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Oahu
Very interesting, we love history and felt very humbled by the entire experience!
I had always wanted to experience a helicopter tour, and I finally had the opportunity to board one this time.
The meeting point was at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in the Honolulu Airport area. I took an Uber from Waikiki, and since the address is registered, I arrived smoothly. The Uber fare fluctuates, but it was about $30-35.
After arriving, I checked in at the counter. Large luggage is not allowed inside, so I stored my bags in lockers or the office and waited with just my smartphone and sunglasses until departure.
Once all the guests in the same time slot gathered, we watched a safety video for about 10 minutes before departure. The safety video not only covered important safety points but also included exciting visuals that captivated my attention. It was entirely in English, but there were Japanese subtitles, so I could grasp the important points clearly.
Fortunately, my flight was piloted by a Japanese pilot named KOJI. Before departure, he asked in Japanese, "Do you have any questions?" which made me feel more at ease.
After watching the video, once we fastened our seatbelts, it was finally time to board the helicopter. Stepping out of the office, we were on the runway of Honolulu Airport! It was thrilling to walk on a runway that is usually off-limits. I could view international flights from a different perspective.
Once on the helicopter, we did a microphone test, and off we went. KOJI mixed English and Japanese in his explanations, so I felt zero anxiety and was able to enjoy the flight. The sensation of floating was incredible, unlike anything I experienced on a plane. We took off from Honolulu Airport with movie music playing in the background.
The first thing visible from the sky was the Ala Moana and Waikiki area. It was a strange experience to look down at the area where I had just stayed and my favorite Ala Moana Beach Park. The ocean around Waikiki was breathtaking! I was constantly amazed by the varying shades of blue in the water.
The helicopter flew over Waikiki and passed above Diamond Head. After that, we reached the popular sandbar, which truly looked stunning, appearing as a bright blue patch in the ocean, just like in the photos.
Before I knew it, the background music had changed to Hawaiian music, and we continued to enjoy the view over Kualoa Ranch and the lush Ko'olau Mountains. I was thrilled when we approached "Saycrad Fall," which can only be seen from a helicopter.
The helicopter kept moving, and we arrived near the North Shore. As I enjoyed the peaceful scenery of sprawling farms and windmills, I spotted the Dole Plantation below. The popular maze is hard to see from above, but viewing it from the sky gave me a better understanding of its layout.
The final part of the course was Pearl Harbor. I could see ships docked, the serious atmosphere, and the battleship Missouri from above. It was striking to realize how Pearl Harbor served as a military base. I was reminded that Hawaii was the starting point of the Pacific War, and I imagined the views seen by Japanese and American pilots. I experienced an unexpected "learning" during the helicopter tour over Pearl Harbor.
KOJI's explanations were clear and lively, and the 50-minute course flew by. While it’s not a budget-friendly tour, I can confidently say it offers an unforgettable experience! I highly recommend the helicopter tour as a once-in-a-lifetime emotional experience!
一度は体験してみたかったヘリ遊覧飛行。機会をいただき、この度、搭乗させていただきました。
集合場所はホノルル空港エリアのBlue Hawaiian Helicopter社です。私はワイキキからUberで向かいましたが、住所登録もされているのでスムーズに到着できました。
Uberの料金はときにより変動していますが、およそ30-35ドル程度でした。
到着後はチェックインカウンターで手続きです。大きな手荷物は持って入れないので、ロッカーや事務所に預かってもらい、スマホやサングラスだけを手元に出発まで待機します。
同時間帯のお客さんが全員揃ったら出発前に10分ほどの安全ビデオを見ます。安全ビデオは、安全に関する点だけでなくワクワクするような映像も散りばめられていて、つい見入ってしまうものでした。
全編英語ですが、日本語の字幕もついているので、大事なポイントはしっかり把握することが可能です。
ラッキーなことに、私のフライトは日本人パイロットのKOJIさんが担当くださいました。
出発前にも日本語で「わからないことはありますか？」など聞いていただけ、より安心感が強まります。
ビデオ視聴後、安全ベルトを装着したら、いよいよヘリコプターへ搭乗です。
事務所を出るとそこはホノルル空港の滑走路！普段は歩けない滑走路の上を歩く機会、テンションが上がります。
国際線の飛行機もいつもと違う視点で眺めることができました。
ヘリコプターに乗ったら機内用のマイクテストをし、いざ出発です。
KOJIさんが英語、日本語を混ぜて説明してくれるので、フライト開始前も不安ゼロで楽しめました。飛行機とは違う浮遊感がたまらないですね。映画音楽をBGMに聞きながら、ホノルル空港を颯爽と飛び立ちます。
上空から1番に見えてくるのはアラモアナ・ワイキキエリア。
さっきまで私が滞在していた地域や、大好きなアラモアナ・ビーチパークを上から眺めるのは不思議な体験でした。
ワイキキの海は絶景ですね！
海の青色がところどころ違っていることもわかり、感動しっぱなしでした。
ヘリコプターはワイキキを超え、ダイヤモンドヘッド上空を通過します。
その先はツアーでも大人気のサンドバー。本当に海のその部分だけ青白く浮かび上がっている情景は、写真の通りで見事でした。
気づけばBGMはハワイアンミュージックに変わっており、続いてクアロア・ランチの上空、コオラウ山脈の緑を眺めていきます。
ヘリコプターでしか見ることができない「Saycrad Fall」に近づいたときは嬉しかったです。
ヘリコプターはどんどん進み、ノースショア付近にたどり着きます。
のどかな農場が広がる光景、風車が並ぶ景色を気持ちよく眺めていると、眼下にドール・プランテーションが。
人気の迷路は、上空から見ないと全貌が見えづらいですね。上から見ることでよく様子がわかりました。
コースの最後は真珠湾です。実際に船が停泊している様子や、ものものしい雰囲気、戦艦ミズーリ等も上から見ることができました。
いかに真珠湾が軍用拠点だったか。自然にできた入り組んだ港湾の特異さにも納得させられました。
ハワイが太平洋戦争の発端だったことを改めて思い出し、日本軍、米軍のパイロットが見た景色を想像します。
思いがけないヘリツアーでの「学び」を、真珠湾上空で感じることができました。
KOJIさんの解説はわかりやすく軽快で、50分コースはあっという間でした。
決してお手頃なツアーではないですが、絶対に外さない感動体験ができる！と確信できるツアーです。
一生に一度の感動体験として、ヘリコプターツアーお勧めです！
Translated by OpenAI
awesome experience. wish would have made this top of list after arrival in honolulu. would have found so many more places visit and see at ground level!
