Eight of the Best Views in the World

Broaden your horizons with our eight favourite natural or man-made vistas. Don’t even think about forgetting your camera.

Few things on the planet are as spectacular as a waterfall, and the Victoria Falls is up there with the most awesome. More than a mile’s width of the Zambezi River plummets 108 metres at its highest point and Rainbow Falls, as its name suggests, is where rainbows are frequently visible on clear days. See Victoria Falls from Zimbabwe or Zambia.

Most people love a good beach, but nowhere does one quite like the Maldives. These glorious islands surrounded by white sand and coral reefs are wonderful to relax on, but the best view of them can be had from above. Many of these islands have a choice of boat or seaplane transfer, and opting for the latter will provide stunning vistas of the atolls on the way to your resort.

It’s known as the city that never sleeps, but there’s still peace to be found in New York City, particularly from one of the two observation decks of the Empire State Building. Here you can see the most recognisable skyline in the world at sunrise or sunset in all its towering glory.

The Serengeti is arguably the best place in the world to see nature at its most wild and exciting. It’s here that every year the great migration takes place. From January to March 1.7 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelles follow the best grazing across the Serengeti, starting in Tanzania.

The Grand Canyon is massive. An understatement perhaps, but it’s probably bigger than you’re even imagining right now. The only way to really take in the sheer magnitude of the 18-mile wide, mile deep canyon is from the North or South rims, so next time you’re near Arizona take a detour to see one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world.

One of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is both a fascinating insight into the Inca Empire and a rewarding view. The ruins, which sit 2,430 metres above sea level in Peru, cannot be seen from below but once at the top there are spectacular panoramas of the surrounding peaks.

Ancient temples are eye-catching examples of architecture and are visited frequently around the world. But few are as impressive as the thousands of monasteries and pagodas on the Bagan plain in central Myanmar. On a good day you’ll see the mist clearing as daylight arrives to reveal the stupas and temples scattered throughout the land.

Much of Indonesia’s economic wealth comes from rice; indeed it’s the third-highest producer of the grain in the world. The rice terraces of Ubud are not only important for Bali’s income, but they’re incredible to look at too. Time it right and you’ll see bright green paddy fields in Tegallalang – so bring your camera!