If you’ve been watching the news lately you may have heard about the rash of fatal helicopter crashes that have taken place in Hawaii—-specifically on the island of Kauai. For those of you out of the loop, several tourists visiting the state have died in the past two weeks—-all victims of helicopter crashes.
Please note that this blog is not written with the intent to scare you from booking a helicopter tour. Rather, it is my goal to try to convince you to experience the once in a lifetime feeling you get gliding through the clouds and into valleys to witness hidden waterfalls and majestic rainbows.
From what I’ve been told, helicopter tour companies on Kauai did report a few cancellations in the days following the two fatal accidents, but most said as time has gone by reservations have steadily increased.
Personally, I think taking a helicopter tour of any of the Hawaiian Islands is something everyone should experience. And, frankly, when you get to the tour company’s building you’ll realize others share my sentiment.
A recent survey taken last year found roughly one in every 10 visitors to Kauai took a helicopter tour. (That calculates into about 120,000 tourists taking a helicopter ride.) If you have ever visited the “Aloha State” you know that the helicopter tours are one of the most heavily advertised (and most popular) activities offered. What’s more, if you are visiting the Big Island of Hawaii or Kauai it is the only way you can see the entire island in less than 60 minutes.
Visitors who take helicopter tours of Kauai (there are eight helicopter tour companies on the island) are treated to views of the filming locations of “Jurassic Park” and “King Kong,” the Na Pali coastline and Waimea Canyon. In addition, passengers fly by extinct volcanoes, pristine rain forests, and waterfalls on the way back to the airport.
Meanwhile, helicopter tours of the Big Island include flying into lush green valleys (which are not accessible by land), over active volcanoes (where you can watch molten lava flow into the sea), and along the island’s newest black sand beaches. You will also get to hover near the summit of a dormant volcano (which rises more than 13,000 feet above sea level and is often capped with snow) and over dense tropical rainforests at an altitude that makes you feel like you can reach out and touch the vegetation.
Ultimately the decision to take a helicopter tour is up to you, but I can guarantee (as long as the weather cooperates) that the experience will be one that stays with you forever.
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