7 Ways to See the World From the Sky

Thrill-seekers know the formula for an epic adventure: a little adrenaline, clear skies and the promise of awe-inspiring views. Few things compare with soaring over the Grand Canyon in a helicopter near Las Vegas or catapulting through the atmosphere during a skydiving expedition in Dubai. Of course, not all airborne experiences require nerves of steel. Board the Four Seasons Jet and you’ll see how relaxing a bird’s-eye view can be.

To satisfy all varieties of travellers, we’ve rounded up seven of the world’s most breathtaking destinations and the most exhilarating ways to see them from the sky. From Dubai to Whistler, follow our guide to taking flight.

Hot-air ballooning in the Serengeti

Hop aboard a hot-air balloon to see the natural beauty of your surroundings from an ideal vantage point. This gentle hot-air balloon safari, arranged by Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, allows for the ultimate scenic view – an unobstructed 360-degree panorama – so it’s no wonder hot-air ballooning is a favourite pastime in other wilderness expanses as well, such as the American Southwest. The Serengeti, with its golden savannahs and rich wildlife, may be the world’s best destination to lift off and float the morning away.

Zip-lining in Costa Rica

Woman rides a zip-line over a lush jungle

The Witch’s Rock Canopy Tour sends you flying above the unique dry forests of Papagayo Peninsula, home to rare birds, animals and plants like toucans, monkeys and orchids.

Strap into a harness and sail through the jungle canopy of Guanacaste Province on a zip-line tour arranged by Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo. Spot tropical birds, tree frogs and howler monkeys up close, and soar above gorgeous waterfalls as you glide from platform to towering platform. Witch’s Rock Canopy Tour, with its 24 platforms and three suspension bridges, offers some of the best views of Costa Rica’s landscape.

Skydiving in Dubai

Parachute in Dubai

Skydive Dubai offers tandem dives with expert instructors as well as a training program for those who wish to take the plunge solo.

Ranked a top drop zone, and the host of one of the world’s biggest skydiving championships, Dubai – home of Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Beach and Four Seasons Dubai International Financial Centre – draws both experts and beginners with glimmering views of the city skyline and the Arabian Gulf. Flying above the fan-shaped archipelago of Palm Jumeirah is your photo-worthy moment.

Touring Maui by helicopter

A helicopter flies over green peaks in Maui

Soar above towering waterfalls and lush rainforests before peering into Haleakala, a dormant volcano that composes 75 percent of Maui.

Admire the island’s green peaks, plunging waterfalls and grand dormant volcano during a private helicopter tour with Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea. Touch down at ONO Organic Farms for a private tour and exotic fruit tasting led by the farm’s long-time owners. Afterwards, set out to explore the famed town of Hana before returning to the Resort for a personalized multi-course dinner featuring your favourite fruits from the ONO farm.

Soaring to natural wonders around Las Vegas

Trade bright city lights for a sprawling desert landscape during an experience available exclusively to guests of Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas. A private helicopter carries you to the Valley of Fire, Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, where you’ll see rare petroglyphs and sandstone rock formations. Next you’ll venture to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon, following the bend of the Colorado River, and touch down for a private lunch beside one of the world’s seven wonders.

Seaplane surfing in the Maldives

Two surfers dive off of a seaplane into the ocean

Tropicsurf guides can help surfers of every skill level drop into world-class waves at Kuda Huraa, situated among the area’s most celebrated surf breaks.

Experience the Indian Ocean from sea and sky during a seaplane surfing excursion with Four Season Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. You and your surfing guide will board a seaplane and cruise the Maldivian atolls searching for prime waves. When the timing is right, you’ll touch down, dive into crystal blue waters and surf to your heart’s content.

Flying Over a Glacier in Whistler

A helicopter landing on a snowy mountaintop in Whistler

Accessible only by helicopter, Whistler’s remote thermal baths sit amid snowcapped mountains.

The Pemberton Backcountry, home to British Columbia’s largest ice field, is both your fly-by scenery and your destination during an exclusive Whistler helicopter tour with Four Seasons Resort Whistler. Touch down for an ice-cave tour, and then soar to the region’s remote hot springs for a private spa experience in dramatic, unlikely place. Follow us into the ice cave and see photos from inside this kingdom of cold >

Your Journey Begins Here

Choose the site of your next adventure and awe-inspiring view.

