3 Finest Helicopter Safaris to Soak up Africa, In line with a Prime Journey Advisor

Shut your eyes and film the scene: Blades whir above you, there’s a cool breeze in your face, you’re excessive above the bottom whereas Africa’s most distant corners fly previous under. 

Safari helicopter excursions supply a singular and unique technique to discover distant areas of an already wild continent. With a chopper, nothing is out of attain – and for the intrepid explorer craving for true isolation, that is the stuff of desires. As a journey advisor who makes a speciality of east and southern African safaris, these are the three helicopter safaris I like to recommend time and time once more.

Lake Turkana Flights in Northern Kenya

Arguably some of the epic helicopter safaris, this full day journey into Kenya’s Massive North is crammed with hanging landscapes. The rolling hills of Laikipia, situated on the equator, give technique to the huge, desolate sand dunes of the Suguta Valley under, earlier than lakes flooded with flamingos come into sight. Your pilot will discover the most effective locations to the touch down to satisfy distant tribes, stroll on dunes, or swim in clear waters earlier than stopping for lunch alongside a collapsed volcano on Lake Turkana’s southern finish. 

The flight again is simply as scenic, hovering over the Matthews mountain vary — a distant and inaccessible landmark crammed with dramatic cliffs, cycad forests, and flowing rivers. This tour is what Kenya’s Massive North and helicopter safaris are all about — the prospect to expertise one thing fully uncooked, unfiltered, and faraway from the surface world. 

Miavana Flights to Madagascar 

Madagascar is one other huge and less-traveled nation greatest explored by air. Only a quick flight from Miavana, an ultra-luxurious resort on Nosy Ankao island the place the helicopter is predicated, you’ll discover Madagascar’s northern parks. The land is stuffed with distinctive gems, like otherworldly rock formations, monumental baobab timber, uncommon lemur species, and dramatic cliffs you possibly can soak up from above.

Non-public Island Flights in Botswana’s Okavango Delta

Botswana‘s vibrant floodplains are one other pure phenomenon greatest skilled from the vantage of a chopper. Really feel the wind in your face as you’re taking to the skies in a doors-off helicopter, embarking on an journey north towards the supply of the Okavango Delta — an unlimited inland river delta in northern Botswana. Hundreds of individuals flock to Botswana to witness these life-giving waters and the world heritage web site they embody, however solely a handful get to expertise it from the sky. 

From the helicopter, there’s additionally a probability of seeing wildlife of their pure habitat. Nile crocodiles solar themselves on the river banks, whereas pods of hippos and herds of elephants roam by means of the waters. 

You may as well get pleasure from a drink on a personal delta island, with simply you, your organization, and the sounds of true wilderness. Plus, no two flights are the identical, with sightings, routes, and picnic spots continually altering. 

Why It’s Price It

Africa actually is without doubt one of the final wild, great frontiers. Its magnificence lies in its sort individuals, mesmerizing wildlife, and distant, hidden landscapes. And, I can attest, helicopter safaris are one of the best ways to expertise it in an exhilarating, deeply private approach. 

Shaun Stanley is a member of Journey + Leisure’s A-Record and makes a speciality of east and southern Africa safari journeys. You may create a tailored itinerary with Stanley by contacting him at shaun@stanley-safaris.com.