Spell It: Discover some of the best aerial views in the world
We learn that some landscapes and urban environments are even more stunning from above
When you need a fresh perspective, there’s only one way to go – up!
Click start to play today’s Spell It, where the word “vista” has us discovering new ways to see the world’s beautiful landscapes.
An aerial view, from a plane, a mountain top or a skyscraper, can be humbling and exhilarating at the same time, compelling you to look at familiar sights in a whole new way. Here are five vistas that have to be experienced from a height:
1. Grand Canyon, US
Even if you know all the statistics, like the fact that the Grand Canyon is more than 1.6km deep (twice the height of Burj Khalifa) and more than 29km wide, it still won’t prepare you for the experience of staring down into the vast abyss. You can hike up to a viewpoint, fly over the canyon in a helicopter or try the glass-bottomed observation platform that gives you a vertigo-inducing glimpse of the canyon’s depths right under your feet!
2. Palm Jumeirah, UAE
Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is an impressive feat of construction and engineering. But you get to fully appreciate it when you sky dive over the island. Jumping out of a plane 13,000 feet above the city gives you an unimpeded view of Dubai’s soaring skyscrapers, its desert dunes, and the sandy fronds of the Palm Jumeirah, laid out in a canvas of turquoise blue ocean.
3. Hong Kong cityscape
A city full of skyscrapers, Hong Kong gives travellers many opportunities to view it from above. But one of the best places to do so is from The Peak, Hong Kong’s highest mountain. A circular walk around the wooded mountain takes you to its peak, from where you can enjoy stunning views of the skyscraper-packed city, its bustling harbour and its Outlying islands.
4. Great Barrier Reef, Australia
The massive Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system and is even visible from space. But you don’t have to board a space shuttle to view the 2,900 reefs and 900 islands that make up this spectacular region. A helicopter flight over the reef offers just as impressive views.
5. Tsingy de Bemaraha, Madagascar
The otherworldly Tsingy de Bemaraha national park is the largest stone forest in the world – a five-day journey from Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo. A labyrinth of spiny spires and narrow ravines, the remote landscape is littered with hidden caves. Intrepid travellers can climb across the forest and encounter its exotic wildlife, from lemurs to parrots.
Which of these views have you seen from above? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.