Unrivaled views from the window seat

What matters more: the journey or the destination? When it comes to air travel, the tendency is to consider the former as merely perfunctory – necessary for the reward of arrival. However, as is often the case, this one is a matter of perspective, and the window seat offers the greatest one around. Read on for a list of flight routes guaranteed to impress even the most seasoned travelers.

Namibia Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Cape Town International Airport (CPT) for a view of Namibia’s sand dunes

AvGeek Instagrammers will rejoice in the aerial views afforded through the windows on this flight. Expect to be in direct line of sight with Namibia’s famous rust-red dunes of five-million-year-old sand, or, on the rare occasion of a heavy rainfall, a turquoise lake caused by the flooding of nearby Tsauchab River. If a jaw-dropping photo of the dunes’ shadows is what you are after, ensure that this segment of the voyage falls during either early morning or late afternoon.

Maldives Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Malé International Airport (MLE) for a view of Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago

At Myanmar’s most southwestern stretch, along the country’s border with Thailand, lie the 800 islands that comprise the Mergui Archipelago. Nestled in the Andaman Sea and surrounded by coral reefs, the islands vary in size – from nearly imperceptible from the air to hundreds of square miles big. Deep blue oceans dotted with these pockets of verdant tropical rainforests can be observed at about two-thirds of the way through this voyage.

Tokyo International Airport (HND) to Osaka International Airport (ITM) for a view of Mt. Fuji

Passengers taking off from Tokyo Haneda Airport will be able to see Japan’s tallest mountain and crown jewel within 10 to 15 minutes of departure. Seats on the right-hand side of the aircraft offer the best views of Mt. Fuji’s caldera, the crater-like depression found at the peak of the mountain, and for a snow-capped peak, make the domestic flight from late fall to early summer.

Manhattan Anywhere to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) for a view of the Manhattan Skyline

The topography of Manhattan’s skyscrapers has astounded passengers for ages. Passengers can revel over views of the Big Apple as they pass over the harbor and the city’s five boroughs. Nighttime flights guarantee the most arresting panoramas of the city that never sleeps.

Iguazu Falls Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) to Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport (IGU) for a view of the Iguazu Falls

Before landing at Foz do Iguaçu/Cataratas International Airport, passengers are privy to an unparalleled view of the world’s largest waterfall system, composed of 275 individual drops, which sweep over a 1.7-mile stretch. And if this natural wonder isn’t enough, passengers can snag a view of the modern ingenuity of the Itaipu Dam just moments before reaching the falls.