MAUI - “Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.” -Amelia Earhart

Traveler or tourist, what exactly is the difference? Both make a conscience decision to leave the safety and comfort of their respective homes to visit far off lands. Both encounter food, people, and cultures that differ greatly from what they are used to “back home”. Both have similar recreational interests and yet the traveler is revered and the tourist, scorned… Why? Why do we, the savvy travelers of the world, look down upon the pasty white, Hawaiian shirt wearing, camera toting tourists when in reality we are so very similar? This is a question that has plagued me recently so, in an effort to bring together the 2 factions of the travel world, I decided to cross over. I decided to see how the tourist half lived. What better way to experience a little touristy fun than taking an afternoon parachute ride with the boys at West Maui Parasail.

Right off the bat my parasail experience got off to a great start. Because this was a “touristy” activity, setting up an appointment with West Maui Parasail was a snap. West Maui Parasail has two different locations, at Lahaina Harbor and Kaanapali beach and reservations can be made online or by phone for both locations. I chose the Kaanapali beach location and decided to double my fun by bringing a friend along for a tandem flight. Single and triple flights are also an option. Upon arrival, we were asked to fill out a small amount of paperwork (standard procedure for any activity that involves being 50 stories in the air) and before we knew it we were on a small zodiac raft with a few other vacationers headed across the shallow reef and out to the state-of-the-art, custom made winch boat. West Maui Parasail has been operating on Maui since 1985 and has always maintained the most modern, purpose built boats and equipment. Once aboard the parasailing boat the Frayed Knot, we were introduced to Frank and Joel (our gurus of parasailing), given a brief safety lecture (basically outlining which clips to not disconnect while we were aloft), and the first couple was quickly strapped into their harnesses and airborne in a matter of minutes.

Rates for a 10 minute parasail start at 65 dollars and 600 and 800 foot rope lengths are available. My friend Tanya and I wanted the best view possible so we opted for the 800 foot length and after the second couple returned safely to the deck of the boat, it was our turn. We slid our legs into the harnesses, our lanyards were attached to the chute and as Joel the captain eased on the throttle we were lifted gently into the clear blue sky. After a preliminary dip in the ocean to cool us off the 800 feet of line was slowly let out and we were soaring almost 50 stories in the air. The view from our suspended seats was more than spectacular but the real star of the show was the noise, or lack thereof. Hanging from our smiley face chute, hundreds of feet away from the boat’s engine and the crashing waves we were consumed by almost complete silence. The 360 degree view of Maui and her sister islands of Lanai and Molokai was unlike any other on the Valley Isle and so peaceful we did not want to come back to earth. After floating around for our allotted time, we were leisurely reeled back to the boat. As the rope shortened the boat slowed and we were dunked in the Pacific one more time before being winched ever so gently back to the deck of the Frayed Knot safe and sound (and very wet).

I hope this trip into the world of the tourist has inspired some of you hardcore travelers to let your guard down and step outside your comfort zone. The goal of travel (or recreation in general) is nothing more than to have fun, so live it up! Do something a bit cliché! Go to a luau, go snorkeling, drink a fruity drink with an umbrella or contact the crew at West Maui Parasail for a fun affordable afternoon flight. Flights are offered from May 15th to December 15th (boats can’t operate from Dec. to May due to Humpback whale migration) and reservations are a must. The crew does offer a picture package as well as West Maui Parasail merchandise to remember your experience. So, if you are looking for a safe, cost effective way to get high while you’re on Maui look no further than West Maui Parasail. And remember, all you tourists and travelers alike, don’t be afraid of fun in all its forms.