What do you see on a Safari Helicopters Kauai flight? — featuring Tristan Lindner (Safari Helicopters)

In this video: Hawai'i Kaua'i Helicopter Flight Highlights

Tristan Lindner · 15 years ago

How long is the helicopter flight?

The video does not explicitly state the total duration of the flight. Viewers should contact Safari Helicopters directly to confirm flight length and schedule options.

What this video answers

  • How long is the helicopter flight?
  • What is the best time of year to take this tour?
  • Can you hike to any of these places yourself?
  • Is this tour suitable for families with young children?
  • What should I wear or bring on the flight?

At a glance

Length
13 min
Channel
Tristan Lindner
Video from
Apr 2011
Rating
⭐⭐ Great video · 2/2
Best for
Travelers seeking aerial views of Kaua'i's waterfalls, valleys, and coastal cliffs without long hikes
Reads the guide aloud in your browser — free, no account.

Written by Justin ·

Overview of This Kaua'i Helicopter Tour with Safari Helicopters

This helicopter tour circles the island of Kaua'i, guided by a pilot who was born and raised on the island. The video follows an Australian couple as they fly over the island's most dramatic natural features—waterfalls, ancient valleys, volcanic formations, and coastal cliffs—with the pilot explaining the geology, Hawaiian history, and cultural significance of each landmark. The flight showcases both the raw power of nature and the human stories embedded in Kaua'i's landscape.

This experience suits travelers who want to see Kaua'i's most inaccessible wonders without hiking for hours, families looking for a memorable activity, and anyone curious about Hawaiian culture and geology. The tour works year-round, though conditions like cloud cover and water flow in waterfalls vary with the season. Booking spots fill up quickly, so advance reservation is recommended if you're planning a trip to Kaua'i.

Key Moments

Highlights You'll See on the Kaua'i Helicopter Route

  • Kahili Falls — A cluster of six waterfalls visible from the air, with the pilot sharing stories of the remote Robinson family land above
  • Historic I'iwi Birds and Royal Feather Capes — Learning how Hawaiian royalty used feathers from this red bird to create the cloaks, capes, and helmets they wore
  • Layered Canyon Walls — Seeing the rings of different-colored lava flows stacked over millions of years, plus the distinctive red iron oxide (rust) soil that gives the canyon its striking appearance
  • Kalalau Valley and Cathedral Peaks — The largest valley on the Nā Pali Coast, named by missionaries for its jagged peaks resembling cathedral spires, once home to nearly 5,000 native Hawaiians centuries ago
  • Wai'oli Falls — A step waterfall with roughly 3,300–3,400 feet of total drop across 26 different pools; the video captures portions hidden in clouds
  • Extinct Volcano Crater — Flying into and around a blowout section of a crater with visible old lava tubes no longer active
Featured image for the guide to Hawai'i Kaua'i Helicopter Flight Highlights by Tristan Lindner

What to Know Before Booking Your Kaua'i Helicopter Flight

  • The tour operates with Safari Helicopters, a company with a crew that includes mechanics, management, and front-desk staff
  • Weather and cloud cover affect visibility of waterfalls and valleys; some features may be partially obscured by clouds, as shown during the falls at Wai'oli
  • The pilot provides continuous narration about Hawaiian history, geology, and cultural landmarks—expect to learn about everything from iron oxide formation to ancient trail systems
  • The route covers both the Na Pali Coast and interior valleys; you'll see the Kalalau Beach at the end of an 11-mile ancient Hawaiian hiking trail used in winter months when waves reach 30–40 feet
  • Ground-level attractions like Haena Beach Park, the Dry Cave lava tube, and Tunnels Beach (a famous snorkeling spot) are referenced as context during the flight but are separate activities to pursue separately

Frequently Asked Questions About This Kaua'i Helicopter Tour

How long is the helicopter flight?

The video does not explicitly state the total duration of the flight. Viewers should contact Safari Helicopters directly to confirm flight length and schedule options.

What is the best time of year to take this tour?

The video mentions that winter months bring 30–40 foot waves to the coast, affecting how certain areas look. However, it does not recommend a specific season. Water flow in waterfalls and cloud cover vary throughout the year; contact the operator for seasonal conditions.

Can you hike to any of these places yourself?

Yes—the video references an 11-mile ancient Hawaiian trail leading to Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, and mentions ground-level sites like the Dry Cave near Haena and Tunnels Beach for snorkeling. The helicopter tour shows you areas unreachable by road or easy hiking.

Is this tour suitable for families with young children?

The video does not address age restrictions or family suitability. You should check with Safari Helicopters about age limits, weight restrictions, and whether young children are permitted on board.

What should I wear or bring on the flight?

The video does not mention what to wear or bring. Standard advice for helicopter tours includes comfortable clothing, secure footwear, and a secure way to hold cameras or phones; contact Safari Helicopters for their specific guidelines.

A still from the video Hawai'i Kaua'i Helicopter Flight Highlights by Tristan Lindner
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Key Terms

Na Pali Coast
The rugged, cliff-lined northern coastline of Kaua'i featuring steep valleys and waterfalls accessible mainly by sea or air.
Step waterfall
A waterfall that cascades down in multiple separate drops and pools rather than flowing continuously from top to bottom.
Lava tube
A tunnel formed by flowing lava that hardened on the outside while liquid lava drained away from the inside.
Iron oxide
A compound of iron and oxygen that gives soil and rock a rust-colored or reddish appearance.

