Technical difficulties. Didn't get to fly. We're here for another day and a half but they can't reschedule us. So incredibly disappointed and frustrated. This was THE one thing I really wanted to do while on the island, above all else. Recommendation: if you make a reservation, make it for the beginning of your stay on the big island so that if something similar happens to you, you might be able to reschedule. read more

Sam was our pilot and I was super pleased with her flight. She gave a history of the area we flew over. We flew over the volcano and didn't realize we would see magma! That was spectacular. Sam made sure everyone got a view of all sites of interests by flying clockwise and counter clockwise over the crater and near the water falls. We spent 2 weeks in Hawaii and this was one of the highlights of our trip!. read more

A very smooth ride! Very nice staff. The staff used our cameras to take pictures and didn't sell us their pictures. Very nice. Very knowledgable pilot. All class. Great ride, worth the cost, highly recommended. read more

Weather cooperated and we got in a nice flight over the flow areas of Puu Oo volcano. Check out the recent history of it's activity here (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puu_Ōō). We saw smoke rising along the 2014 lava flow (in East Rift Zone). Brush fires still burned along the advancing edge of the flow and hot lava spots (orange, quickly turning to silver) flowed at one point, indicating lava is present in lava tubes below the surface. We were lucky to see these lava hot spots, judging from some previous comments here. The pilot claimed he always saw lava--but the company does not guarantee it. Our tour also included some water-fall fly overs. These seemed rather anti-climactic after the volcanic activity we'd just witnessed. I would have prefered to stay in the area of the volcanic activity a little longer, possibly moving back and forth in the area more slowly, thus helping to avoid nausea that can creep in for some folks during that bit? Also, unlike these lava flows which are accessibly only by air, you can access several water falls from Hilo by car. Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots are just a few minutes west of Hilo. This company seemed efficient and customer friendly. Thank-you Safari Helicopters! read more

4/21/17 Mahalo nui to our wonderful pilot Kyle~. Beautiful day for a helicopter ride and the views did not disappoint! read more

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We had a GREAT time! Mike was very knowledgeable and shared it! His humour was a treat, we were so nervous. This was an experience I think everyone should have. It was really amazing! Seeing the fissures up close and the active lava flow from fissue 8, the Lava river....I can't say enough about this! A must do! read more

The staff and pilot were very friendly and knowledgeable. Richard was our pilot and he was very informative. We got to see flowing lava out of the volcano and lots of very nice waterfall. It's amazing what you can see from the air. We highly suggest that you choose them to fly with. The tour were priced just right and the seats were comfortable. If your in the area, give them a try. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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We got lucky and booked a trip when the volcano vent was still active. My husband was awestruck by the destruction. My kids enjoyed the views. Spent most of the ride over the vent and along the coastal water entrance. I would have liked to spend more time over the river and the waterfalls though. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and pointed out areas I enquired about. I usually suffer from motion sickness but on this trip I was fine. Worth the money. read more

It is easy to book online and you get web special price. The price is lower than its competitors but the service are good. Our pilot Kyle is very knowledgeable and provided us with a very smooth ride. We had a fantastic time on the helicopter to see the lava flow! Kyle made efforts to make sure that everyone got their photos and had a great view. read more

This tour of waterfalls and Kiluea volcano was amazing. Pilot Will, flying helicopters since 1966. Very safe, knowledgeable, fun. We got a DVD of our tour after. Glad we went. Highly recommended! read more

Safari Helicopters - Pilot Will and me - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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First helicopter ride ever, but Kyle, our pilot, made us feel comfortable and safe. The tour took us over Hilo and surrounding towns that were impacted by the recent eruption. The views were unbelievable and heartbreaking, but seeing and hearing how the residents have risen from this experience was uplifting. read more

My second time to fly with Safari. First time was in Kauai. They owntheir own helicopters and have a spotless saftey record. So when i saw they fly out of Hilo, i did a quick compare, but Safari was an easy choice. Dave preps everyone for the trip. Capt A.J. is extremely knowledgable and experienced. He makes certain everyone aboard gets a chance to see the sights! read more

What a great day!! Flying with Safari was a great experience. The helicopter flew perfect, seemed like we were walking, very smooth. The pilot was knowledgeable about the island and valcano's. Thank you for a great day! read more

Had a wonderful experience from booking the tour and the entire experience was awesome.. Out pilot Samantha "Awesome Sam" sheafs the entire experience wonderful for my family. she made my 4 yr old daughter feel comfortable.. i would recommend this must do adventure if u r in Hilo or Kona area (we drove from Kona ) read more

Mike was really a wonderful, wonderful commentator on our flight! Obviously an experienced military man who knows his piloting. Facilitated everybody on board to get maximum photographs and even took us over the harbor so that I could get a good aerial shot of our cruise ship. Thank you Mike, thank you safari helicopters for us facilitating myself and my 96-year-old mother who loved every second of it. read more

A great staff and a tour you'll never forget.

