Top ten most beautiful flights in the world today
There’s no doubting that our globe appears spectacular from space. Seeing stunning mountain peaks, roaring waterfalls, picturesque islands, and deep canyons from the air makes you appreciate the vast and often remote wilderness regions that remain on our great planet. So make sure you request a window seat on one of the following 10 scenic flights, which I consider to be among the world’s most breathtaking rides.
Below the slide show is further information (including YouTube videos). Do you think I forgot one? In the comments box, tell us about your best scenic flight.
Air New Zealand Flight To The Southern Aurora
The first commercial flight to see the Southern Lights set off from Dunedin, New Zealand’s South Island, in April 2017. More than 130 photographers and aurora lovers boarded the Air New Zealand Boeing 767, which flew south to the Antarctic Circle to witness the natural lighting phenomena. The eight-hour journey crossed the international dateline twice, with the plane flying in wide circles on both sides to allow passengers on both sides to see the stunning lights. The Aurora Australis mission was the brainchild of Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin. Still, it piqued the interest of aurora photographers, with the flight selling out in less than a week and passengers coming in from as far as Australia, South Africa, and Spain. Several flights (operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner) are scheduled for 2022 and 2023 and can be booked here.
Flight Over Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Botswana’s Okavango Delta is one of the world’s most pristine wilderness locations. The world’s largest inland delta provides access to the wonders of untamed Africa, including the adrenaline rush of big game viewing, the utmost quiet and serenity of an unspoiled delta, and evocative sights of outstanding natural beauty. A picturesque flight over the delta provides a bird’s-eye view of the golden-grassed floodplains, framed by lush palm islands and home to a diverse array of wildlife. Keep an eye out for hippos in the rivers and elephants and buffalo in the shade. As this dynamic water system evolves, you can also see how the water channels meander across the delta in ever-changing pathways. Within the Okavango Delta, light aircraft (mainly single-engine planes) are the primary mode of transport, while helicopter services are also available.
Other honours include inclusion in my top 10 rankings of the most amazing ways to arrive at a hotel, the most stunning safari lodges in Africa, the most abundant glamping sites on the planet, and the most epic experiences of a lifetime.
Scenic Flight Over The Great Barrier Reef Of Australia
One of the world’s great natural wonders is the Great Barrier Reef. It is the world’s largest reef, with almost 3000 separate reefs, 880 islands, and hundreds of thousands of different plant, bird, and marine life species. Swimming with the fish and admiring the coral colours is a must-do on any Great Barrier Reef vacation. However, to fully appreciate the Great Barrier Reef’s immense size, you must stop swimming with the various marine creatures, exit the water, let your feet leave the pure-white beaches, and fly above the reef. You’ll get some spectacular views of the Whitsunday Islands and the coral reef formations that make this region of the globe so special on sightseeing flights to and from the reef.
Other accolades: The Great Barrier Reef is also on my top ten list of life’s most epic adventures.
Helicopter Flight Over The Grand Canyon, USA
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States, with a strong and inspiring terrain. The Colorado River built a canyon that is 277 river miles (446km) long, up to 18 miles (29km) broad, and a mile (1.6km) deep, with unique mixes of geologic hue and erosional formations. With its towering buttes, pinnacles, and mesas, the Grand Canyon exposes nature’s majesty, and its tremendous grandeur makes many visitors weak in their knees. A helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, departing from either Las Vegas or near the park’s entry, is one of the most exhilarating ways to see the canyon. Flying over and beneath the Grand Canyon’s rim will provide views unavailable from any ground perspective.
Other honours include inclusion in my top 10 rankings of the most beautiful national parks in the United States, the world’s most iconic dawn and sunset places, the world’s most breathtaking waterfalls, the most magnificent landscapes, and the most epic trips of a lifetime.
A Flight Over The Highest Waterfall In The World In Venezuela
Angel Falls is located in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the world’s highest waterfall, cascading 979 metres (3211 feet) from the Auyantepui into the Devil’s Canyon below. It was named Angel Falls after Jimmy Angel, an American bush pilot and gold-hunting adventurer who found it in 1937. The indigenous people call it Kerepakupai-me. The falls are so high that the water is atomized by the powerful winds and converted into mist before reaching the ground. The falls are reported to be 15 times higher than Niagara Falls in the United States. A scenic flight above Angel’s Fall in a light aircraft will give you a birds-eye view of the falls and transport you to British author Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Lost World” (1912).
