All Reviews for Hilo

We did the "Fire & Falls" tour and loved it (although we both got a bit airsick, but that's not the company's fault, that's just because we're prone to it - the other couple with us was fine). I had picked Paradise because it was the cheapest air tour of the volcano (in terms of cost per minute), but I can't imagine why I would pay more for another company because this ride was everything we wanted.

We did the "doors off" tour and it was a 4-person helicopter (not incl. the pilot), so everyone had a fantastic view. I would highly recommend the doors-off experience. My husband is a bit afraid of heights, and even he agreed that doors-off was worth it (but a bit frightening for him). Our pilot was Jesse and he was a lot of fun.

What I loved is that if a passenger spotted lava, our pilot would circle back (as if we were "lava hunting") and make sure that everyone got a view.

The waterfalls portion was brief, and at the end. The main attraction of this tour is the volcano/lava.

Our group of 4 booked a "doors off" helicopter ride through Paradise Helicopters. None of our group had ever been in a helicopter before and this exceeded all of our expectations. The front desk staff was courteous and upbeat. The guy doing the safety briefing was thorough and knowledgeable while infusing some humor into the "speech". Our pilot was Joyce and we could not have asked for a better experience. Because there were 4 of us, we took every seat on the helicopter. We were concerned at first about the view from the front-middle seat, but she could still see everything, though you do miss the experience of sitting right by the window.

Joyce did a great job of going over the different areas multiple times so each side of the helicopter could see what was below. Joyce spoke clearly and slowly and we never had a problem hearing what she was saying and she would repeat the "attractions" for both sides of the helicopter.

If you have the option of choosing your pilot, you want J

Doors Off is the ONLY way to go!!! Mahalo so much for the awesome tour experience over the Kilauea Lava Flow. Dylan was a great pilot and was very knowledgeable about the Hawaiian terrain we were flying over. He definitely provided a great commentary and guide to the beautiful sights below us. We have taken helicopter tours before over such things as Niagara Falls, but we will not want to be flying with doors on ever again. We highly recommend the doors off experience, it is second to none

An amazing activity definately recommended to be done on Big Island. You get a narrated tour and see the flowing lava fields and the lava hitting the sea. A once in a life time experience. You see sights that you wouldn't see from ground level. Worth every penny. Very friendly staff.

Paradise Helicopters is an excellent company and I would highly recommend the Fire and Falls tour out of Hilo. For three of the four of us, this was our first time in a helicopter and it was amazing. Our pilot Dylan was fantastic and gave us a personal guided tour which was great because the whole ride was very interactive. Definitely the best way to see the Volcano and Water Falls!

The "doors off" was everything I had expected.....spectacular!!! Combine this with Jacks Volcano House Landing and you have a fantastic adventure. Jack Thompson met us and was a very cordial tour guide of the devastation that has occured arround his house. The pilot was an obvious experienced professional. The flight was smooth and not "white knuckle" at all. My wife was even pleasantly surprised, and she hates to fly!!!

We took the open door with landing at Jack's lava house. It was a very neat experience getting to walk on the lava rock. Be prepared for being wind-blown on the open doors, and take a jacket as it can be chilly in the air. Overall a very nice experience, but don't expect big "red lava flows" as that is not realistic. You can't exactly "feel the heat" and the waterfalls are not close up views they are more from a distance and thrown in at the end, But still pretty spectacular scenery!

Overall the tour was enjoyable, but it could have been better. The driver forgot to pick me up at my hotel and I had to call to remind them. The driver/guide gave a great deal of information about everthing, so much so that the constant talk became a blur after a while. The sights we saw were great for a first timer to the island, but if I were to come back, I would stay on the west coast and drive over to see the volcano.