We had a great day, our driver Humu was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained getting there and coming back to our pick up place he was right on time overall it was a great experience, didn’t care for the food that was available at pearl harbor , we went to the Arizona memorial I think we should have done both tours the Missouri as well maybe next time.
Quick and easy morning, hotel pick up is easy and going through the park is a lot easier than it seemed before i got hoere
great day of history and reliving the past when walking through the PH grounds.
convenient pick up, easy day around the park, includes arizona tix
Been wanting to do this for years
Got to see history in real life and see where all those men lived and worked
Photos of signing of surrender and military men of the past.
Even where a kamakize pilot flew into the ship and photos
Great adventure
Will recommend to my friends and family
Kilani, our bus driver, did an excellent job and was very knowledgeable and funny. The Pearl Harbor tour guide was also excellent and informative. It rained for a bit, but then stopped. The Missouri guide was excellent but only talked at the first two stops. I thought he would talk all through the tour. It probably would have been difficult to do with the narrow passageways though. I would suggest not bringing any kind of bag unless it is a see-through one because you can't take it inside the grounds - have to pay for a locker.
We had the most incredible time touring the Mighty Mo!! Really incredible to stand on a battleship where WWII came to an end. Saffron, our tour guide, was absolutely fantastic!!! She was so informative, interesting and kind. Could listen to her all day! We also met Alvin in the Aviation Museum and really enjoyed listening to him! We had toured the Arizona on our last visit to Hawaii and very much enjoyed that tour. Pearl Harbor is well organized and well worth the visit.
My first helicopter experience.
When I made the reservation, I chose the doorless option without hesitation. It was amazing to enjoy the unobstructed views of Hawaii's stunning scenery.
One thing to note is that, depending on the weather, it can be very cold. Make sure to dress warmly.
人生初のヘリコプター。
予約時、迷わずドアなしを選択。やっぱり遮るものがない、ハワイの絶景を楽しめました。
一つ言うと、天気もありますが非常寒いです。防寒はしっかりして行ってください。
Translated by OpenAI
Quick easy pick up and drop off, the tour guide does not go in the park with you however!
Lots of new things learned at my stop to the Pearl Harbor grounds! The tour guide as well detailed a lot of useful information to and from the grounds
This was my tenth helicopter tour in Honolulu, including the experience of piloting. I brought along a friend who was trying it for the first time.
The wind was strong that day, and the eastern side of Oahu in winter was particularly rough. A bit disappointing!
I think winter is a good time for a helicopter tour around Honolulu.
Another disappointment was the prohibition on taking photos in front of the helicopter before departure, and even after returning. It seems they want to sell photos taken by the helicopter company.
In the past (with a different helicopter company), I was able to take pictures in front of the helicopter with my own camera, and the pilot was happy to pose for the camera. I understand it's a business, but I wish they would allow us to take at least this kind of photo.
ホノルルのヘリ遊覧は体験操縦も含めて10数回目。今回、ヘリ初体験の友を案内で同乗。
この日は風強く、冬のオアフの東側はなお荒れる。ちょい残念！
冬場はホノルル遊覧程度が良いように思う。
もう一つ、更に残念だったのは出発前のヘリの前での撮影禁止。帰着した後も。ヘリ会社撮影の写真を売りたいためか。
今までは(ヘリ会社は他社)ヘリの前で自前のカメラで、パイロットもすすんでカメラに収まってくれた。
商売だから仕方ないがこの程度の写真は撮らせて欲しい。
Translated by OpenAI
This was a great tour full of information and great experiences. I would highly recommend this tour to others.
