Kauai Airplane Tour in a GA-8 Airvan: Na Pali Coast, Wailua Falls, Window Seats

A fixed-wing flight over Kauai rather than a helicopter ride, in one of two identical GA-8 Airvans. The company says it is the only air tour operator on the island able to fly groups of 12 at the same time, and every passenger has a window seat, a plus for photographers. The route starts along the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park in the northwest, where tall sea cliffs, narrow valleys, streams and waterfalls meet. It continues to Mount Waiale'ale, a shield volcano and the second highest point on Kauai at 5,148 feet. The summit averages over 373 inches of rain a year and set a record of 683 inches in 1982, which makes it one of the rainiest places on earth. The plane then crosses Waimea Canyon, called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and passes Wailua Falls, the 173-foot waterfall on the South Fork Wailua River near Lihue that opens the Fantasy Island TV series. Hanalei Bay follows, the largest bay on the north shore, with nearly 2 miles of beach ringed by mountains. Manawaiopuna Falls, 400 feet tall in Hanapepe Valley, appears as a backdrop in the 1993 film Jurassic Park. Check-in at the Lihue Airport Commuter Terminal is 30 minutes before the flight, and the operator describes the flight as suitable for the whole family.