sistine Chapel without looking up. Have fun!!!!

jo

No, our helicopter didn't have doors but we were firmly strapped in. Was great

Lisa

e -I decided to book with Inter-Island -their waterfall tour sounds too romantic to pass up. I am still a little nervous about not having any doors, though.

Maureen, thanks for your info. Jack Harter was my second choice. I have heard nothing but good things about this company. If I was going with my kids, I would have selected Jack Harter also.

Thanks to everyone for your help!

Now I still have to make a decision about the Na Pali boat trip. I'd still love to hear more about peoples' recent experiences with these tours.

e

Lisa, don't worry about the doors, you made a great choice. Let us know how it goes. Aloha !!

Mel

Jack Harter was fabulous. They have windows that open for great viewing. We were grateful that we could close them when not taking pictures because it got cold. They have two-way radios so that you can talk to the pilot and ask him to hover a little longer for pictures. They also have a perfect safety record. They also have clearance to fly lower and closer than most. We were what seemed like arms length from the weeping wall waterfalls while other tour birds were flying way higher and faster than us. Not all operators have the same clearance and must fly way higher and farther away. I booked before I got to the island and got a discount.