Safari Helicopters in Hilo is a prime example that, no matter how small your job is, your attitude towards the work you do can have vast effects on the people you come in contact with. This was evidenced when we called in to book a tour and mentioned that my husband is in a wheelchair and would need some assistance with the transfer. The woman employee on the phone said they couldn't guarantee they could help us and actually pointed us towards a competitor company as she said they would be better able to assist us. Now, having just flown with Safari in Kaua'i less than a week earlier we really struggled to understand how the same company in 2 different islands could be so vastly different. Her explanation was that they had less male employees capable of assisting with the transfer in Hilo as compared to Kaua'i. Nonetheless, my husband asked for a picture of the helicopter in the helipad and, once we received it via email, compared it to the picture of us smiling happily next to the Safari Helicopter over in Kaua'i. We found the transfers would be very similar in height and decided to bite the bullet and go for it. We were, ultimately, glad we did - despite the less-than-helpful attitude we received on the phone (on more than one occasion). So, now onto the positive, on the actual day of our tour the weather was picture perfect. When we arrived at the heliport we were surprised to find they actually had more male employees (at least 3) there that day than in Kaua'i (only one). Everyone seemed unaware of the less-than-helpful service we'd received on the phone and they were all actually eager to help. One particularly helpful employee was our pilot, Kyle. As soon as he saw my husband wheeling towards the helicopter, his first question was "how can we help you?" With his help, my husband transferred onto the helicopter and we were off on a breathtaking ride. There were only 5 of us on the helicopter instead of the 6 that could comfortably be seated in their helicopters so there was a little extra elbow room, which was nice and unexpected. The actual tour was fantastic, full of interesting tidbits from our pilot and absolutely amazing views of the boiling lava in Pu'u O'o crater. Kyle was very professional and made numerous turns so that each side of the helicopter had unobstructed views. Kyle was skilled in maneuvering the helicopter to get the best views and, when another helicopter pilot told him there was fresh lava flowing under the surface of cooler lava, he did not hesitate to navigate around the area a few minutes until we found it and had plenty of opportunities to take pictures of it. Then we proceeded to the shoreline where we got extraordinary views of lava flowing into ocean as well as, again, interesting facts about Kilauea volcano and the big island of Hawai'i that we hadn't known prior to our tour. One of the gentlemen in our tour, who had been on several helicopter volcano tours, touted Pilot Kyle numerous times and claimed this was the best tour and best views of the lava he had ever had. Besides the phone service, the reason why this is a 3-star review instead of 4 is because I was really excited to get the video recording of our tour which Safari's website claims is available and which we'd gotten for our tour in Kaua'i. When I asked for it, though, I was told that the cameras were being updated and, therefore, there was no video available for purchase of our tour. It wasn't a dealbreaker - we had, after all, already been on our tour - but if we had known ahead of time it might've been, especially when paired with the less-than-stellar customer service we received on the phone. And I was REALLY glad the cameras weren't being updated in Kaua'i because when we were weighing our options between Safari and a competitor in Kaua'i, I persuaded my husband by telling him I really wanted the video of our tour. I was also glad that the passengers flying with us in the big island brought their own GoPro cameras to record the flight and were willing to share it with us. All in all, an excellent tour but tech problems and communication problems left a bit to be desired. read more

I had hopes of resolving my bad experience with this company but they refuse to give good customer service. They refuse to refund my husbands trip after putting him in the most claustrophobic seat on the helicopter after being warned he was claustrophobic. He had a panic attack. I went on the trip by myself so not asking for two refunds. Just feel they should have refunded his. We repeatedly warned them about him being claustrophobic. He would have been fine up front or in a window seat. They should have told us at booking this was not possible due to safety regulations. I would not recommend a company that will not correct a mistake on their part. read more

Great experience. The tour was fun and very interesting. Our pilot was very knowledgeable about not only the volcano, but the surrounding areas. I do wish they had done a pass of the coast line, but overall, I highly recommend going on this tour. read more

We had a great helicopter ride with Safari. The price can't be beat. Mike, our pilot, was friendly and knowledgeable. We got up front and close to Fissure 8. It didn't matter if you sat on the right or left side of the helicopter, Mike made sure that everyone got a great view. read more

Helicopter was more than a little cramp, volcano isn't really flowing right now. Saw it in 2004 and that was worth the cost, today I'd spend the $400 on something else. Pilot was fine, no complaints, but the show's not worth the cost of a ticket. When we did it in 2004 we went in a four seater, if you decide to take the plunge (shouldn't say that when you're over a volcano), do it in a four seat copter. But that's my opinion, I guess that's why baskin-robins has 31 flavors. read more

