Vacation life becoming hum drum and so so? You’ve seen all the beaches and palm trees and pretty water you can handle? You want something exciting but not on the level of wrestling crocodiles in the Amazon? Now you can see what you’re missing with a seaplane.

Of course, you have to travel all the way to Hawaii (over 6-million people each year) to check out the Island Seaplane Service. What you’ll find is a slice of vacation heaven that can’t be compared with anything you’ve ever done (the monkey and those two co-eds from Puerto Vallarta University not withstanding).

Island Seaplane Service in Honolulu gives you the thrill of a lifetime (OK, one of the many thrills of your lifetime). You’ll see the sea you didn’t see via the seaplane that takes off and lands on the sea.

Years, nay, dare we say, decades ago, travel to distant lands in the sea was the domain of Pan Am Cina Clippers—those sea going ocean liners that also flew in the sky.

Alas, those day are gone. And returned. Island Seaplane Service offers airborne tours of Oahu (and the surrounding seas) with two aircraft. One is a Cessna 206 that accommodates four passengers and the pilot. The other is a six passenger DeHavilland Beaver (I checked their promotional brochures and couldn’t find out if a pilot is included on the Beaver).

Whaddaya get?

Either a 30-minute tour or a 60-minute tour, depending on how much time you have. And how much money.

There’s a bus that’ll pick up passengers from Waikiki Hotels and take you to Island Seaplane’s floating office. Fortunately, the floating office just floats and doesn’t follow the airplane into the sky or anything. Still, it’s kinda neat.

The 30-minute flight takes off from the water (it’s a liquid runway out there—not as smooth as a Boeing 747 taking off from Honolulu International, but, you do get a window seat) and heads toward Honolulu Harbor.

From there the plane crosses Aloha Tower then passes offshore of Waikiki Beach. Hopefully you’re still airborne at this point. If so, you’ll cruise by magnificent Diamond Head, then Koko Head Crater, Hanauma Bay, Sealife Park, and see the scrambling jets at the US Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe Bay.

Assuming you don’t get shot down, you’re back on the runway in about half an hour.

The 60-minute affair covers all the same landmarks as the 30-minute quickie (don’t you wish!) and then heads out toward the Windward Coast of Oahu, Chinaman’s Hat, Polynesian Cultural Center, Kahuku Sugar Mill, and the Turtle Bay Resort.

Oh, you also fly back to the runway.

Which brings up and interesting question. Planes that lane on the runway at a regular airport, “land”, right?

So what do you say when you “land” on water (because, with a seaplane, “water” is really the runway)?

“Hooray! Thank you, God!! We made it!!”

Or something like that.

Summary: You won’t be bored. You’ll be excited. These planes look like they’re straight out of an Indian Jones movie. Island Seaplane Service details are available at IslandSeaPlane.com. Click Here.

Pros: Pure fun. Plenty of excitement. Surprisingly not expensive. Better than a helicopter ride on Oahu.

Cons: 30-minutes goes by VERY fast.

Want to know the best places to eat in Hawaii? Click over to Ono Dining for totally biased reviews on Hawai's best (and not so best) restaurants.