Reviewed by: irene
The excursion was extremely interesting and our tour guide Mavrick very knowledgeable also he was concered about the group safety. We where well informed about the history of the creater, lava tube and the coffee tour! The staff was wonderful and extremely polite, took their time for the guest to drink some of the delicious Hula Daddy Coffee while looking out at the beautiful view.
The only downside I had was the ***extremely*** bumping ride as we got closer to the crater, I feel if there was dirt road or pavement all would have been perfect... I also feel because of the rough road and the crater edge no kids should be taken on this tour. Overall, this was an experience I will always remember, Thanks.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2011/09/13 |
Reviewed by: miwa.M
This is something I absolutely think everyone should experience!
In addition to seeing the moving red lava, they also took us to a canyon that can only be accessed by helicopter, showcasing a world you can't see in everyday life.
You can witness the wonders of nature.
The pilot, Toshi, was a fun person and provided a lot of explanations, which was great.
I heard that Toshi also runs a company called Aloha Breeze.
Since you can see the natural conditions at that time, I don't think you'll ever get tired of the experience, no matter how many times you do it.
I definitely plan to ride in a helicopter again next time!
これは、絶対経験するべきと思いました!
赤い溶岩が動いている様子やワイピオ渓谷の他にもヘリでしか行けない渓谷にも連れて行ってくれて、日常では見られない世界です。
自然の素晴らしさを見られます。
パイロットのトシさんは、楽しい方で、いろいろ説明もしてもらえてので良かったです。
トシさんはアロハブリーズという会社もされているそうです。
その時の自然の状態を見られるので、何度経験しても飽きないと思います。
次もぜひ、ヘリに乗ろうと思います!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2011/07/10 |
Reviewed by: Tom & Mindy
Totally awesome! Mark was full of interesting information and the trip was beautiful and amazing! We would highly recommend this adventure to anyone!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2011/06/06 |
Reviewed by: fufufu
After driving around the Big Island, I participated in this tour.
It was exciting to see the scenery and the overall landscape of the island that I couldn't see from the car.
In Hawaii, the clouds feel very low. The moment I entered the clouds, water droplets formed on the window, and the wind from the propeller made them slide down the window at an incredible speed, which was quite a surprise.
I could see the boundary between the grassy areas and the black regions where lava had solidified, observe plants growing only along the river in places without paths, suddenly encounter a volcano with glowing red lava inside, and get close to a magnificent waterfall surrounded by lush greenery. It was truly a tour that allowed me to experience the grandeur of Hawaii's nature.
I was hoping for a Japanese pilot, but unfortunately, it was conducted in English.
If I understood a bit more English, it would have been even more interesting... I realized my lack of English skills.
Of course, the pilot was very refreshing and a wonderful person.
After seeing the overall landscape from here, driving around the island might spark more interest in various things.
車でハワイ島を回った後に参加。
車では見えなかった景色や島の全貌が見え興奮ものでした。
ハワイは雲がとても低く感じられます。
雲に入った瞬間に窓に水滴がつきプロペラの爆風ですごい勢いで窓を伝って滑り落ちていく様までが珍しく、驚きの連続でした。
草原地帯と、溶岩の固まったような黒いエリアの境目が見えたり、道なき場所にある川沿いにだけ植物が育っているのをみたり、急に火山が出現しその中で溶岩が赤く光っているのをみたり、そうかと思えば、緑あふれるにある壮大な滝に接近したり、本当にハワイの自然の壮大さを体感でいるツアーでした。
日本人パイロットもいるということでそれにかけていましたが、残念ながら英語対応。
もうちょっと英語がわかればもっとおもしろかったのに…。自分の英語力のなさを痛感しました。
もちろんパイロットさんは、とっても爽やかで素敵な方でしたいよ。
こちらで全貌をみてから島を車でまわると、いろいろなことに興味がもてていいかもしれません。
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2011/05/10 |
Reviewed by: Tina Thatcher
This was an excellent trip!
