My husband and I brought part of our family; daughter, son-in-law, and 3 year old grandson on a trip of a lifetime to Hawai’i with the anticipation of a helicopter tour of the Kilauea volcano and some beautiful waterfalls as well as get an overview of what has taken place over the years with the massive variations in the geography of the land. It was to be the highlight of our entire trip!
We met two absolutely incredible women at the airport. First, Stephanie, who introduced us to Safari and their policies, procedures, and what to expect on our tour. We were given safety gear and instructions after being weighed to see where the best seating for us would be on the aircraft. The sky was looking pretty dismal as we followed procedure and boarded the helicopter, only to meet the most incredible pilot, Sam, that we ever could have been blessed with! She was absolutely delightful as she gave us the lowdown about what would be expected of us and what we could expect from the tour. Sam also informed us, though, that the sky was getting quite dark towards one direction heading our way and she wasn’t real optimistic that we’d make it as far as we were hoping. After about 5 minutes in the air, Sam informed us that she thought we should return to the airport and plan for the trip another day or we could get a refund. She couldn’t apologize enough even though, of course, it was hardly her fault. She said she wouldn’t Fly her family under those conditions and certainly didn’t want to fly mine! That’s the kind of people they are at Safari!!! Only the BEST!!! Of course we were all extremely disappointed. This was the highlight of our entire trip!!! But Stephanie, being the ever accommodating one, managed to work within our schedule and we were able to go on the most fantastic adventure of a lifetime two days later. Our tour guide, aka pilot, Sam, was phenomenal as she explained everything about the dynamics of the volcano, the history of the land and it’s people, and what the scientists expect the future might hold for the Big Island and it’s inhabitants. She also took us by some unbelievably beautiful waterfalls as rainbows followed us the entire trip. Sam was a wealth of knowledge as she not only was an encyclopedia of information of island history and happenings, but answered each of my endless questions with immediate responses and the patience of Job.
This operation, Safari Tours, is first rate, top of the line, and number one in my book!!! My family has memories that will last a lifetime and for that I am eternally grateful!! My only wish is that I could give at least a little back to Sam and Stephanie as they gave to my family and me. It doesn’t get any better than this!!!