During your stay at one of the best Oahu luxury rentals that the island has to offer, why not get a bird's-eye view of this Hawaiian paradise from one of the many helicopter tours available? Several companies offer trips around the island, but choosing the right provider is not always easy. Price, flexibility, tour variety and the quality of aircraft used are all factors to consider when making your choice.
Blue Hawaiian
Hawaii's oldest and most award-winning helicopter tour company, Blue Hawaiian is a family-owned business and the only company of its kind to provide flights on all four of Hawaii's major islands. Considered to be the top provider of helicopter tours in Hawaii by The Travel Channel, National Geographic, the FAA and other authorities, Blue Hawaiian excels in quality and safety by using the state-of-art Eco-Star helicopter, one of only two providers on the islands to do so. The service is also a favorite of Hawaiians themselves, continually receiving top ratings in local magazine polls. The company's Blue Skies of Oahu tour features aerial views of the coral reefs of Waikiki, Diamond Head, Kaneohe Bay, Chinaman's Hut, the Nuuanu Valley rainforest, the Dole Pineapple Plantations and Pearl Harbor with its Arizona Memorial and Battleship Missouri as some of its highlights. 45-minute flights are available, with the option of purchasing a DVD recording of your personal trip in the air for an additional fee.
Makani Kai
Another one of Hawaii's long-established helicopter tour companies,
Makani Kai has been providing quality trips for travelers since 1988.
While not as modern as the Eco-Stars, the A-Star helicopters that the
business uses are still excellent crafts for aerial tours. Makani Kai
offers you a choice of 4 different tours ranging from 30 minutes to an
hour of flight time. You can opt to combine your trip with either a
dinner cruise or a submarine ride, which can save you up to $50 a
couple over booking the events separately. One of the selling points of
Makani Kai's longer tours is that they cover more area on the island
than their chief competitors.
Paradise
Paradise may not have the more expensive helicopters of outfits like Blue Hawaiian and Makani Kai, but what it does have is a commitment to making your flight both memorable and fully customizable. Their Oahu X-TREME tour, for example, is the only one of its kind on Oahu that will actually fly you over the best surf breaks and waterfalls - with the doors off the craft. The company will also custom design almost any flight you choose, even landing the helicopter near a spot you select so that you can explore the area on foot or have a relaxing lunch at an exotic location. Paradise is the only service that starts from the North Shore, which may be closer to yourluxury rental than other providers.
Exploring Oahu by helicopter can be an unforgettable experience, and Vamoose.com can help you find the best company for your tour during your time at an Oahu vacation rental. Search the luxury listings at Vamoose by price, location and amenities provided.