The pre-flight activities were well organized, and the staff was very courteous.
The actual flight was incredible, and the pilot was very knowledgeable. It was wonderful to be able to ask questions while in flight.
The weather was the only drawback. We couldn't see the crater due to rain/fog/wind. It was still an incredible trip, but it would have been even better to see the crater.
I would recommend this trip to anyone, although considering the cost, children probably wouldn't enjoy as much as adults. Seating is arranged by weight to balance the ride, so young children could be separated from Mom - might be an issue for some.
Overall, a wonderful tour conducted by a wonderful company.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2011/04/05 |
Reviewed by: 山マキFamily
The staff's service is outstanding. They are friendly and approachable. The pilot was cautious and serious, and the explanations were easy to understand (he's from Hawaii). It was the most comfortable helicopter ride I've ever experienced.
I started to get a bit bored with the endless expanse of volcanic ash and land, but then came the breathtaking beauty of the Kohala Coast and Waipi'o Valley!!!! I think this beauty can only be appreciated from a helicopter. When I spotted a mother and baby whale swimming from above and informed the pilot, he kindly showed us from an angle where everyone could see, which was truly moving.
For those who want to condense the essence of the vast Hawaii Island into a short time, this adventure comes highly recommended.
スタッフさんの対応は抜群です。気軽に話しかけてくれてフレンドリーです。パイロットの方は慎重な運転のかたで、まじめ、解説もわかりやすかった(ハワイのかたです)です。今まで乗ったヘリコプターのなかでいちばん安心の乗り心地でした。
延々と続く広大な火山灰と土地に半ば飽きが来てしまいましたが そのうちコハラコースト、ワイピオバレーの鳥肌ものの美しさ!!!!これはヘリの上からでないと味わえない美しさだと思いました。途中クジラの親子の遊泳を上から発見した私がパイロットに知らせると丁寧に 全員が観れる角度で見せてくれて感激しました。
広い広いハワイ島の醍醐味を短い時間で凝縮して楽しみたいというかたは、ぜひお勧めのアドベンチャーです。
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2011/03/07 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
We loved our helicopter tour! Our first time in a helicopter and we both had a few hesitations, but the ground crew was very helpful and supportive and Koji, our pilot, was wonderful. He made an effort to circle around each area so that everyone would have a great view of the area. The tour was awesome, we felt like we saw all the highlights on the island and really got a feeling of how the lava flows and how the island has changed over the years. We would definitely recommend this tour. The highlight of our trip to the Big Island.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2011/03/02 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
This was an extremely unique experience. Some of the views can only be experienced from a helicopter. Waterfalls, lava flows, flights deep into the valley are just some of the sights on this tour. The pilot/guide is extremely knowledgeable and makes the trip fun as well. Well worth the cost and would highly recommend for any individual or group. I can only imagine that each trip would be different due to environmental conditions such as lava flows and rainfall so it is perfect for first timers and repeat guests.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2011/02/21 |
Reviewed by: crfolgate
This would be a great trip IF you don't get stuck in the backwards seats. These seats are a total rip off since you don't get to see where you are headed and when there is something cool to see well too bad it's already past. Pilot does a good job of trying to circle around so everyone see's but there's no way for the backward seat folks to see anything really well. If you decide to go I STRONGLY recommend that you get guarantee's that you get a front seat or front looking seats only. My wife and Mom had great seats and enjoyed the views I'm happy about that but I wish I had saved the money and sent them up without me since it was two hours of flying backwards and barely seeing anything. You have been warned. :O
**** Also you should also be aware that the photo's of all the cool lava flows are really old. We saw very little lava and after the flight we found out they use old photo's for advertising. Pretty views are to be had but not much lava.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2011/02/04 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
The staff was fantastic - friendly, helpful, and safe. Let alone the views and vistas you get to see - this is the best bang-for-the-buck of helicopter tours, with a full 2 hours in the air. The pilot, Koji, was very knowledgeable of the area and led an incredibly informative and fun talk over the intercom. Koji also provided a very comfortable ride that was much more mellow and safe than I was expecting (I'm afraid of heights and I LOVED IT, so don't let your fear of heights worry you, you'll be fine with these guys). Excellent work from everyone and I'll be back soon : )
