While enjoying Maui, we explored the island by more ways than just on foot or by car. My parents are quite active, so active that I actually had to request a relaxing beach day during our trip. But, having active travel partners means that you leave an area, one week later, feeling as if you truly discovered every aspect, road, and small town.

The last two days of our trip, we left the car behind to explore Maui by air and sea.

Maui by Air

As you may recall, last year I had the opportunity to take my first helicopter trip with Theodora thanks to Hershey’s. I loved every second of the experience and told my parents about it the next day, raving about the unique vantage point I had of New York City and New Jersey. Therefore, when we arrived in Maui one of our activity ideas was a helicopter tour of the island. Not the cheapest activity, we asked a few of the locals whether they recommended it while we dined around Paia and other towns. Each person we asked eagerly provided their support of the idea. After deciding that we knew we wanted to splurge and see Maui by air, we referenced Trip Advisor and Yelp’s recommendations for which company we should trust with our money.

Both suggested the same group, based on reviews and tour options: Air Maui.

Based out of the Maui Heliport, near the airport, Air Maui featured many different options including multi-island tours and tours as short as 30 minutes! We went with the full island tour which was 60 minutes in length and on a normal day includes all aspects of the island. We actually lucked out and due to weather, our pilot created his own route since the Haleakala Crater wasn’t visible due to clouds. We were able to enjoy the Maui views along with an ad hoc trip to Moliki, a nearby island whose abundant waterfalls and lush vegetation left us breathless.

Our helicopter held 6 passengers, but luckily there were only 5 of us on board which meant everyone was bale to sit comfortably and enjoy amazing views from the large windows. In addition, each person had their own headphones which protected us from the loud noise and allowed us to clearly hear the pilot’s narration which was available as the audio via the headphones.

Here are just a few of the awesome sights we saw during the 60 minute tour.

Maui By Sea

If I was traveling to Hawaii with Bo, scuba diving would have been one of the first items on the agenda. Since neither of my parents have dove in years, snorkeling seemed to be a safer way to see Maui’s underwater landscape. But, finding and deciding on a snorkeling company is easier said than done. Upon my first Google search, I found that there are over 40 different companies leading tours out of the two main ports on Maui, both on the Southern part of the island.

Once again, locals and Yelp helped us make the decision on which tour company was best. In the end, when we were deciding between two companies, seniority ruled. If a private company can make it 30 years, you know they are doing something right. Not many companies made it though both the financial crisis and 9/11 unscathed in Hawaii but luckily Trilogy Tours has not only made it through but thrived. Offering many different tour options, we went with one of their longer tours that would not only allow us over 2 hours of snorkeling but also the opportunity to spend time on a huge catamaran, experiencing true sailing while also having the opportunity to possible sight a whale due to the path.

The trip, which left harbor at 6:30am, provided us with both breakfast and lunch along the way.

The staff was very friendly and more than willing to point out sea life while we were in the water and help even the most scared of passengers. We also lucked out as the flight was less than half full due to the early sail. This meant that there were only 17 of us on the 59 passenger boat, allowing ample space for sun bathing, whale watching, and relaxation!

After six hours of sailing and snorkeling we saw two whales, unusual this late in the season, swam with numerous sea turtles and fish, saw gorgeous coral, and reached exhaustion due to sun, fresh air, and lots of wind!

If you head to Maui, I highly recommend parting ways with your rental car or beach blanked to experience the island from air and sea! It’s worth skimping on a few drinks at the bar or a spa treatment to enjoy these awesome opportunities which are so rare the rest of the year!