Hotel on beach

How to Upgrade Your Sunset Experience

From a rooftop retreat high above Dubai to a cocktail bar with prime-time views of Scottsdale’s sweeping desert sky, these hotels and resorts pair sunset scenes with unmatched amenities and exclusive experiences.


Group at the beach in Bali

At a Beachfront Bar in Bali

Built like a Balinese village along a sandy, crescent-shaped beach, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay takes advantage of its superior setting to present three distinctive ways to behold the brilliant evening sky: Find your centre with a sunset hatha yoga class by the ocean; sip Champagne on a sunset cruise in the bay; or settle yourself on a cushy daybed with a cocktail and live music at Sundara, the Resort’s restaurant and beach club.

Prefer to pair sundown with solitude? There’s a fourth way: Stay in one of the two-bedroom Premier Ocean Villas. You’ll have your own infinity pool and bale (Balinese pergola) with broad, unobstructed views of the ocean and the fiery sky.


Four Seasons Seattle Pool

From an Otherworldly Pool in Seattle

In the heated waters of the city’s only outdoor infinity pool, look out over Puget Sound from Four Seasons Hotel Seattle. Thanks to clear-glass balustrades, there’s not a bad seat on this sought-after pool deck, which also lays claim to a hot tub, a firepit and comfy chaise lounges. As the sun sets over Elliott Bay and the Seattle Great Wheel, the sky-high Olympic Mountains turn into towering dark shadows in the distance.


Congress Avenue Bats in Austin

Just Add Bats in Austin

On the deck of the new Live Oak bar at Four Seasons Hotel Austin, you’ll have a front-row seat for more than the sinking sun. The Hotel’s position overlooking the bridge, and Lady Bird Lake below, qualifies it for prime bat-watching.

From early spring until the first chill of fall, more than a million Mexican free-tailed bats make their home beneath downtown’s Congress Avenue Bridge. In a frenzied exodus that occurs every evening just before sunset, they leave the roost to embark on their nocturnal hunt. You can see two natural wonders at once from either the Live Oak or a spot on the expansive terrace of the new Ciclo restaurant – part of a multimillion-dollar renovation to be completed in fall 2018.


Sunset at Four Seasons Costa Rica

Via Catamaran Cruise in Costa Rica

Set on a hillside surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo offers up all manner of ways to admire the fiery sky. Take a guided kayak tour around the peninsula, stopping to watch the colours change behind Monkey Head, an iconic rock formation that spires from the sea, or board the 47-foot Goombay catamaran for a sunset cruise that includes a snorkelling stop. There are guided sunset hikes, private beach dinners and sunset yoga on the beach. Better yet, stay a week and rise to the challenge of experiencing them all.


Sunset in Dubai

With the Best of Both Worlds in Dubai

On one side of Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf beckon. On the other, glittery Dubai unfolds.

At this sumptuous Mediterranean-style manse, you don’t have to choose between city and sea; have both. Watch from the open-air Mercury Lounge, six storeys high, as twilight turns the city into sparkle. Back at sea level, the sunset over Jumeirah Beach awaits – and so does the debonair Sea Fu restaurant.


Sunset on the beach in Mauritius

With Local Rhythms in Mauritius

Rising from the ocean about 1,200 miles (1930 kilometres) off the coast of Africa, marked by mountains, lagoons, beaches and reefs, Mauritius is the kind of island you want to be marooned on. Its wild beauty only grows more striking at sunset, with Bambou Mountain awash in golden light.

Once a week, Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita honours the occasion by inviting dancers to perform the sega, a celebratory local dance. Join in the magnetic rhythm for your own bodily salute to the setting sun.


Sunset in Scottsdale

On a Handsome Patio in Scottsdale

Desert sunsets and the allure of the American West are practically inseparable. See in person what so many artists and photographers have tried to capture with a stay at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.

A valley rife with soaring saguaros and spindly cholla acts as a kind of court for the famed Pinnacle Peak. Watch the falling sun paint the sky with warm shades of purple, pink, yellow and orange from a seat on Onyx Bar’s handsome patio.

Your Journey Begins Here

Where will you park yourself come sunset?