So this time my mission was to book the best and cheapest helicopter tour I could in a quest to spend an enjoyable week on Kauai without breaking the bank. Hawaii in general can be expensive, with hotel and restaurant prices that make you gasp. But on Kauai, I discovered, all you need to do to get a good deal is to turn over a few stones. Before I left home, I consulted guidebooks, cruised the Internet and made some calls. Rates were at their low-season nadir when I went in January, but there was a catch.
Winter brings dangerously high surf, especially to the west and north coasts.
So you must be careful about where you swim. No matter the season, it's no sweat to find excellent, inexpensive places to eat on the Garden Island. An affordable helicopter tour posed a stiffer challenge. On the afternoon I arrived, I claimed my Alamo rental car, then visited Island Helicopters and Air Kauai, whose offices are near the airport. Next, I drove about 20 miles on the Kuhio Highway to Kapaa, the island's busy commercial center.