Angel Falls is also on my top ten list of the most incredible places to visit in South America and the most spectacular waterfalls.
Landing Or Departure From Paro Airport In Bhutan
Travellers visiting the kingdom of Buthan have no choice but to fly to Paro Airport, Bhutan’s only international airport. It is one of the world’s most dangerous airports, located 2,4 km (1.5 mi) above sea level and surrounded by peaks as high as 5,500 m (18,000 ft). Only a few pilots (from Bhutan Airlines, Buddha Air, and Drukair) are certified to land at the airport since it is so dangerous. Flights to and from Paro are only permitted during daylight hours from sunrise to sunset and only under visual meteorological conditions. Planes must manoeuvre around scores of dwellings strewn across the mountainside, coming dangerously close to clipping roofs. However, suppose you are not too concerned about the dangerous conditions. In that case, you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the crystal blue waters of the Paro river, Bhutan’s rich green flora, and the majestic Himalayan peaks (including Mount Everest).
Oversight Of Santorini, Greece
Santorini, a Greek island, is perhaps one of the world’s most beautiful islands and one of my favourite places. Santorini’s whitewashed villages are nestled atop cliffs, with black sand beaches at the foot, perched high above the deep blue Aegean Sea. One of the greatest volcanic eruptions in recorded history created the island 3,600 years ago, leaving a gigantic water-filled crater of about 12 by 7 km (7.5 by 4 mi) and encircled on all sides by 300 m (980 ft) high cliffs. One of the greatest ways to experience the island’s natural beauty is to take a helicopter ride over the world-famous caldera, especially around sunset. Peak Helicopter Service offers two helicopter tours: a 20-minute regular trip and a 30-minute extended tour.
Antarctica Day Trip With Qantas
If you want to check off that bucket list item of seeing the Great White Continent without getting your feet wet, a Qantas sightseeing day trip departing from Australia would be the best option. While the privately chartered Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner glides effortlessly over the spectacular countryside, you are kept warm and safe with a glass in your hand. Passengers will normally witness the first scattered ice about three hours south of Australia, followed by scores of icebergs and ice floes. The beautiful flight subsequently crosses the South Magnetic Pole, providing views of the Antarctic mainland’s harsh rocky terrain. It’s an experience like no other, with up to four hours on the ice and the rest of the time to enjoy the personalized service, which includes premium drinks, delectable meals, and talks by Antarctic expeditions.
A Maldives Seaplane Flight
Most people’s first impression of the Maldives is of a deep blue sea dotted with tiny palm islands and surrounded by crystal clear lagoons and sugar-white beaches. The only way to see that breathtaking view of 50 shades of blue is from the air, and while you’ll get a few glimpses of the islands from your plane as it lands or departs from Male airport, the seaplanes that transport guests to their resorts offer the best vantage point for the breathtaking panoramas. Trans Maldivian Airways and Manta Air conduct seaplane transfers in the Maldives. A journey in a seaplane over the Maldives, viewing the picture-perfect archipelago from above, is one of the best picturesque pleasures the island offers.
Other honours include flying on a seaplane in the Maldives, which is also on my top ten list of the most amazing things to see and do.
Helicopter Tour Of The Hawaiian Island Of Kauai
Kauai was the first of the major Hawaiian Islands to rise from the seabed, and it was also the first to go extinct 5 million years ago. The Na Pali Coast – 14 miles (22 kilometres) of sea cliffs rising 3,000 feet (900 metres) above the untamed beach, with sheer-walled canyons and gushing waterfalls – and breathtaking Waimea Canyon, the ‘Grand Canyon of the Pacific,’ epitomize Kauai’s fabled and astounding natural beauty. Mount Waialeale on Kauai is the world’s wettest site. The massive rainfall has resulted in the most incredible vertical valleys, razor-sharp peaks plummeting to the sea, and the most magnificent assortment of waterfalls anywhere on the earth. Most Kauai’s breathtaking sights are inaccessible from the ground and can only be seen and appreciated from the air.
Other honours: Kauai is included in my top ten rankings of the world’s most gorgeous islands, most beautiful beaches, world’s most epic climbs, world’s most breathtaking waterfalls, world’s most magnificent landscape, and world’s most epic trips of a lifetime.