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Close your eyes and picture the scene: Blades whir above you, there’s a cool breeze on your face, you’re high above the ground while Africa’s most remote corners fly past below.
Safari helicopter tours offer a unique and exclusive way to explore remote spaces of an already wild continent. With a chopper, nothing is out of reach – and for the intrepid explorer yearning for true isolation, this is the stuff of dreams. As a travel advisor who specializes in east and southern African safaris, these are the three helicopter safaris I recommend time and time again.
Courtesy of Tropic Air Kenya
Lake Turkana Flights in Northern Kenya
Arguably one of the most epic helicopter safaris, this full day trip into Kenya’s Big North is filled with striking landscapes. The rolling hills of Laikipia, located on the equator, give way to the vast, desolate sand dunes of the Suguta Valley below, before lakes flooded with flamingos come into view. Your pilot will find the best places to touch down to meet remote tribes, walk on dunes, or swim in clear waters before stopping for lunch alongside a collapsed volcano on Lake Turkana’s southern end.
The flight back is just as scenic, soaring over the Matthews mountain range — a remote and inaccessible landmark filled with dramatic cliffs, cycad forests, and flowing rivers. This tour is what Kenya’s Big North and helicopter safaris are all about — the chance to experience something entirely raw, unfiltered, and removed from the outside world.
Courtesy of Stanley Safaris/Time+Tide
Miavana Flights to Madagascar
Madagascar is another vast and less-traveled country best explored by air. Just a short flight from Miavana, an ultra-luxurious resort on Nosy Ankao island where the helicopter is based, you’ll find Madagascar’s northern parks. The land is full of unique gems, like otherworldly rock formations, enormous baobab trees, rare lemur species, and dramatic cliffs you can take in from above.
Sergio Pitamitz /robertharding/Collection Mix: Subjects RF//Getty Images
Private Island Flights in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Botswana‘s vibrant floodplains are another natural phenomenon best experienced from the vantage of a chopper. Feel the wind on your face as you take to the skies in a doors-off helicopter, embarking on an adventure north toward the source of the Okavango Delta — a vast inland river delta in northern Botswana. Thousands of people flock to Botswana to witness these life-giving waters and the world heritage site they encompass, but only a handful get to experience it from the sky.
From the helicopter, there’s also a likelihood of seeing wildlife in their natural habitat. Nile crocodiles sun themselves on the river banks, while pods of hippos and herds of elephants roam through the waters.
You can also enjoy a drink on a private delta island, with just you, your company, and the sounds of true wilderness. Plus, no two flights are the same, with sightings, routes, and picnic spots constantly changing.
Why It’s Worth It
Africa really is one of the last wild, wonderful frontiers. Its beauty lies in its kind people, mesmerizing wildlife, and remote, hidden landscapes. And, I can attest, helicopter safaris are the best way to experience it in a thrilling, deeply personal way.
Shaun Stanley is a member of Travel + Leisure’s A-List and specializes in east and southern Africa safari trips. You can create a tailor-made itinerary with Stanley by contacting him at shaun@stanley-safaris.com.
