Thursday, June 30, 2011

Flying High Above Paradise

Jurassic Falls
     Honeymooning on a tropical island paradise is nothing short of magical.  Kauai maintains much of its natural landscape with no building taller than the tallest coconut tree and only 30% of the island is accessible by car.  So what better way to enjoy the lush forests, the old mountain scape and the roaring waterfalls than by air with a helicopter ride.  We decided on Jack Harter Helicopters because it is one of the few companies that offers doorless helicopter rides.  Yes, you heard right... no doors.  Best for pictures!

     Armed with our cameras, DSLR and a point & shoot, Matt and I headed out for our 60-min helicopter tour.  The company weighs the parties and tries to evenly distribute the weight within the chopper.  After a quick, but informative lesson on the parachute and chopper safety, we boarded the van that took us to the helicopter landing pad.  There was four people and the pilot in our chopper.  I liked that Matt and I were in front it was easy to see more at different angles.

     Chris was our pilot and tour guide.  He took his time flying around and turning the plane so everyone in the craft could get a good view.  We all had headphones and 2-way intercoms to listen to Chris's narration and have our questions answered during the flight.  Personally, I was just in awe of the view and vastness of the cliffs.  If pictures could say a thousand words... here's some to take your breath away:

Waimea Canyon
The Cathedrals of Na Pali Cliffs

Hanalei Bay


To give you an idea of how massive these landscapes are, click on the above left picture of the open roof cave.  Look for the red kayaker at the entrance of the cave.
Wailua Falls in Kauai

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