Parasailing

What it is

Fly a parachute canopy towed by a speedboat, a few hundred feet over the water. A five-to-ten minute flight with the best beach views you can buy.

When to go

October to May in India, weather permitting on the day. Dubai and the Maldives fly year-round outside strong wind.

First time?

Fully passive: you are strapped into a harness, winched out and winched back. Weight limits apply (roughly 20 to 90 kg depending on the operator) and children fly tandem.

Where to do it

• Goa

  boat-launched flights off Baga, Anjuna and Candolim

• JBR, Dubai

  flights over the Marina skyline

• Maafushi, Maldives

  atoll lagoons from a few hundred feet up