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2011/01/19 |
Reviewed by: Jerald Fox
Everyone shoud do this tour in the first few days of vacation. Fantastic experience and the best way to see the island!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2010/12/31 |
Reviewed by: Adele + Samantha
The helicopter trip was fun. The pilot (Julie) was very informative. Would have been better if the volcano was erupting so that we could have seen that!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2010/12/29 |
Reviewed by: Dawn
Had a fantastic time! Our guide, Jesse, grew up on the island and was a wealth of information about not just what we saw on the tour, but also about other activities on the island. Word of caution: if you book through a third party like we did, after you receive confirmation, call Paradise to verify your group size. We showed up as scheduled to discover that someone (don't know if it was Paradise or Hawaii Activities) incorrectly entered the size of our group as two instead of three. We couldn't take the tour on our scheduled day because the group was overbooked. Luckily we were able to go the next day and Paradise had availability. They took great care of us once the error was discovered, but if you're on a tight schedule, don't risk missing out. Call ahead! Inconvenience aside, this is something you should do and was well worth the cost!!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2010/11/26 |
Reviewed by: Peggy
The Volcano Helicopter Tour with Blue Hawaiian was outstanding! One of the highlights of our trip. We were not only fortunate enough to see lava in the crater and flowing into the ocean but saw many other great sites and learned a great deal about the region. Our guide (Thanks, Kemo!) was fun, knowledgable and a great pilot. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/10/11 |
Reviewed by: エクレア大好き
I am very satisfied.
Even though I couldn't communicate in Japanese, I was still very satisfied.
It was the most enjoyable time during my trip to Hawaii.
If I have the opportunity, I would like to use it again.
The driving was safe and comfortable.
大満足です。
日本語が通じませんでしたが、それでも大満足でした。
ハワイの旅行で1番楽しい時間でした。
機会があれば、また利用したいと思います。
運転も安全で、快適でした。
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2010/10/03 |
Reviewed by: Peter in Sydney
Well worth doing the helicopter ride and the Doors Off Experience is the way to do it. The ride itself is worth it but to then fly over the lava flowing into the ocean and seeing collapsed lava tubes is something else.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/09/24 |
Reviewed by: Gary and Michelle Trupe
Absolutely fantastic!! Great care taken by the staff. Great attention to detail. Saftey always the first priority and concern. The staff is not only knowledgeable but absolutely incredibly fun to travel with. We would never go anywhere else and we will most certainly return. Keep up the great work! Aloha and Maholo!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/08/30 |
Reviewed by: Aimee and John
John and I wanted to send this email thanking everyone at Paradise for a once in a lifetime experience on our vacation. We took one of your newer trips which flew out of Kona, over the valleys, drop off in Hilo for the day (with paid rental car), then over the Volcanoes, and back to Kona. We really enjoyed the entire day. In fact we hadn't originally thought we would get to visit the Hilo area since the drive from Kona is a couple of hours. So not only did we get to see beautiful valleys, waterfalls, and running lava from air but we got to explore the Rain forest national Zoo, The Volcano national Park, Rainbow Falls, and Akaka Falls all by land as well. Also our pilot Steve was so informative and friendly he really helped make our day just that much more special. I'm sure he flies the same routes every day, yet you couldn't tell. His passion for the land, and surroundings was contagious. Thanks again, we included some of our amazing trip photos.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/06/10 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
This is a great activity except if you're prone to motion-sickness then it is not for you. Two hours was way too long for us. I was doing well in the first hour when we were shown the volcanoes and mountains but in the second hour I could not keep my eyes open due to my motion sickness. And that sucked because in the second hour is when he shows you the beautiful valleys and waterfalls! Thank God my husband was able to record it for me but it still wasn't the same. I would recommend a 45-minute-1 hour tour but not the 2 hour tour.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/04/22 |
Reviewed by: William
