Our pilot offered a non-stop educational narration that took the helicopter tour to even a higher level. The oldest and 4th largest of the major Hawaiian Islands, it is believed that the first humans migrated to Kaua’i from the Marquesas Islands around 500 AD, where they sailed for four months on 60 ft long and 14 ft wide double-hulled canoes without ever stopping for food and water.

From the vantage point of the open-air terrace, I could just make out Maui's iconic Pu'u Keka'a. Illuminated by the Hawaiian moon, it is the spot where Kahekili II would demonstrate his bravery by jumping 400 feet into the sea. He called it lele kawa, which means leaping off high cliffs and entering the water feet first without a splash. Said to be seven foot tall and 300 pounds, his massive physicality made his splash-less dive even more remarkable. In the 1700s, as the king of Maui, Kahekili II selected Kāʻanapali’s pristine stretch of sands and lush gardens as a retreat for Hawaiian royalty and training ground for his warriors.