There is no other flight quite like a seaplane flight. You board from a beach or a dock, take off from the water, and fly low enough to see the reef below. Then you land on the sea where no runway could ever be built. These are the seaplane flights around the world that are worth travelling for.

1.The Maldives: flying over the atolls

For many people, the Maldives is the reason they first think of seaplanes. Resorts are spread across dozens of atolls, and seaplanes carry guests from Malé to their island in under an hour. From the window you see the famous view: rings of coral, sandbanks and lagoons in every shade of blue.

Why it's special: one of the largest seaplane operations in the world, and the transfer is the first highlight of the holiday.

2.Misty Fjords, Alaska

From Ketchikan, floatplanes fly into Misty Fjords National Monument: granite walls rising straight out of the water, waterfalls pouring off the cliffs and forests that reach the shore. Many flights land on a quiet lake or fjord in the middle of the wilderness, so you can step out onto the float and listen to the silence.

Why it's special: a landscape almost impossible to reach any other way.

3.The coast of British Columbia, Canada

Floatplanes are part of daily life on Canada's west coast, linking Vancouver, Victoria and the Gulf Islands harbour to harbour. This is also the home of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, the bush plane built in Canada after the Second World War that became the most famous seaplane ever made. It is the same type we fly in Palawan.

Why it's special: mountains, islands and city skylines in one flight, and the birthplace of the Beaver.

4.The Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Some of the world's most famous reef views can only be seen from the air. Scenic flights over the Whitsundays pass Whitehaven Beach's swirling white sand and the heart-shaped coral of Heart Reef, with the Great Barrier Reef stretching to the horizon.

Why it's special: the scale of the reef only makes sense from above.

5.Sydney Harbour, Australia

Few cities can be seen by seaplane like Sydney. Flights take off from the harbour, pass the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and follow the coastline north to the beaches, often landing for lunch at a waterfront restaurant.

Why it's special: a world city and wild coastline in the same short flight.

6.Lake Como, Italy

Lake Como has a long seaplane tradition and one of the oldest seaplane clubs in the world. Flights take off from the town of Como and follow the lake between the Alps, over villas, villages and gardens that look like a painting from above.

Why it's special: classic European elegance, with the Alps as the backdrop.

7.The islands of Fiji

In Fiji, seaplanes connect the main island to resorts in the Mamanuca and Yasawa groups. The flight crosses reefs, tiny sand cays and deep blue channels before landing in a lagoon in front of your resort.

Why it's special: the classic South Pacific island arrival.