Great helicopter tour with a very experienced, knowledgable pilot! The family (including our one year old) really enjoyed flying over the active volcano! We were even lucky to see the red lava! We would definitely recommend this company to anyone thinking of doing a helicopter tour in Hilo! Mahalo!!!! read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

I am scared of flying, but I tell you it was smooth and calm and Kyle was an incredibly relaxing pilot. My husband and I shared this experience with two other couples and we got close to lava, waterfalls, and also were taught about the land. Truly an incredible experience. Amazing customer service start to finish. read more

We did the delux volcano tour. Exactly as advertised. The amount of time for the tour was perfect. I wouldn't eat a huge meal before the flight :/. Our pilot was Paka (sp), who did a great job flying and tour guiding at the same time. We booked the day before and were able to get two spots, but it was a week day and not during summer :). Would definitely recommend. read more

Safari Helicopters - Aerial Tours Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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On 5/31/18, my daughter and I took a tour over the lava flow. Our pilot, Mike, was a great tour guide, and really made it enoyable.

We went on the trip that flew us along the coast and over the waterfalls. What a once in a lifetime adventure seeing the lava flow. Went with my husband and daughter and our friends Saturday. What a beautiful day, couldn't have asked for anything more. Richard was very knowledgeable and answered any questions we had. Even though we are residents here, this is a must see whether you live here or visiting. Extremely heartbreaking and breath taking at the same time. Extremely nice and great customer service. Hoping to go out again in the next month or two. Recommend safari helicopter strongly. Hoping in the future they offer videos of the flight. read more

Not the experience a family would want. We had booked a volcano ride for our last day on the Big Island - Safari reviews seemed positive and were pleasant on the phone & confirmed the day before. On arrival - terrible service and shady workers that I would not trust my family's safety with. As the last trip of the day for them (and not full) employee Dave told us that they may cancel it, but would know when the pilot returned. When we asked why - Dave changed his answers several times and ended up saying "radio difficulties" with the pilot...which the pilot radioed in. He assured me it would be resolved by the next day, but "impossible to repair today as parts have to come in from another island". His dishonesty and multiple changing stories through our 20 minute conversation convinced us that we would never trust Safari with our lives. Extremely shifty company and likely better options for your helicopter tour. The employees there said that "since we weren't charged everything was fine", but definitely was not fine as our 7 and 9 year olds could not do what they had waited a year to experience. We made a big mistake choosing someone as unreliable as Safari. read more

I am a resident of the Big Island and this tour did not meet my expectations at all. First, the lava was not flowing and we saw only a couple of spots where the lava was showing through the cracks on the surface. So basically, you will see a lot of cold lava rock. We paid an extra $20/person for the waterfalls tour and some of the waterfalls (Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots) can be seen closeup and are accessible by car. Secondly, they will seat 7 people with three in the front (including the pilot) and four in the back. I was seated next to the pilot and it was extremely tight. I was uncomfortable throughout the entire flight as the pilot would reach for some control and constantly hit my leg. Finally, the pilot and staff could take some lessons in customer service. On the day of our flight, it was pouring rain. In order to make the reservation, you have to give your credit card number. Knowing how the visibility is poor when it's raining, we went down and inquired as to whether we could cancel due to poor weather conditions. We're used to the rain in Hilo, so when the woman said it would be like driving a car, there's been many times where we couldn't see a thing in the rain and at the price they charge, I wanted to be assured that I could get my money's worth. The women at the front desk was not very friendly when she said only the pilot could cancel the flight. If he decided to fly, we would have no choice but to go. Even if we decided not to go, we would be charged the $170/person (remember you have to provide your credit card number to make the reservation) and we had a party of four. The woman said we could ask the pilot what he thought about the weather conditions and when he walked in, we did. He was not very friendly and not very helpful either. He said he wouldn't know until we got there. That did not assure me at all. It's like we would be forced to pay and go on the tour and we only find out after the fact whether the weather was going to be nice or not. A heads up....if you are prone to motion sickness, do not go on this tour. My husband and son got so sick, they did not enjoy the ride at all and swear they will never get in a helicopter again. My husband said he closed his eyes throughout the entire ride and still he got sick. I know it's difficult to know what the weather will be like on the day of your reservation, but know that once you make it, there's no backing out unless the pilot cancels the trip. Also, they weigh and seat you according to your weight, so you may not get the seat of your choice. If you are taking the tour to see the lava flow, ask first whether there's any activity. We hoped to see lava pouring into the ocean, but there was no activity at all. So basically what we got was a helicopter ride with waterfalls that easily could be accessed with a car for $170/person. I didn't feel it was worth the price. read more