Our bus tour guide was absolutely amazing! Juicy is his name. He was very informative and funny. He helped us with everything we needed and told us where to go. The pearl harbor site was breathe taking. They are all very informative at every site you go to. The Missouri is massive and takes awhile to see it all but it was very self explanatory and easy to do a self tour. It was all worth it!
This was an awesome tour with lunch included, our tour guide Ernie was incredibly knowledgeable and made the tour very pleasant and educating! Very glad we selected this tour, and also very glad we got a great tour guide.
It was heartfelt and awesome....so much history that we need to appreciate
It can be very cold depending on the season (and the tour duration is long). I think it's best to dress warmly.
You can also see the hotel where I'm staying. Additionally, seeing Pearl Harbor from above is a special experience.
時期にもよると思いますが、非常に寒いです（かつ遊覧時間が長い）
しっかり厚着するのがいいと思います。
自分が泊まっているホテルなんかも、見えたりします。
また、パールハーバーを上空から見られるのは、特別な感動があります。
Translated by OpenAI
Friends have questioned doors off, but I am here to say the views are still AMAZING!!
Great way to get ahead and skip the lines, ready to enter all museums!
Arizona comes with the tour, which is half the troubles on the park. Great and easy experience!
As a whole, the experience to see and learn more about the terrible happenings on December 7, 1941 was an outstanding opportunity and well orchestrated.
The Arizona memorial was incredibly humbling. I never knew there are more than 900 souls still at rest below the memorial. Also, the endless oil leak from the ship was quite a surprise.
Now, to be honest, I thought we'd be walking on a glass bottom floor so one could see more of the ruins. But, as it was, with the displays available, the wall of names, etc., it was quite effective.
May God continue to bless all the lost souls, injured warriors, and their families.
Next, we toured the USS Missouri. What an amazing ship with displays to explain personnel jobs, their quarters, and all the cogs of the wheel it takes to operate and maintain such massive equipment. God bless our service men and women.
Finally, we walked through the air museum. It was very cool to see all of the various aircraft on display, with some still flying today! Sweet!
Lastly, the bus driver that picked us up from our hotel was quite entertaining and full of good information. He kept us informed and laughing as we drove through Honolulu and a fallen soldier cemetery on the way to Pearl Harbor. We learned about how the reservations work, native Hawaiian life and culture, and the MANY, MANY types of Spam there are in Hawaii! Woohoo... gotta love Spam :-)
Thanks you so much for this opportunity. Obvious, you are highly recommended!!!
Sincerely,
Brad Denney
Lewisville, Texas, USA
We used this for our honeymoon. Kaz-san provided transportation to the hotel and offered wonderful hospitality throughout our stay. The interior was very stylish and beautiful, creating a comfortable atmosphere. We felt completely at ease, especially with the Japanese staff handling the pre-flight briefing. During the flight, they introduced us to various spots and were attentive to our well-being, allowing us to enjoy the experience without any worries. Overall, it was the best. I thought right after the flight that I want to use this service again. There seem to be many operating companies, but I would choose Lani Lea without hesitation. It's a sure thing!
今回はハネムーンで利用しました。カズさんがホテルまで送迎してくれたり、終始素晴らしいおもてなしをしていただきました。店内もとてもおしゃれで綺麗で、居心地が良く、フライト前の説明も日本スタッフさんが対応してくれたりと不安は全く感じませんでした。フライト中はいろんなスポットを紹介していただいたり、終始私たちの体調を気にかけてくれたりと安心しながら楽しむことのできるフライトでした。とにかく、最高。また利用したい。フライト後すぐ思いました。たくさんの運営会社さんがあるようですが、迷わずにLani leaさんへ。間違いなしです！！
Translated by OpenAI
The bus had multiple stops to pick up customers our driver was very knowledgeable about all of Hawaii. He provided solid information about going to the Arizona Memorial first. The wind was picking up making the water choppy and the shuttle could stop ferrying tourists. So we were able to get on the boat as stand-by then come back and walk through the museums.
Given a lot of good information about the Punch Bowl as we drove through the grounds!
If you are in Honolulu this tour is a must.
Great way to pre-order and have passport ready to avoid the day of lines!
Solemn day in history, but happy that while on island we got to see the spot where all took place.
This tour covered all the bases and then some. I am very thankful we chose the guided tour option, the guides really know it all! Mahalo E Noa , we will be back hopefully soon!
Well organized and efficient/enjoyable tour
Bus ride out and back was very informative of the time from a local perspective. All the arrangements and timing at the historic site with its distinct ticketing ( mighty Mi, the AZ memorial) was seamless and great. Highly recommend for a fine and necessary day trip on Oahu.
We had a family of eight on this tour and all enjoyed themselves.
The bus arrived at our pickup point on time. The driver/host was very knowledgeable about Pearl Harbor as well as other local sites. The only slight drawback was the sound system on the bus was acting up and occasionally produced feedback (no the fault of the driver/host). She dealt with it as best she could.
We arrived at all the tour points of interest on time and had plenty of time to view each. Given the clear instructions from the driver/host, we knew exactly when to be where.
The lunch was good and the location in the aviation museum was enjoyable.
We finally were returned to the pickup point, also on time.
All-in-all a very enjoyable and interesting day. I highly recommend it.
