The world is a big place, so it was hard to narrow down a list of the top 5 flights on my bucket list. There are plenty of honorable mentions, such as “The World’s Most Dangerous Airport” in Lukla, Nepal. Or going on a sight-seeing flight to Antarctica. But the below 5 routes are on my list for both the wow factor, and fact that they’re relatively accessible for the average person. Be sure to leave a comment if you think I’ve missed anything, or can think of some better flights. So please read my airticle on 5 unique bucket list airline routes around the world.

At 9,500 miles and almost 19 hours of flight time, this is the currently the world’s longest commercial flight. That is until Qantas commence their long-awaited Project Sunrise. This would entail a non-stop flight from London to Sydney at 10,500 miles and 21 hours. Singapore Airlines are one of the highest rated airlines in the world. Some might find the idea of this long on a plane uncomfortable. But for any aviation enthusiast I think it is a must fly. Just to be able to say you’ve flown on the world’s longest flight.

This route is flown on the Airbus A350-900 ULR, a model custom-made for Singapore Airlines. ULR stands for Ultra-long Range. To make this aircraft have such long range, Airbus have modified the fuel tanks for extra capacity and adopted an all-premium seating configuration. If you wanted an affordable flight you’re out of luck. But with about 20 hours on a plane I’d want to be sitting in premium economy at a minimum.

Companies such as Safarilink fly between all the popular safari destinations in Kenya and Tanzania. You can just book a single flight or they offer package holidays where you can go on safari in a plane. You can get a return flight from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve for just ~£300. And often you’ll start seeing wild life as soon as you land at the airport, in this case, a short dirt strip in the savannah.

Most of these safari flights are flown in the trusty Cessna 208 Caravan. I have a couple of similar experiences, though I was only 10 years old so don’t have any photos. I remember we had to wait to takeoff whilst some wilderbeast crossed the runway. And on another occasion our flight was full, so I was lucky enough to sit in the co-pilot’s seat (there was only one pilot).

The island of Saint Barthélemy (or St. Barts for short) is most well known as being a destination for the ultra-rich. However, it has a very unusual airport. Planes have to land at an incredibly steep descent angle in order to stop before running into the sea at the end of the runway. This also makes for some amazing plane spotting opportunities as you can sit on the hill as planes literally graze just meters overhead.

Even more jaw dropping is the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba. It’s airport Juancho E. Yrausquin has the shortest runway in the world at just 400m. Jutting into the sea with sheer cliffs on 3 sides and a steep mountain on the other, it is extremely treachourous. CNN did a great article about what it’s like to land here. You can fly their with Winair if you’re brave enough.

The flight itslelf is relatively uninteresting with only a light snack service and no in-flight entertainment. But the views coming into St. Helena are by all accounts incredible. The island rises from the endless ocean, and around the airport almost looks like the surface of Mars.

The Maldives has some of the most incredible luxury hotels in the world. With underwater restaurants and palaces on stilts, it stands to reason that you would need a unique form of transport to get you there. There are many great hotels in the Maldives. If you want help deciding which to stay at, maybe my guide on the best hotel loyalty programs will help you.

Have you ever wanted to fly a seaplane? Then you’re in luck, with pretty much any high-end hotel in the Maldives, Trans Maldivian Airways can take you there. Their fleet is made up of De Havilland Twin Otters converted into sea planes. These 19 seater twin-prop planes are a great experience to fly in. But you’ll probably want to wear noise-cancelling headphones as it’s on the loud side. I flew from Exeter to the Isles of Scilly on a Twin Otter, so look at my post here if you want to hear more about what it’s like.