I wavered back and forth with doing a helicopter ride since it is so expensive. My boyfriend and I went on the Falls and Fire tour, which was interesting. I am glad we did it, since much of the volcano viewing area was closed due to the fumes, but I wish we could have gone at night to see the lava flows better. It was a bit inconvenient for us due to the weather (we had to reschedule), luckily we could be a bit flexible. I would recommend a helicopter ride in Hawaii to anyone, since it is a unique experience and the views are phenomenal.

Awesome experience, best pictures I could ever have from the off doors helicopter. The view was spectacular and the staff was awesome. Thank you!!! Cant wait to be back :)

This is the most amazing ride of the life time. If you have a chance, do this tour. You won't regret it. It's worth every penny.

There is no word to describe this experience. It's like skydiving. You have to do it to know.

It was great! We could hear the earth's heart beat here. My five year old wanted to know more about the volcano after the trip, he didn't stop asking me questions!

This was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Our pilot, Steve, shared his vast knowledge of the big island with us. Absolutely amazing!! I would do this again in a heartbeat!

We had a FANTASTIC experience on the Paradise Helicopter tour!
We would do it again, the next time we travel to Hawai'i.
I've included some of my favorite pictures from the tour.
Had a GREAT time!
Aloha,

Great time ! We are still talking about it.

I had the amazing experience of seeing the volcano and lava field from a helicopter with the doors off! This is a once in a lifetime experience! The vantage point is unsurpassed and one really gets the feel for the enormity and power of volcanos. The volcano was very active during my flight and I could view red lava droping into the ocean, "sky lights" and brand new back sand beaches being created. During the flight you also see many of the beautiful waterfalls and varied micro-climates that make up the Big Island. My photos came out great and I was using a small, digital camera. A MUST DO!!

This was THE HIGHLIGHT of our honeymoon trip to Big Island. MAJESTIC is the only word we could describe the active volcano. We could feel the breath of our planet. Will do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks!

We enjoyed the trip and would recommend it to others.

Our tour guide Sharon was wonderful!! She was very informative and knew the history and tour sites very well. She was also funny and entertaining even though our group was not very responsive at first. She made us laugh in the end.

Would definitely do this again! Pilot was fabulous and sights were beautiful. Wonderful way to spend time in Hilo.

Great way to see the highlights of Hilo and the volcano. Good price for it too.

This was fun because we were able to go see different things along the tour and learn about the island. Thank you.

It was awesome, exciting and unforgetable.

I went on this tour alone and found it very informative with lots to do even if you have nobody to share it with. The other tourists were very friendly and helped me take plenty of pictures and the tour guide was a sponge of information!

The helicopter ride with the doors off was very cool! You can feel the heat from the lava! This tour gives you a great view of the different features of the island. It's a bit on the expensive side, but I'd recommend it if you've never done it before.

This tour was a wonderful experience! The open door helicopter was, in my opinion, the ONLY way to see the volcano's and the associated flows. We were lucky enough to witness 3 surface flows, noticeable flow into the ocean AND 2 craters with visible orange molten lava! Thanks for a great time. Emily, you were AWESOME!

Polynesian Adventure Tours has very knowledgeable staff members. They share information freely during the tour, which is a great asset in learning more about Hawai'ian history and the volcanoes specifically.

The only problem my wife and I had was how much talking went on. While the information was welcome at times, it seemed the talking never stopped. For some this may be perfect, but it was a little overwhelming/annoying for us.

Overall, the tour went well and the sites were spectacular.

