This is part two of the three part series: 3 Things worth paying for in Maui. DTM’s recommendations on three things you can’t miss out on during your stay on the beautiful Island of Maui.

#2 Take a helicoptor tour: There are a handful of helicopter tours available in Maui that allow you to see the island and catch views that aren’t possible any other way. Based on some recommendations and a spotless safety record I boarded one of Alexair’s A-Star helicopters for a West Maui-Molokai tour. For those of you that may have reservations about stepping into a helicopter, let me just say that the A-Star seemed more like a private jet than a helicopter. It was super comfortable and every seat had a great view.

The flight started out following Maui’s coastline then crossed over the Pailolo Channel to the cliffs of Molokai. These cliffs are some of the highest and steepest ocean cliffs in the world and they are amazing. You’ve probably seen some shots of them, they’ve been featured in a bunch of movies, and they’re spectacular. We followed the cliffs and made some passes to see some beautiful waterfalls up close. After seeing our fill of waterfalls that plummeted towards the ocean, we flew over more of Molokai and headed back over the channel to Maui. This time over the channel we took our time and watched from above as a few whales played in the water below. Back over Maui we circled some more of the coast line and headed back over lush mountains towards where we started our journey.

It was such a great experience. Our pilot was very personable and told us interesting facts and history along our way. I saw things that most people that visit the islands will never see. The flight lasted about 50 minutes but it seemed to fly by, no pun intended. Alexair offers a handful of tours that cover all of Maui and offer options for all budgets and lifestyles. Next time I’ll be signing up for the more adventurous doors off tour!

Previous: Three in Maui Part One- Attend a Luau

Coming Up: Three in Maui Part Three- Whale Watching Cruise