I always considered going on a helicopter tour my "touristy" goal. There are tons of helicopter tours that are around and Maui is no exception. I actually had the opportunity to go on a helicopter tour when I was a little kid. Honestly, I don't remember anything beyond the tarmac.
I had the trip set up for Anabelle, Damien, and myself for quite some time. I booked it on MauiScape Helicopters. We initially were going to do the Haleakala tour, but due to a somewhat big misunderstanding we were upgraded to the West Maui/ Molokai tour. We had to wait an extra week to do it which sucked but was so frickin worth it. Damien was bummed, rightfully so, but they really made it up to him.
One week later.. DAY OF.. We first get to their base and check in. We tell the receptionist our weights, take a seat, and chat with the other families that are there with us. One was from Canada and the other from California. We had a great conversation. They envied us as we were from the islands. We sort out what we can bring and what we end up bringing; mainly the trip's necessities. Cameras, wallets and phones are what we go with. We jump on their bus and shortly thereafter we arrive at the heliport. Their staff directs us to get into these lines according to the markers as the helicopter enters the scene.
DAMIEN & I ON THE HELICOPTER
Once landed and settled, we get in, buckle up, and scope out the interior of the chopper. The gauges, buttons, switches and lights intrigue us. Damien and I are in the back with the father-son combo from Canada with us. ANABELLE and the Canadian mom are in front with the pilot.
As we lift off, the sights are instantly amazing. Though we can only see the heliport, the airport, sugarcane, and the streets, it was great. A few minutes into the tour, we're pinpointing all the places that we know. With the headsets on, we are entertained with music and some information from our pilot slash emcee slash tour guide.
We booked the West Maui/ Molokai tour. The island of Molokai was first. The ocean that is between Maui and Molokai is called the Pailolo Channel. It semed that we were pretty low to the water as if we were just skimming the surface. That was pretty damn cool. As we approached the island, we were in constant awe. Awaiting us was an abundance of lush greenery. Just about every shade of green was in sight, darks and lights, bright ones and pale ones, and every shade in between. A few minutes with Molokai below us we came across waterfall after waterfall, cascading in the light. We brushed along the cliffside and truly realized that other than by helicopter, these views are unattainable otherwise. This was by far one of the highlights of the trip. It was absolutely beautiful.
We flew over Kalaupapa, where Father (now Saint) Damien looked after and supported hundreds and hundreds of lepers for 16 years. We learned that he gave emotional support to these people before contracting leprosy himself and later died. It was a bit uneasy knowing what had happened there about 150 years ago. This was definitely a place rich with history.
After about 25 minutes of touring Molokai, we soon ventured back to the west side of Maui, Lahaina. By then, the subtle vibrations of the helicopter knocked out both kids. The pilot told us that that's somewhat common. Flying over Lahaina was also cool. Both Anabelle and I noticed all the hotels that we once stayed at; the Hyatt, Westin, Royal Lahaina, etc. We seen Anabelle's work place and were totally not paying attention to the pilot. We ventured over Waikapu and the sugar cane that connects Wailuku and Kahului before getting back to official "air space".
The experience of a helicopter tour was invigorating in many senses. We all had a great time and really cherished this experience. I hope that one day we can all go on another tour, maybe one in a different state. And maybe that one can be #54A.
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