Recommendations please - Helicopter and snorkelling - Big Island
 

Hi everyone,

I am in the final stages of planning our Hawaii trip from Australia. We leave in just one week!

I am looking for recommendations please of helicopter / volcano tours as well as a snorkelling tour for our family. Our children are 12 and 16 and confident swimmers. We will also have my parents with us so no long hikes please :)

We are staying at FAIRWAY VILLAS WAIKOLOA and will have a car.

Thank you

We used Blue Hawaiian Helicopter for tour. It was an amazing experience. We took the tour departing from Waikoloa; it was quite convenient. We did the Big Island Spectacular and it sure was and that and more.

http://www.bluehawaiian.com/bigisland/tours/

We used Sea Quest out of Kona for snorkeling. We snorkeled at three distinct spots, Place of Refuge, Captain Cook and an unnamed spot where they thought sea turtles were active (they were). One of the best days of my life; it was truly memorable.

I won't recommend specific operators but can give a few tips about the tours. With a family of four and a pilot, in most helicopters someone will likely have a middle rear seat. Be sure this person knows beforehand that visibility is not as good as the window seats. We've read many stories from disgruntled tourists and invariably these people were in middle seats.

Also some companies are now offering doorless tours, which might have age restrictions so check and see. But if you want thrill, it doesn't get much better without a wingsuit. Other operators offer expanded glass doors and cockpits, which are nearly as good as doorless, and the view is basically all around you. Choice of vehicle makes a big difference, and imo it's why helicopter tours are generally much preferable to airplane tours.

Multiple tour companies either leave or pick up from Waikoloa and the Kohala resorts, including most of the major ones on the island. Tours with companies that have or have access to local helipads in Waikoloa are much faster and easier than driving to the KOA airport, so imo it's best to pick one of these companies if possible.

As for snorkeling, most of the best spots are on the west side of the island. If you can go very early morning, just after sunrise, nothing else compares to Kealakekua Bay. It might be a little strenuous for early teens, and if you can't go until later in the day, don't bother imo and stick with snorkeling points further north along the coast (Energy Lab, off the KOA airport, Puako etc). Several other great spots are along this coast and it's just a matter of what you wish to find. Do some research.

We used Blue Hawaiian Helicopters on both BI and Kauai and had amazing experiences on both. They do weigh you (discreetly) when you check in so that they can distribute the weight evenly. So yes someone may end up in the middle seat.

I just updated my blog with some pictures from the Big Island including the volcano...it was from a trip in 2010 but I think everything is still relevant today :)

Part 1: http://sulynnchen.com/travelblog/?p=1723
Part 2: http://sulynnchen.com/travelblog/?p=1775

tifa, thanks for those. This part made me laugh:

"One of these places is Manago Hotel’s restaurant, which serves the best pork chops I’ve ever eaten. I’m not even a pork chop fan"

Same here. I was blown away by their food in general. Pork chops for dinner in my family usually meant 45 solid minutes of chewing.

My wife had a 2 hour helicopter ride on Blue Hawaiian and thought it was an amazing.

We have snorkeled many times on the Big Island. One trip we used the Fair Wind and enjoyed it.

https://www.fair-wind.com/

You might also consider snorkeling with the manta rays. Last visit we did this and we loved it. To have the manta rays swimming all around you is so cool.

http://www.bigislanddivers.com/MantaDive.html

Have a blast in the Big Island!

We did the manta ray dive and it was one of our top adventures ever.

But do be aware that it is really dark at night in/on the water. A few people on our boat did not go in the water and another came right out as they were "uncomfortable" [read that as scared, which I can understand and respect].

Even though there are lots of boats and other people around, it can be unnerving even for seasoned snorkelers. So, just be sure everyone is on board with it before you pay $$ for the trip.

Thank you so much for all your help ... We really appreciate it :)

fdecarlo - LOL, I know, it was so tender and delicious...I guess that is what good pork chops taste like and I honestly have not had any other pork chop that has tasted so good. It's so inexpensive too!