Spotlight's Maui Gold Magazine

One of the more popular flights on Maui is the East Maui area, viewing Mt. Haleakala, the "House of the Sun," and the verdant rain forests along its eastern and northern slopes. Soar over Haleakala Crater, the world's largest dormant volcano. The immense majesty of the crater unfolds before you, as you gaze upon this lunar landscape.

Along the eastern and northern slopes of Haleakala the panorama of pristine rain forests and shoreline are magnificent. The area abounds with streams and waterfalls and is peacefully nestled by the community of "Heavenly" Hana. The "Hana Coast," extending from Kipahulu on the east side to Ke‘anae on the north, is a thriving medley of tourism, of agriculture and of the traditional days of the early Hawaiians.

The Central Valley connects the two volcanic mountains that have formed the Island of Maui. This seven and a half mile wide valley is the agricultural and industrial hub of the Island, and is responsible for Maui's nickname, "The Valley Isle."

The West Maui Mountains were formed by an extinct volcano whose summit, Pu‘u Kukui, is the second wettest spot in Hawai‘i with an annual average of 400 inches of rain. Past and present Hawai‘i share the stage here-view the spectacular valleys and canyons of these mountains, awe-inspiring images one envisions of a tropical paradise–just minutes away by helicopter. The modern Ka‘anapali Resort and historic Lahaina Town are stretched out along some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world.

The astounding beauty and rugged tropical splendor of ‘Iao Valley and Waihe‘e Valley can only be captured through flightseeing. This series of gorges cuts into the West Maui Mountains, and the drama in all of them is provided by rainbows, and waterfalls that cascade down 1500-foot cliffs to the lush valley floor. Waihe‘e Valley is believed to be the first area settled on Maui by the early Polynesians, between 500-700 A.D.