I had read that when it comes to helicopter rides on The Big Island, it's kind of "hit-or-miss". Well, in this case, i'd call it a "near miss". It started out okay with the check-in process at the Hilo airport. And the weather was great. But then things got ugly. About 5 minutes into our flight, I noticed that the latch on the door was in the "open" position. When I mentioned this to our pilot, he said, "well, if the door was going to open, it already would have" So, I held onto my 7-yr old a little tighter from that point on. The captain was pretty boring otherwise. The helicopter was old and dingy on the inside, and the "A/C" system was pretty weak. About half-way through the flight, my kids started to feel sick, and they both ended up throwing up in the little bags provided. Not the beautiful sight I was hoping to see. After landing, we got out of there as fast as we could. At the front desk, I mentioned to the lady that my little boy had thrown up. She said she was sorry, so I asked her if he could have a little "prize" or something for being such a trooper (there were several Safari Helicopter branded toys on display), she replied, no, i'm sorry. So we left the airport, just happy to be alive. I would not recommend Safari Helicopter for your tour, save your money or try another company. read more

The people at Safari are very friendly and courteous. The flight was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. It was very easy to see from any seat in the Helicopter. We took the volcano tour but there wasn't a lot of action during our flight. I would have liked us to be able to get closer to the action than we did. I'm not sure if there are regulations that keep them at a certain distance or not. Overall it was a very good experience. read more

This is just for the customer service! I had call an hour earlier & advised Safari Helicopter that I had 4-people & we wanted to do the Volcano tour. They stated the entire plane had to be filled or for 4- people to fly we had to pay for all 6 seats!! Wow.. Pay for seats we weren't going to sit in. We went with paradise helicopters instead. read more

My husband and I had an AWESOME time on the Safari Helicopter Tour over the lava flow and crater. Truly an amazing thing to behold. Kyle was our pilot and he was great! Very informative tour with fun musical pairings. Would absolutely do again! read more

So this was my first time in a helicopter, and my husband and I were super excited about seeing the volcano and lava so I couldn't wait to go up. The staff was definitely nice and helpful. I didn't really expect so many people would be in the helicopter. There were four people in the back, two in the front, plus the pilot. It was a little cramped. The pilot was really informative. Just don't be decieved by the amazing looking pictures that all the companies show on their brochures and websites. They make it seem like you're going to see tons of flowing lava spurting up, when in actuality there's not much to see. If you hike through Volcanoes National Park you can get a good perspective of the volcanoes and craters as well. Of course the views of the waterfalls and Hawaiian landscape are gorgeous, but again those are things you can do without going up in a helicopter. Yes, there is a disclaimer that says that there is not always flowing lava, but I was definitely disappointed with what we saw. Not Safari's fault though, but something all the tourists should be aware of. read more

Amazing! Seeing the lava via helicopter was spectacular. I had never ridden in a helicopter before, and, frankly, I was nervous. The Safari staff made me feel very comfortable, assured that the ride was safe. Our operator was very knowledgeable, both with the helicopter and in his Hawaiian history. The entire thing was fun. I highly recommend this tour to anyone of any age. read more

Richard was great! He made sure that everyone got a birdseye view and camera opp. Knowledgeable and informative. Mahalo!

We had a great experience. On time, pilot Mike was very informative. He wasn't just a pilot he was a knowledgeable guide. I wasn't sure if tipping a pilot was commonplace, but he did such a good job I felt like it would be a crime to not tip him. Got to fly right around fissure 8 at about 3000 feet. This was definitely close enough to see what was going on down below. It was beautiful. Also saw the ocean entry and some waterfalls called Narnia. read more

My family and I really enjoyed Safari Helicopters! Dave was extremely kind, and Paul was very knowledgeable about the island. Paul also very generous to give the passengers several views for pictures. A must-do if you find yourself in the Hilo area. read more

Great helicopter ride with a fun informational talk. We got to see amazing lava flows and beautiful waterfalls, while listening to a variety of songs in the background, including Enya! This was a great value and a must see on a Hawaiian vacation. read more

The tour was amazing. My wife and I were on a tour with a family of four who were very nice and we had Richard as our pilot. The helicopter sat six total people. He gave us great commentary on our deluxe tour and we got to see some lava and some waterfalls and it was very exciting. This was our first time in a helicopter and I ended up feeling motion sick but I still had fun! We would definitely recommend, the price was pretty good too! read more

Great tour! Safari was very professional. The pilot and crew were very knowledgeable about the volcano and the waterfalls. All four of us enjoyed our tour. read more