Sources: Na Pali Coast · Step waterfall · Lava tube · Iron oxide — definitions cross-referenced with Wikipedia

Justin’s Take

This video is genuinely helpful because it gives you a real sense of the route, the views, and the kind of stories and context a good guide will share. Rather than generic aerial footage set to music, you get the actual pilot's voice explaining what you're seeing—from the scientific (iron oxide, lava flows) to the cultural (Hawaiian royalty, native settlement history)—which tells you exactly what kind of experience you're paying for.

What impressed me most was how the pilot connects each landmark to a story: not just "here's a waterfall" but "this bird's feathers made royal cloaks" or "5,000 people lived in this valley." It grounds the landscape in human history. For anyone torn between a scenic helicopter tour and other Kaua'i activities, this video makes a compelling case—you genuinely cannot see these places any other way. I'd wholeheartedly recommend booking this tour if you're visiting Kaua'i.

⭐⭐ Great video · 2 out of 2

Justin
Justin

Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.

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Video by Tristan Lindner on YouTube. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to their channel and show your support for the great video.

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Description

On our vacation in Hawaii we went on a helicopter ride with Safari Helicopters around Kauai. It was an awesome time seeing God's great creation. We would recommend this trip to anyone!

Video transcript for “Hawai'i Kaua'i Helicopter Flight Highlights” Accessibility

A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.

hey mr tristan and miss natalie how's it going good and you i'm doing good are we having a good afternoon yeah all right where you guys from australia

time

and up here we got six waterfalls back here known as the kahili falls what do they cry

on the robinson family they own this whole thing all the way up to the back of the canyon now i know ah that's a bird it's actually a really small bird with red feathers the hawaiians also called it the eevee bird and they would capture the bird in the valley here and use some of the feathers

to make the capes the cloaks and helmets that hawaiian royalty used to wear it's beautiful stuff

would you just imagine if they came back and saw traffic lights and railroad tears would come from each other's eyes as they

folks how's everybody doing you guys still with me here oh smaller one here this is kahana falls if it all falls apart i will already build my heart that the only dream that matters can come

for every mountain the valley of kauai named after a hardwood tree that used to grow at the bottom now the tree it had a really dense wood to it that the hawaiians used to make war clubs spears

and canoe paddles now you got these rings around the sides of the canyon walls folks they could tell you a story of an island that was being formed for millions of years they are different layers of lava from different lava flows stacked up upon each other and the dirt ah yes the red third

everybody is always curious as to how the dirt becomes red well folks it's called iron oxide a fancy scientific word for rust a couple seconds the floor is gonna disappear

oh

my and folks we're going to the valley of honor

oh

now folks as we exit the valley here just look up on the far far right hand side and you'll notice the long white sandy beach of kalalau where the 11 mile hike stops now the trail is actually an ancient hawaiian trail and the hawaiians would use it during the winter months when the waves out here get to be about

30 to 40 feet high and up ahead you got the vertical peaks of the kalalau cathedral a name that was given by missionaries who got these peaks they look like topsail cathedrals

and folks then we got the biggest valley on the nepali coast coming up here this is the valley of kalalau maybe once you drive up to the wyoming canyon lookout and you went beyond that to the top of the kokes state park the last lookout is located back here it's called elevation roughly around 4 200 feet

but they said one time that the valley of kalalau a couple hundred years ago folks it was occupied by almost 5 000 native hawaiians just

folks if you want to drive up the road from lima huli valley area bumping through this bigger bay this is the high in a beach park now located across the street from hyena you got the dry cave an old lava tube that you could walk into and you walk up the beach just a little ways from end and you brought me to this

other beach the beach of makua also known as tunnels one of the most famous snorkeling spots all right folks i'll tell you guys back here and show you guys part of a big waterfall back here this is the waterfall of wai oli now this thing was going to be put in a guinness book world record as the

world's tallest waterfall but it didn't work out because guinness and all their wisdom said the waterfall has to be a constant flow of water from the top to the bottom so back here folks is what you would call a step waterfall so what you're looking at is roughly in the range of 33 to 3 400 feet of

waterfall that breaks down into about 26 different pools so about around maybe 700 feet of that waterfall is covered in the clouds right now

one my

foreign opening in front of us you guys are going to be in the middle of an extinct volcano

now this here is a blowout section now back here if you look really good you'll see the shape of the cold area and the water coming out the back of the wall there that's the lava tube that doesn't work anymore though

oh now folks on behalf of myself and safari helicopters everybody here from the girls at the front desk the mechanics management we all like to say a big mahalo nui loa thank you very much folks are flying with us over the island of

kauai hey glad you guys enjoyed the flight around the island i enjoyed showing you guys different areas of the island that i was born and based on and folks hope you guys enjoy the rest of your vacation out here on kauai you guys have a season aloha yeah i'll just tell you guys folks which means hey you guys have a

good evening take care and until we meet again is

what a wonderful world fall behind me

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