Originally Posted by
OliverB
One more question (sorry!) -- in researching lava tours, I've decided that a helicopter would be a lore more comfortable, convenient and most importantly SAFER than a boat tour.
My concern is that many reviews from 2018 report that lava sightings have been somewhat disappointing because the flow is being redirected through some new fissure vent offering much less dramatic views. I want this to be a relaxing holiday and I'm already wary of booking too much, but I also feel that we should see an actual volcano while on a tropical island w/ one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Is it worth the $300/person cost to take an early morning chopper ride from Hilo? I've been in a helicopter once as a child and I'm not especially enthusiastic about the whole idea but I could be swayed... would it be crazy to not do either while in the Hilo/Pahoa/Volcano area? Will we have any opportunities to view lava flows (w/o excruciating mountain hikes) while spending 2 nights in Volcano Nat'l Park? We'll be driving all over the place in those 2 days; Chain of Craters Road and Crater Rim Drive, Kīlauea Iki and Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), etc. I'm guessing that we probably won't be seeing any active lava flows in these sections of the park, right? If you've taken a memorable helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian or any other carrier/outfitter, could you please describe the experience and the specifics of why you enjoyed it so much?
Um, you may want to check your data, but there are NO active lava flows that are currently viewable anywhere on the Big Island, in fact the USGS/HVO has recently lowered the alert levels to the lowest it's been for years. I think you would be disappointed to spend $$$ on a helicopter tour of silent lava fields! I'd rather take an airplane tour of the entire island, so much to see! Also, HVNP is once again open, and it's a sight to behold the changes that have transpired over the past few months!