I participated in the Circle of Fire tour departing from Hilo. The departure time was 9 AM, and six of us boarded one helicopter. Naturally, sitting by the window is preferable, but only three people can sit there, and the seating arrangement seems to be determined based on the balance of the aircraft. I was already feeling excited before getting on the helicopter, but the moment it took off, my spirits soared. Below me was the beautiful town of Hilo, and I could also see Rainbow Falls. After flying over the forest for a while, we finally arrived at the much-anticipated volcano crater. There were five plumes of smoke rising, and the helicopter circled above them. I could clearly see the red crater. It reminded me of the movie "The Lord of the Rings." It was truly moving. This is something you can only see from a helicopter. There are also Cessna tours available, but a helicopter is definitely the way to go. The altitude is completely different. After the crater, we passed over black lava (and spotted some red lava along the way) and saw the lava flowing into the sea at the Chain of Craters Road, creating steam, before heading back. The landing was surprisingly soft, and the ride was incredibly comfortable. However, I think it's a good idea for those who might get motion sickness to take some medication beforehand. To show the people sitting on the right and left sides of the helicopter, the pilot made right and left turns to give us a view of the crater, but those directional changes were quite nauseating. I was fine, but there was one person who seemed to be struggling. The entire tour was conducted in English. Initially, the staff only spoke English, but there was one Japanese person among them. It's fine even if you can't speak English. There seems to be a Japanese pilot named Toshi, but I guess that's just luck. If you depart from Kona, it costs more to see the crater, but from Hilo, you can take a relatively inexpensive 50-minute tour, which I recommend. Also, try to go early in the morning because it gets crowded since the crater is the main attraction. In the afternoon, clouds tend to form more easily. In fact, when I participated at 9 AM, there were two helicopters, but by the 10 AM departure, there were quite a few people in line. During the tour, I was quite eager to take videos, and I was able to buy one for $20. This video was taken without me realizing it, and it occasionally includes scenes from inside the helicopter, making for some great memories. I purchased it. So, I highly encourage you, the reader, to hop on a helicopter and see the red crater for yourself. It's amazing!

ヒロ出発のサークルオブファイヤーに参加しました。参加した時間は午前９時出発。１台のヘリに６名のりました。座る場所は当然窓側がいいのですが、窓側にのれるのは３名で、座る場所は機体のバランスを考えて決まるようです。ヘリに乗る前からドキドキだったのですが、ヘリが飛び立った瞬間から気分は最高潮。眼下に美しいヒロの町並み、そして、レインボー滝も見えました。しばらく森の上を飛んだ後、いよいよお待ちかねのボルケーノの火口が登場します。もくもくと煙が５つあがっていて、そのうえをヘリは旋回します。はっきりと赤い火口がみえました。映画のロードオブリングを思い出してしまいました。ほんと感動ものです。これがみれるのはヘリしかない。セスナ機のツアーもあるようですが、セスナ機より断然ヘリです。高度が全然ちがいます。火口のあとは、黒い溶岩の上を通過（途中、赤い溶岩を所々発見）し､チェーンオブクレーター道路の先にある溶岩が海に流れ落ちて水蒸気があがっているところをみて、帰路につきます。着陸は思いのほかソフトで､すごい乗り心地がよかったです。ただ、酔いそうな人は酔い止めを飲んでおくといいと思います。ヘリの右側と左側に座っている人に見せるため､途中右旋回と左旋回で､火口を見せてくれるのですが､その方向転換の時、けっこう気持ち悪いです。私は平気でしたが､１人やばそうな方がおられました。ツアーはすべて英語でした。係員も最初英語のみでしたが、途中１人日本人の方がおられました。別に英語がしゃべれない人でも大丈夫です。パイロットもトシさんという日本人パイロットがおられるようですが、こればっかりは運でしょうか。コナ出発だと､火口をみようと思うと費用がかかりますが、ヒロからなら、50分のツアーで比較的安価にいけるのでおすすめです。さらに時間は早い時間にしましょう。なぜなら、火口がメインポイントのため混むからです。そして、午後は雲が発生しやすいらしい。事実、私が参加した９時は２機のヘリでしたが､10時発はけっこう人が並んでました。ツアー中、けっこう必死にビデオとってたのですが、20ドルで買うことができました。このビデオはしらんまにとられてて､車内の様子もたまに入っているので､けっこういい思い出になります。私は購入しました。では、ぜひぜひこれを読んでるあなた様もヘリにのって、赤い火口をごらんになってみてください。すっご