To start off with when we were making reservations transportation aparently wasn't available. Don't let them tell you that. They have vans and make pick-ups from the hotel we stayed in. We took the big island spectacular 2 hour. It was nice. The volcano part wasn't what i thought. I expected to see flowing lava. All you see is the top crust of past lava flows. Even the volcano vent wasn't what I thought it would be. The VOG was so thick thast about all you could see. A little let down. Although the 2nd part was the tropical rain forest. We had a nice ride along the ocean front. Went up the valleys and saw more waterfalls than I could keep track of. Pilot even sighted some whales and circled for us. Wind turbulance in some of the valleys made me tighten my seat belt a bit. Later I learned the pilot is a retired coast guard pilot. Wish I knew that going in, I would have been a bit more relaxed.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2010/04/04 |
Reviewed by: Mary Liz
I flew from Honolulu to Hilo early for trip which was scheduled for 8:30 AM. We were delayed starting by about one hour for other guests who took a later flight. My main reason for this tour was to see the volcano. Because of air quality, the observation area was closed. Because of cloud cover, we could not see the top of the volcano. We were able to visit the National Park Visitors Center which was worthwhile.
The tour guide was just fair. We visited several commercial sites.
He tried to make up for the closing of the observation area by stopping at other volcanoes in the park & a lava tube.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2010/02/03 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
We had a great time on the Big Island tour today. The flight was
awesome. The pilot, Koji, did a terrific job. He made sure folks on
both sides of the helicopter saw the sights-Pu'u O'o, lava flowing
into the ocean, waterfalls, etc. It was our first time in a helicopter
and it was a great experience.
The reservationists were patient and informative. The folks at the
terminal were helpful, supportive and very upbeat-they truly seemed
excited for us.
We will be sure to spread the good word about your outfit.
Thank you for making the experience positive, simple and memorable for
us.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2009/12/11 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
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.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2009/09/29 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
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
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2009/09/29 |
Reviewed by: Robin & Julie O'Neill
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
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2009/09/17 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
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.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2009/09/11 |
Reviewed by: hiro
We participated in a lava and canyon tour with a family of six, including an 83-year-old. Fortunately, the pilot was Japanese, so the explanations were easy to understand, which was great. Honestly, while it was nice to see the lava flowing to the coast, I had imagined something a bit more intense. What exceeded my expectations was the number of waterfalls in the canyon and the breathtaking experience of flying deep into the carved canyon, which is something only a helicopter can offer—absolutely amazing!
Hawaii Island has many areas that are difficult to access from the ground, so I recommend it for those with weaker legs. Although it costs a bit, the view from the sky during the nearly two-hour flight was worth it. I bought a video tape that included scenes from inside the aircraft, which became a fun memory.
83歳を含むファミリー6名で溶岩と渓谷のツアーに参加、
運よく操縦士の方が日本人だったので説明もよくわかりとてもよかった。
正直溶岩は海岸に流れているところが見えよかったが、もう少し激しいものを想像していたので?とおもうこともあった。想像以上だったのは渓谷での滝の多さと深く切り込んだ渓谷の間に入っていくのはヘリコプターならではの圧巻で最高!だった。
ハワイ島は地上からの無理なところも多いので、足が弱い方にもおすすめ、多少値段はかかるが空からの眺めは、あっという間の2時間弱、機内での様子を含んだ景色のビデオテープを買い楽しい思い出になりました。
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2009/08/20 |
Reviewed by: Tracey K.
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!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2009/07/04 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
Our Blue Hawaiian Helicopter tour was fantastic. Our pilot, Chris, was very informative and knowledgeable about the volcano and its surrounding area. His flying was superb as it was a very smooth ride. I would definitely recommend the Circle of Fire tour!!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2009/06/30 |
Reviewed by: Glenn
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!!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2009/06/02 |
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