The biggest advantage of the helicopter tour was the remote areas we were able to explore. Since the fatal landslide at Sacred Falls in 1999 the falls are no longer accessible from the ground. From the air you can still see this breathtaking spot and truly appreciate the beauty of this area and understand why this place was so special to the ancient Hawaiians.

You may recognize the tiny island known as "Chinamans' Hat" and the breathtaking Koolau mountain range shown above. This area of Kualoa has been featured in movies such as Jurassic Park, Mighty Joe Young, Raiders of the Lost Ark, George of the Jungle, and more!

Pineapples from Hawaii are sweet and delicious. You typically can't enjoy one anywhere else but in Hawaii. The North Shore of Oahu is where Dole Pineapple has one of their main processing centers as well as miles and miles of pineapples as shown in the photo above.

On December 7, 1941 a surprise attack of Hawaii at Pearl Harbor left the USS Arizona sunk with 1,102 American soldiers entombed inside. The USS Arizona Memorial is a structure that spans the hull of the ship and inside, bears the names of the 1,178 sailors and marines who gave their lives aboard the battleship. An oil slick which has been seeping for 59 years is visible to the left of the memorial.

We chose Rainbow Helicopter Tours to show us around.  The helicopter only seated four including the pilot so everyone had a window seat. Because there are so many beautiful sights everywhere you look we recommend that each person on the adventure bring a camera. The one-hour adventure seemed to just fly by. We were surprised how much of the island we were able to see in the one hour adventure! We highly recommend a helicopter tour on Oahu or any other island you visit. Helicopter tours are expensive activities and range from $100-$200 per person depending on which island and how long your tour is. Our tour was almost $200 for two people, but we feel the experience was definitely worth it. Bring LOTS of film and if you get motion sickness be sure to take Dramamine. Our flight was a little bumpy from strong wind gusts, which got Kim and the other person on the tour slightly sick at the end of the flight even though they both took something for motion sickness prior to the flight. You will find details on helicopter services on each island specific activity page and be sure to tell them A Friend in the Islands at www.alohafriends.com sent you!

PLEASE NOTE: Prices for island activities featured within our site are NOT guaranteed. Since we are not affiliated with any of the activity providers we are not notified if services or prices change. You will need to contact the activity provider directly for a current price quote and for availability information.